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:         Blanchard & Clapp                            

Title:               Invoices and bills

Dates:             1833-1834

Call No.:         Col. 659         

Acc. No.:        81x280.16-.22, .24-.31

Quantity:        15 items

Location:        34 J 4

 

 

 

BIOGRAPHICAL STATEMENT

 

Nothing is known about the partnership of Blanchard & Clapp.  They probably ran a general store somewhere in New England, possibly in Windham County, Vermont.

 

One of the bills was from Wardsboro, which is in Windham County, Vermont.  The 1830 and 1840 censuses for Wardsboro list Aaron Blanchard, but no one surnamed Clapp, so although the store may have been close to Wardsboro, it does not seem to have been in that town.

 

Walton Mead painted a sign for the company.  A man of that name lived in Walpole, New Hampshire, across the river from Windham County, Vermont.

 

 

SCOPE AND CONTENT

 

A small group of bills sent to Blanclard & Clapp for purchasing goods, mostly from stores in Boston, Massachusetts, or in Windham County, Vermont, 1833-1834.  Some of the bills are for textile fabrics, such as London prints, muslin, shirting, flannel, gingham, grass cloth, etc., and dress making notions (buttons, braids, ribbon, and other trims) or dress accessories (hose, handkerchiefs, shawls, gloves).  Other bills are for pitchforks, saws, brushes (hair, tooth, paint, cloth), teapots, lanterns and lamps, chamber pots, tubs and pails, saleratus, copperas, alum, and a variety of other goods.

 

           

ORGANIZATION

 

The bills and invoices are in chronological order, not accession number order.

 

 

LANGUAGE OF MATERIALS

 

The materials are in English.

 

 

RESTRICTIONS ON ACCESS

 

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

           

 

PROVENANCE

 

Purchased from N. David Scotti.      

 

ACCESS POINTS

 

Topics:

                        Textile fabrics - Prices - 19th century.

                        Dress accessories - Prices - 19th century.

                        Notions (Merchandise) - Prices.

                        House furnishings - 19th century.

                        Agricultural implements - Prices.

                        Invoices.

                        Merchants.

 

 

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION

 

Location: 34 J 4

 

 

All invoices are addressed to Blanchard and Clapp;

All accession numbers begin with 81x280

 

Folder 1 of 2: (chronological order):

 

.17       receipted invoice, from Ball, Baker & Co., Boston, May 1, 1833.

                        Items purchased include quills, buttons (some gilt), bobbins, tape, twist, ribbons, braids, handkerchiefs, edging, inserting, hooks and eyes, bed tick and furniture binding, lacings, thread, umbrellas and parasols, table cloths (plaid, brown linen, blue figured), canvas pudding, Suffolk drilling, needles, buckram, palm leaves, etc.

 

.16       receipted invoice, from Kimball J. Evett & Co., Boston, May 2, 1833;

                        Items purchased include tapes, braces, temperance handkerchiefs, other handkerchiefs, vesting, gloves, hose, shawls, lace edging, quilling, various kinds of textile fabrics (muslin, cambric, gingham, shirting, linen, sheeting, etc.), oil cloth, etc.  Receipt signed by J. Brown.

 

.19       receipted bill, from Walton Mead, no place, May 16, 1833, for a sign.

 

.20       receipted bill, bought of Abel K. Wilder, Wardsboro, [Vermont], May 18, 1833: for pitchforks.

                        [Note: Abel K. Wilder was not the same person as Abel Wilder, the grandfather of Almanzo Wilder, the husband of the writer Laura Ingalls Wilder.  However, as they both lived for a time in Windham County, Vermont, they may have been related.]

 

.21       receipted bill, bought of Mark Richards, Boston, May 21, 1833:

purchased plaid and mourning gingham, painted French muslin, shoes (from Field & Goold), mourning and furniture calico, cambric, shirting, prints, and other textile fabrics.

 

.22       receipted bill, bought of E. May, Westminster, [Windham County, Vermont?], June 4, 1833:

purchased saleratus, copperas, whiting, buttons, shot, milk pans, painted pails, butter tubs, brooms, padding, Russia duck, mourning crape, yarn, lamps, iron candle sticks, thread, mugs, platters, plates, tea sets, pitchers, other china ware, lead cocks, glass, etc.

 

.24       receipted bill, bought of L. Norton, Bennington, [probably Vermont], July 10, 1833; receipt signed by James P.[?] Godfrey;

purchased stoneware: churns, butter sets, and jugs.

 

.18       receipted bill, bought of Hunnewell & Harrington, no place, July 11, 1833;

purchased crockery: plates, tea pots, sugar bowls, creamers, pitchers, bowls, muffins, chamber pots, glass nappies, salts, etc.

 

.25       receipted bill, bought of Henry Rice & Co., importers of piece goods and hardware, Boston, July 11, 1833;

                        Purchased pocket knives, scissors, trunk locks, butts, square files, hinges, scythe rifles and stones, brads, wool cards, wood screws, twine, fancy calico, Russia diaper.

                        Printed billhead

 

.26       receipted bill, bought of John Shorey, Boston, Sept. 10, 1833;

purchased grass cloth, silk handkerchiefs, busks, braids, gloves, buttons.

 

.29       receipted bill, bought of Mark Richards, Westminster, Nov. 11, 1833: for London print calico, cambric.

                        Penciled notes on back include name S.B. Clapp.

 

.31       receipted bill, bought of Ball Baker & Co., Boston, Oct. 14, 1834, signed by Richard Pell; for London print.

 

 

Folder 2 of 2 (oversized, in map case 2, drawer 8)

 

.27       receipted bill, bought of Henry Rice & Co., importers of piece goods and hardware, Boston, Sept. 10, 1833;

                        Purchased shirting, sheeting, power loom ticking, fancy calico, cambric, gros de Naples, Irish linen, pongee, lustring ribbon, fancy gauze handkerchiefs, cotton tapes, camblet, tabby velvet, vesting, gingham umbrellas, rope, latches, whips, cloth brushes, wallets, hair brushes, chains, gimblets, tacks etc.

                        Printed billhead

 

.28       receipted bill, bought of Henry Rice & Co., importers of piece goods and hardware, Boston, October 29, 1833;

                        Purchased a long list of textile fabrics, handkerchiefs, sewing silk and twist, batting, canvas padding, buttons, braid, ribbon, saws, gimblets, rope, cocks, locks, etc.

                        Printed billhead

 

.30       receipted bill, bought of Henry Rice, importer of piece goods and hardware, Boston, April 12, 1834;

                        Purchased a long list of textile fabrics, Mechlin lace, ribbon, bobbinet quilling, felt hats, children’s handkerchiefs, kid gloves, hose, cotton tape, buttons, pins, Valencia shawls, thread, Marseilles vesting, knives and forks, shoe knives, sheep shears, padlocks, Wedgwood inkstand, toothbrushes, snuff boxes, hooks and eyes, handsaws, paint brushes, butts, hinges, slate pencils, fish hooks, beads, sandpaper, shoe thread, etc.

                        Printed billhead