The
The Joseph Downs Collection of Manuscripts and
Printed Ephemera
Henry Francis du Pont
5105 Kennett Pike, Winterthur,
Delaware 19735
Telephone: 302-888-4600 or 800-448-3883
OVERVIEW OF
THE COLLECTION
Creator: Thompson, William R.
Title: Bills
Dates: 1803-1823
Call No.: Col. 623
Acc. No.: 01x116
Quantity: 1 folder (16 items)
Location: 34 J 4
BIOGRAPHICAL
STATEMENT
William Thompson and Robert Thompson were in
partnership as merchants in Philadelphia in the early 19th
century. Nothing certain is known about
them.
At this time in Philadelphia, there was a grocer
named William R. Thompson; he had apprenticed with his uncle John Thompson
before setting up his own grocery business on the northeast corner of Front and
High Streets in Philadelphia in 1812.
Robert Thompson was listed as a merchant; in the Philadelphia directories,
with a store on High Street.
SCOPE AND
CONTENT
A collection of sixteen bills sent to William R.
Thompson, to Robert Thompson, or to both men, 1803-1823. The bills are for flour; cigars and twists of
tobacco, including lady’s twist; fabrics, such as chambray, plaid, shirting,
muslins, checks, Wilmington stripe (a fabric made in Wilmington, Delaware?),
prints, gingham, flannel, holland, and silk; china items, including London and
Irish painted cups and saucers, tea pots, and blue printed cups and saucers;
razors, scissors, pen knives; leghorn hats; buttons; herring; salt; and
hides. The Thompsons traded with James
Armstrong, Jr., Cooke & Cresson, James Lynd, Gilman & Ammidon, J. &
G. L. Cash, J. & T. Wood, Nathaniel Burt, Jacob C. Jones, Amos H.
Slaymaker, and others.
ORGANIZATION
LANGUAGE OF
MATERIALS
The materials are in English.
RESTRICTIONS
ON ACCESS
Collection is open to the public. Copyright restrictions may apply.
PROVENANCE
Purchased from William L. Clements Library,
University of Michigan.
ACCESS POINTS
People:
Thompson, Robert, merchant.
Topics:
Textile fabrics -
Pennsylvania - Philadelphia.
Textile fabrics - Delaware - Wilmington.
Business records - Pennsylvania - Philadelphia.
Grocery trade - Pennsylvania - Philadelphia.
Tobacco - Prices - 19th century.
Pottery - Prices - 19th century.
Hats - Pennsylvania - Philadelphia.
Grocers - Pennsylvania - Philadelphia.
Bills (financial).
Merchants.
DETAILED
DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION
Location: 34 J 4
All accession numbers begin with 01x116.
Folder 1 of 1:
.1 receipt: Boude & Miller received 14 barrels of flour,
the property of William Thomson, from Benjamin Narvy[?], Columbia, May 9, 1803;
With bill: Thomson bought salt from Boude & Miller,
no date;
And more information about Boude & Miller
.2 receipted bill: W. Thomson paid James Armstrong, Jr.,
Baltimore, Aug. 26, 1803, for cigars, small rolls, lady’s twist, a box of
pipes, and something else, plus drayage
.3 receipt:
Samuel Miller, Columbia, April 13, 1805, received from Benjamin Narvy[?] 36
barrels of flour, the property of W. Thomson
.4 receipted
bill: William Thompson paid Cooke & Cresson, Philadelphia, Aug. 7, 1807,
for colored something and calico pink
.5 receipted
bill: William Thompson paid James Lynd, Philadelphia, Oct. 29, 1812, for yards
of fabric; on back: Barton[?] cotton
.6 receipted
bill: Robert Thompson paid Gilman & Ammidon, Philadelphia, June 13, 1815,
for chambray, plaid, shirtings; on back: domestic cottons, G & Ammidon
.7 receipted
bill: W. & R. Thompson paid Field & Fobes[?], Philadelphia, June 14,
1815, for plaid, checks, sheeting, boxes of balls
.8 receipted
bill: Robert Thomson paid J. & G. S. Cash, Philadelphia, June 15, 1815, for
London painted[?] and Irish cups and saucers, tea pots, china teas, blue
printed cups, muffins, edged twiffles; [difficult to read part of what is on
back]
.9 receipted
bill: Robert Thompson paid Isaac Smedley & Co., Philadelphia, June 15,
1815, for razors, scissors, pen knives; on back: Smedley
.10 receipted
bill: Messrs Wm. & Robert Thompson,
paid J. Dunlap & Co., Philadelphia, June 12, 1822: for padding, muslin,
checks, blue cloth, Wilmington stripe, prints, gingham, vesting, cotton
balls[?], some kind of book, plaid, leghorns, ruffling, and something else
(maybe porterage)
.11 receipted
bill: Robert Thompson paid J. & T. Wood, Philadelphia, June 13, 1822, for muslin,
black silk Florentine[?], white something, and white sewing; on back: J..&
T. Wood
.12 bill:
unnamed person bought of Carter, no place, Aug. 29, 1822: handkerchiefs,
ribbons, buttons, keys, a gross of something else, and p. combs [pocket combs].
.13 receipted
bill: Messrs Robert & Wm. Thompson, paid James Dunlap & Co.,
Philadelphia, Dec. 27, 1822: for vesting, book, thread, calico, blue cassimere,
Holland, book muslin, velvet, suspenders, leno, handkerchiefs, Waterloo shawls,
bombazet, check, flannel, plaid, olive cloth; on back: Dunlapp & Co.
.14 receipted
bill: Robert Thompson paid Nathaniel Burt, Philadelphia, Dec. 30, 1822, for
blue cloth, domestic plaid, nuns thread, and assorted twist; endorsed on back
.15 receipted
bill: Wm. & Robert Thompson paid Jacob C. Jones, Philadelphia, May 15,
1823, for Leg. flats & extra crowns, bands of some sort, making Leghorns;
endorsed on back: bonnets
.16 receipted
bill: William & Robert Thompson paid Amos A. Slaymaker & Co. no place,
June 17, 1823, for salt, herring, shad, hides, whetstones; with credit given
for flour and corn; endorsed on back