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:         Ely, Richard H. (Richard Hays), 1790-1828.

Title:               Bills

Dates:             1818-1819.

Call No.:         Col. 719         

Acc. No.:        04x2

Quantity:        20 items

Location:        34 J 4

 

 

 

BIOGRAPHICAL STATEMENT

 

Richard H. Ely lived in Penfield, Monroe County, New York.  He seems to have run a store.  A merchant named Richard Hays Ely was born in Lyme, Connecticut, in 1790, the son of Phebe Lay and Denison Ely.  In 1820, he married Laura Maria Shepard (1798-1839), and they had several children before Richard died in February 1828.

 

 

SCOPE AND CONTENT

 

A collection of receipted bills, almost all of which were sent to Richard H. Ely.  Eleven of the bills are for construction supplies and labor, probably for a store (one of the bills specifies a charge for hinges for a store door).  Ely bought nails, laths, boards, hinges, scantling, bricks, and rafters.  He was charged for plastering and framing.  The other bills are for an assortment of goods, bought in such quantities that they were undoubtedly stock for a store.  He bought combs, buttons, umbrellas, cotton lace, plates, bowls, jugs, teapots, a “brown image tea set,” decanters, and other such goods.

 

In addition, the collection includes a bill to another Mr. Ely for a large Turkish chair, purchased in 1866, and a note to Mr. Culver from Samuel Dinsmore of Pittsfield, dated 1818.  Although the later Mr. Ely could be related to Richard, the note from Dinsmore seems not to have anything to do with him.

 

           

ORGANIZATION

 

For the most part, the bills 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

 

Purchased from Stephen and Carol Resnick.

           

 

ACCESS POINTS

 

Topics:

            Building.

            Buttons – Prices.

            Ceramics – Prices.

            Chairs – Prices.

            Combs – Prices.

            Lace and lace making - Prices.

            Stores, Retail - Design and construction.

            Stores, Retail - New York (State) - Penfield.

            Umbrellas and parasols - Prices.

            Receipts.

            Bills.

           

 

 

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION

 

Location:

 

 

All accession numbers begin with 04x2.

 

 

Folder 1 of 1:

 

.1         from Stephen Wakelee, June-August 1818: for clapboards; for making hinges, bars, batts, keys for window, hooks and staples for window shutters and doors; and for irons to fasten window shutters, hooks for posts

                        [see also 04x2.12, which repeats these charges, and adds later charges]

 

.2         from Augustus Vandoke, June-Dec. 1818: for boards, planks, and scantling;

marked paid in January 1819

 

.3         from Joseph M. Richardson, June 1818: for lath;

marked paid January 1819

 

.4         from Samuel Hildreth, marked paid June 1818, for nails

 

.5         from Aaron Seymour, July 1818, for white wood boards

 

.6         from Orison Beardslee, July 1818, for plastering store, lime mortar, white wood boards

 

.7         from H. Bailey, July 11, 1818; for lumber, flooring, scantling, rafters, studs, joist, boards, flooring planks, lath, ash and white wood planks;

                        On back: some calculations

 

.8         from Eli Beardslee, July 1818; for days of work by Daniel Hubbell, Beach Rowell, and Ephraim; sash stuff, feet of sider [i.e. siding?], making step to door, and for days of boarding

 

.9         from Abraham J. Vosburgh, July 1818; for work of plastering in store;

payment was received by Esther Vosburgh

 

.10       from John Hedge, July 1818; for days of work framing

 

.11       from Aaron Quick, July 1818, for shingles, and for butternut and white wood boards

 

.12       from Stephen Wakelee, July-December 1818: for repeats charges found on the bill that is acc. 04x2.1; but adds charges for Oct.-De.: making some kind of bar; for a crane eye, hinges for cellar door, haps and staples, nails, spikes; for paint and something else by Aaron Quick; plank, and hooks and staples for bunk [or trunk]

 

.13       from E. Fullan [or possibly Fullam], Oct. 14, 1819: for bricks;

                        On back: Elisha Fullan

 

.14       from Ezra Williams, Saybrook, June 3, 1818: for ivory combs, coat and vest buttons, pocket combs, and some other kind of combs;

                        On back: E. Williams & Co., combs & buttons, with receipt for payment

 

.15       from John Greenfield, New York, June 11, 1818: for c.c. plates, twiflers, muffins, bowls, chamber pots, jugs, peppers, salts, mustards, tea pots, and mugs; black tea pots; lettered something, enameled teas, bowls, sugars, etc.; brown image tea sets; printed tea sets; decanters, tumblers, pocket bottles, wines; etc.

 

.16       from John Aspinwall, New York, June 13m 1818: for gingham umbrellas

 

.17       from Thomas Beals, Dec. 23, 1818: for coat and vest buttons of various kinds; plus transportation, a crate, and something else;

                        With some calculations on back

 

.18       from Sturges & Sherman, New York, June 12, 1818: cotton lace    

 

.19       to S.[?] D. Ely, from P.M. Bromley & Co., Rochester, N.Y., Jan. 2, 1866: for a large Turkish chair in green;

                        Printed billhead: Cabinet & Chair Warehouse; manufactures and … dealers in cabinet furniture, chairs, mahogany & rosewood veneers;

                        With U.S. Internal Revenue stamp

 

.20       from Samuel Dinsmore, Pittsfield, July 23, 1818: note to Mr. Culver to deliver four brass kittles to the bearer