The Winterthur Library

The Joseph Downs Collection of Manuscripts and Printed Ephemera

Henry Francis du Pont Winterthur Museum

5105 Kennett Pike, Winterthur, Delaware 19735

Telephone: 302-888-4600 or 800-448-3883

OVERVIEW OF THE COLLECTION

Creator: Fletcher, Henry W., circa 1807-1872.

Title: Bills

Dates: 1848-1869.

Call No.: Col. 658

Acc. No.: [various – see detailed description]

Quantity: 21 items

Location: 34 J 4

BIOGRAPHICAL STATEMENT

Henry W. Fletcher was a master mariner, or sea captain, living in Boston, Massachusetts, listed as such in city directories from at least 1839-1870. Born around 1807 in Duxbury to William and Luna Fletcher, he married Emma W. Hersey in 1833. (Her parents were Martin and Emma Hersey.) They had at least four daughters: Emma J. (born circa 1836), Inez (born circa 1841), Imogene (born circa 1846), and Ella (born circa 1848). After his first wife died in 1859, he married Susan Jane Fletcher in July 1863. Henry Fletcher died on April 16, 1872.

Captain Fletcher seems to have owned or managed several rental properties.

SCOPE AND CONTENT

A small collection of bills sent to Captain Henry W. Fletcher or to Miss Fletcher. Almost all of them are for the upkeep of houses, such as repairing a chimney, hanging wallpaper, painting and graining, putting gilding on molding, shingling, repairing a sofa and chairs, repairing drains, and setting window glass. In addition, the family bought an iron fence and some furniture. A few of the bills have printed billheads.

ORGANIZATION

Items are in chronological order.

LANGUAGE OF MATERIALS

The materials are in English.

RESTRICTIONS ON ACCESS

Collection is open to the public. Copyright restrictions may apply.

PROVENANCE

Various sources.

ACCESS POINTS

Topics:

Dwellings - Maintenance and repair - Massachusetts - Boston.

House painting - Massachusetts - Boston.

Paperhanging - Prices.

Fences - Massachusetts.

Invoices.

Billheads.

Bills of sale.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION

Location: 34 J 4

Folder 1 of 1:

68x138.2 receipted bill, Mr. Fletcher paid W. Lincoln, Boston, Aug. 22, 1848, for gilding 206.5 feet of molding

68x138.3 receipted bill, Henry W. Fletcher paid Roberts & Whitaker, May-October 1852, for painting exterior of house, hanging wallpaper, painting rooms, setting glass, graining kitchen, and doing unspecified work. Payment received by Stephen Whitaker.

68x138.4 receipted bill, H. Fletcher paid Stephen Whitaker, May-June 1854, for paint, japan, varnish, plus unspecified work [probably doing the actual painting], and hanging wallpaper.

68x138.5 receipted bill, Capt. Henry W. Fletcher paid Baldwin & Emerson, July 1, 1857, for door sills. Receipt dated Feb. 18, 1858.

68x138.6 receipted bill, Henry W. Fletcher paid William V. Bail, Boston, May 3, 1858, for boards, nails, clapboards, shingles, cement, lumber, and labor.

68x138.1 receipted bill, Mrs. H.W. Fletcher paid William V. Bail, Boston, Oct. 29, 1859, for taking down old gutters, repairing blinds, planks and nails used in carpenters work, installing a skylight, shingles, hinges for gate and skylight, soldering roof, repairing roof, lock.

67x127.4 receipted bill, Capt. H. Fletcher paid David C. Simpson, Boston, June 10, 1860, for hanging wallpaper.

68x138.7 receipted bill, Capt. Fletcher paid William Park, Boston, Nov. 17, 1860, for pointing brick wall, whitewashing buildings, whitening parlors, repairing drain, plastering, etc.

67x126.2 bill: Capt. Henry W. Fletcher bought of Buckley & Bancroft, Boston, Jan. 15, 1861: a chair.

Printed billhead: Joseph Buckley, Charles P. Bancroft, Furniture and Looking-glass warehouse

68x138.8 receipted bill, Capt. Fletcher paid William Park, Jr., Boston, April 22, 1861, for repairing a chimney.

68x138.9 receipted bill, Capt. Fletcher paid D. Chipman, May 1, 1861, for wallpapering, knobs, keys, fitting.

67x126.8 receipted bill, Capt. Henry Fletcher paid James E. Miller, South Boston, May 4, 1861, for making gate and back steps.

67x126.3 receipted bill, H. W. Fletcher paid Lewis J. Bird, South Boston, Oct. 10, 1861, for gate catch, wallpaper and hanging.

Printed billhead: Lewis J. Bird, importer and dealer in building hardware, house paper, window glass, brushes, carpenter’s tools, skates, &c.

68x138.10 receipted bill, Miss Fletcher paid Edward A. Wahl, South Boston, June 17, 1862, for repairs on house, including paint, pair of blinds, lime for whitening, etc.

68x138.11 receipted bill, Capt. H. Fletcher paid David C. Simpson, Boston, May 6, 1864, for hanging wallpaper, paint, setting window glass, whitewashing rooms.

68x138.12 receipted bill, H. W. Fletcher paid Thomas Hill, May-Oct. 1865, for wallpaper, hook, staple, etc.

67x126.7 receipted bill, H. W. Fletcher paid J. D. Child, South Boston, Oct. 10, 1865, for two burners

68x138.14 receipted bill, Capt. Fletcher paid Burrell & Whitney, South Boston, Dec. 16, 1867: for paint, panes of glass, and setting glass. Receipt signed by Henry B. Harris.

Printed billhead: Burrell & Whitney, painting, graining, glazing, paints, oils, glass, putty and varnishes. A. Burrell, Wm. A. Whitney.

67x126.5 receipted bill, Capt. Fletcher paid Fulton Iron Foundry Co., Boston, May 13, 1868: for fence and patt. [pattern?] work.

Printed billhead: Fulton Iron Foundry Co., foundry, Federal Street, South Boston - office, 39 Broad, corner Water Street.

67x126.6 bill, Capt. Fletcher bought from Burrell & Whitney, South Boston, July 14, 1868: glue, putty, painting blinds, labor.

Printed billhead: Burrell & Whitney, painting, graining, glazing, paints, oils, glass, putty and varnishes. A. Burrell, Wm. A. Whitney.

68x138.13 receipted bill, Mr. Fletcher paid J.P. Fielding & Son, no place, Dec. 15, 1869, for repairing sofa and three chairs.