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:         Knabb, Peter, Jr., 1771-1844 

Title:               Receipts

Dates:             1801-1836

Call No.:         Col. 660         

Acc. No.:        76x98.7, .19, .20, .22-.38, .44-.49, .316

Quantity:        27 items

Location:        34 J 4

 

 

 

BIOGRAPHICAL STATEMENT

 

Peter Knabb, Jr. (1771-1844) lived in Oley township, Berks County, Pennsylvania.  He was the son of Peter Knabb, who emigrated from Germany with his two brothers around 1737.  The elder Peter died in 1799 at the age of 74, leaving his widow Maria Elizabeth and several children.  Peter Jr. was a farmer, a member of Spies’s Church, and a Berks County commissioner from 1819 to 1822.  He was married to Susannah Sarah Herbein; their children were Susanna, Jacob, Sarah, William, and Nathan.

 

 

SCOPE AND CONTENT

 

A small collection of receipts for Peter Knabb, Jr., and other family members.  Eight receipts (most on printed forms) are for payment of Berks County taxes, 1806-1808.  

Five receipts are for subscriptions to a newspaper published by John Ritter; these are dated 1825-1836, and mention Maria/Mary Herbein and Maria Knabb.  Four items are written in German; two are signed Elizabeth Knabb, who also signed one English language receipt.   One receipt is for payment of a subsistence fee for Samuel Guldin, who was in jail in May 1822.   One receipt is for sawing done for the Hill church, while another documents the purchase of window glass for a church.   Another receipt documents payment to a school.  One receipt is for blacksmith work, while another is from a doctor, J. F. Baum, for medicine and attendance in 1819.  In 1828, Knabb was a road juror for Reading, charged with viewing and laying out roads.   As well, there is a call to jury duty issued to Peter Knabb, on a printed form sent by sheriff Daniel Kerper, in April 1826.  Knabb and Daniel Zacharias[?] were executors of the estate of George Babb, and one receipt refers to that.

 

           

ORGANIZATION

 

Divided by type and then arranged chronologically.

 

 

LANGUAGE OF MATERIALS

 

The materials are in English and German.

 

 

RESTRICTIONS ON ACCESS

 

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

           

 

PROVENANCE

 

From the Bates sale.

           

 

ACCESS POINTS

 

            People:

                        Knabb family.

                        Herbein family.

 

Topics:

            Jury duty.

Newspapers - Pennsylvania.

Prisoners - Pennsylvania.

Taxation - Pennsylvania - Berks County.

Receipts.

Farmers.

           

 

 

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION

 

Location: 34 J 4

 

 

All accession numbers begin with 76x98.

 

 

Folder 1 of 1:

 

Tax receipts:

 

            .28       August 8, 1806: Knabb, collector of Oley township, paid $146 in county tax for the year 1806, receipt signed by J. K. Messersmith, treasurer, Reading, Berks County Treasury Office;

                                    Printed form

 

            .27       November 22, 1806: Knabb, collector of Oley township, paid $14.66 in county tax for the year 1806, receipt signed by J. K. Messersmith, treasurer, Reading, Berks County Treasury Office;

                                    Printed form

 

            .48       December 15, 1806: Knabb, collector of Oley township, paid $65 in county tax for the year 1806, receipt signed by J. K. Messersmith, treasurer, Reading, Berks County Treasury Office;

                                    Printed form;

 

            .38       January 5, 1807: Knabb, collector of Oley township, paid  $52.50 in county tax for the year 1806, receipt signed by J. K. Messersmith, treasurer, Reading, Berks County Treasury Office;

                                    Printed form;

 

            .34       April 23, 1807: Knabb, collector of Oley township, paid a total of $23.20 in county tax for the year 1806, receipt signed by J. K. Messersmith, treasurer, Reading, Berks County Treasury Office;

                                    Printed form;

                                    On back: receipt for payment of $19 in part of exempt fine

 

            .46       May 7, 1807: Knabb, collector of Oley township, paid a total of $64.94 in county tax for the year 1807, receipt signed by J. K. Messersmith, treasurer, Reading, Berks County Treasury Office; (gives breakdown of what was paid); (something written on back as well);

                                    Printed form;

 

            .47       October 13, 1807: Knabb, collector of Oley township, paid $480 in county tax for the year 1876, receipt signed by J. K. Messersmith, treasurer, Reading, Berks County Treasury Office;

                                    Printed form;

                                    On back: receipt for payment of $20 for part of duplicate county tax for 1807; that receipt is signed by both John K. Messersmith and Daniel Messersmith

 

.37       Dec. 26, 1807: Knabb, collector of Oley Township, paid $28 for exempt fine and $35.90 in county taxes for year 1807, signed by both John K. Messersmith and Daniel Messersmith

                                    [not a printed form]

 

 

Grand Jury summons:

           

            .316     Peter Knabb, Jr., farmer, is summoned to  Grand Jury to be held in Reading on August 7; from Daniel Kerper, sheriff, dated April 5, 1826;

                                    Printed form

 

 

Printed receipts:

 

            .35       Maria Knab (name Peter Knab also appears) paid $1 for newspaper, signed Jno. Ritter, Adler-Druckery, Reading, Sept. 15, 1825;

                                    Printed form

 

            .22       Maria Herbein paid $3 for newspaper, signed Jno. Ritter, Adler-Druckery, Reading, Jan. 5, 1830;

                                    Printed form

 

            .33       Mary Herbein paid Johann Ritter und Comp. $1 for newspaper, signed Chs. Kepler, Adler-Druckery, Reading, Sept. 1, 1830;

                                    Printed form

 

            .30       Wm. Knabb, per Pet. Knabb, paid Johann Ritter und Comp. $1 for newspaper, signed Jno. Ritter, Adler-Druckery, Reading, Jan. 2, 1835;

                                    Printed form, illustrated with an eagle, and with decorative border

 

            .31       Wm. Knab, per Pet. Knab, paid Johann Ritter und Comp. $1 for newspaper, signed Louis Ritter, Adler-Druckery, Reading, May 6, 1836;

                                    Printed form, with decorative borders

 

 

 

Miscellaneous receipts and papers:

 

            .44       receipt in German, dated January 1801 on one side (with a mention of £15);

On the other side: Elisabeth Knab signed to acknowledge receipt of £15 from Peter Knabb, Jr., January 1, 1802;

 

            .25       receipt dated November 10, 1801, for $148, signature not clear

 

            .26       receipt: Elisabeth Knab was paid forty Spanish dollars or £15 by Peter Knabb, Jr., Dec. 25, 1804

 

            .49       receipt: Elisabeth Knab was paid £15 by Peter Knabb, Jr., July 1807

 

            .32       receipt: Peter Knabb paid D. Berholet[?] for sawing to the Hill Church, Dec. 24, 1810; on back: no. 32

 

            .45       receipt: Peter Knabb paid Martin Fritz[?] for smith work, Feb. 4, 1811; on back: no. 36

 

            .7         receipt: Mr. Knabb paid Geo. & Burneville[?] Keim for glass for window sash, for the church, Reading, June 13, 1811; on back: receipt for something else, crossed out

 

            .36       receipt: Peter Knab paid Daniel D. Keim for use of Alsau[?] School House, Aug. 7, 1812; with sums on back

 

            .24       receipt in German: April 15, 1815, signed Jacob Roy; name Daniel Zacharias[?] is written in the text of the receipt

 

            .29       memo: mentions Daniel Zacharias[?] & Peter Knabb, executors of George Babb, deceased; the name John Goodman also appears; dated Aug. 16, 1816; on back: note in German, dated 1818

 

            .19       receipted bill: Peter Knabb paid J. F. Baum, for medicine and attendance, March-April 1819; endorsed on back as bill Mr. P. Knabb to J. F. Baum

 

            .20       receipt: Knabb paid $5 on account of subsistence for Samuel Guldin in jail, signed Samuel Ritter, jailer, May 15, 1822

 

            .23       receipt: Peter Knabb paid for the amount overpaid him as a road juror for viewing and laying out roads in Reading, signed Jno Ritter, July 26, 1828