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: Wallis, William.
Title: Invoices
Dates: 1796-1802
Call No.: Col. 792
Acc. No.: 81x426; 85x2.1-2
Quantity: 12 items
Location: 3 B 5
BIOGRAPHICAL
STATEMENT
William Wallis worked in Birmingham, England; a man
of that name was listed as a factor or merchant at the time these invoices were
created. A note on one of the invoices
was signed William and Joseph Wallis.
Harvey & Worth were merchants at 62 North Front
Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Apparently they were also wholesalers as they imported very large
quantities of goods. Harvey was Samuel
Harvey, who was also found listed as an ironmonger in city directories. No merchant surnamed Worth was listed in
Philadelphia directories during the time period covered by these invoices.
SCOPE AND CONTENT
Twelve invoices for hardware shipped by William
Wallis of Birmingham, England, to Harvey & Worth, merchants in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, between June 28, 1796, and Feb. 27, 1802. All goods were shipped through Liverpool,
usually through Lees & Rundle.
Wallis sold a wide variety of metal goods to Harvey & Worth. Included are buttons, shoe buckles, money
scales, corkscrews, snuffers, warming pans, nails, screws, mortars and pestles,
nippers, locks, gunflints, dog collars, compasses, coffin furniture (which
included lace), curling irons, bells, clasps, bellows, candlesticks, bolts,
hooks, curtain rings and pins, handles, catches, tobacco and snuff boxes,
thimbles, coffee mills, frying pans, sandpaper, shaving boxes with brushes,
shovels, saws, knives, needles, curry combs and brushes, inkstands, spoons, and
many other goods for household, work, or personal use. Items were made of brass, steel, or iron, and
sometimes were silvered or plated.
Usually, there is some description, such as specifying kent, carpenters,
and shoe hammers; bright straight cupboard bolts; brass balled iron
candlesticks; or bright chest, bright straight cupboard, iron till, or trunk
locks. Quantities, price per unit, and
total prices are indicated.
ORGANIZATION
In 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
Accession 81x426 was purchased from Rose Sill.
Accession 85x2 was purchased from Richard J.
Labowskie.
ACCESS POINTS
Topics:
Harvey & Worth
(Philadelphia, Pa.)
Hardware - Prices.
House furnishings - Prices.
Hardware stores - Pennsylvania - Philadelphia.
Merchants - Pennsylvania - Philadelphia.
Hardware - Commerce.
United States - Commerce - Great Britain.
Great Britain - Commerce - United States.
Invoices.
DETAILED
DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION
Location: 3 B 5
All invoices are from William Wallis of Birmingham,
England, and all are addressed to Harvey & Worth of Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania.
Folder 1 of 1:
81x426.1a-b June 28, 1796: twenty-six casks of hardware
forwarded to Jno. Montgomery of Liverpool; casks 1-19 contained various sizes
of rose and flat point nails; parcels 1-9 contained wood screws, while parcels
10-11 contained bedstead screws; other goods included japanned snuffers,
mortars and pestles, shoe and sugar nippers, two pairs of steelyards, shoe
tacks, awl blades, gunflints, gimblets, padlocks, latches, chest and trunk
locks, brass compasses and brass dog collars, teas bells, breast and coat
buttons (including some horn buttons), curling irons, links, house bells,
clasps, composition plated buckles, coffee mills, staple bolts, chimney hooks,
handles, escutcheons, screw knobs and hooks, curtain pins, bed caps, table
catches, fire screen springs, fashionable desk furniture, spring corkscrews,
snuffers, shoe buckles, brass warming pans, etc.;
Marked as “Duplicate”; a
note at the end is signed William and Joseph Wallis
81x426.2a-b July 10, 1799: seventeen casks of hardware
forwarded to Lang & Co. of Liverpool: pairs of steelyards, socket chisels,
plane iron, screw plates, snap steel spring tobacco boxes, shoe tacks, steel
top thimbles, steel spring bag locks, padlocks, best tinned Pelham bitts, chamber
candlesticks, Roman graters, snuff boxes, hand saws, sash compasses, different
kinds of buckles, coffee mills, iron frame pulleys, warming pans, metal border
trays, caddies with locks, breast buttons (150 gross of buttons), stirrups,
fire irons, long handled frying pans, best one hole wood mouse traps, cast-iron
tea kettles with brass falling handles, etc.
81x426.3 April 21, 1801: four casks of hardware
forwarded to Lees & Rundle, Liverpool: including padlocks, closet locks,
rim locks, letter keyed horse locks, table butts, square steel compasses, horse
brushes, stirrups, gold border trays with figured centers, japaned dressing
case, etc.
81x426.4 June 10, 1801: three casks of hardware
forwarded to Lees & Rundle of Liverpool: included tea kettles, sparrow
bills, iron castors, wood screws, spring and thumb latches, gimblets, spring
bolts, curry combs, shoe nippers, shoe punches, curling irons, enameled snuff
boxes, tea and table spoons, locks, japanned ink pots, brass compasses, brass
dog collars, umbrella parts (tips, caps, and something else), etc., etc.
81x426.5 June 20, 1801: fifteen casks of
hardware forwarded to Lees & Rundle, Liverpool: nails, woolen webs, thumb
latches, iron compasses, shoe pincers, snuffers, bastard bellows, brass pipe
chamber bellows, plain hand candlesticks, cruet frames with wood top or bone
tops, pounce boxes made of bone, etc., etc.
81x426.6 June 30, 1801: three casks of hardware
forwarded to Lees & Rundle of Liverpool: including cast butts, Kent
hammers, carpenters and shoe hammers; women’s brass and tailor’s lined
thimbles; wood screws, fifty dozen double jointed spectacles, rim locks, tinned
spoon-end snaffles, iron candlesticks, brass hand candlesticks; etc., etc.
81x426.7 July 10, 1801: a cask of hardware
forwarded to Lees & Rundle of Liverpool: including imitation of pebble
seats and other kinds of seats (“These seats on tryal being very prevailing”),
snaffles, wood screws, cabinet keys, plain iron prospect locks, hollow colt
bitts, square chafing dishes, spike gimblets, green silk lashes, etc.
81x426.8 August 29, 1801: two casks of hardware
forwarded to Lees & Rundle of Liverpool: gilt trinkets, plain iron prospect
locks, tinned rivets, Jews harps (iron, tinned, brass), key rings, Flemish
tacks, nails, etc.;
Wil an added note about
nails
81x426.9 January
10, 1802: two casks of hardware forwarded to Lees & Rundle of
Liverpool: including coffee mills, padlocks, rim locks, gilt seats or seals,
Martingale hooks, table and tea spoons, new fire dogs on tryal, fire irons to
suit, fish hook, latches with rings, gilt ear drops and finger rings, etc.,
etc.
81x426.10 February 27, 1802: one cask of hardware
forwarded to Lees & Rundle of Liverpool: including cut springs[?], white
links, wood screws, table spoons, fine steel something, closet locks, japanned
curry combs;
Part of invoice is torn
off; full year is from endorsement
85x2.1 August 20, 1801: cask of goods
forwarded to Lees & Rundle of Liverpool: including bright spike gimblets,
brass bookcase and desk locks, screws, various kinds of coat and breast
buttons, gilt watch keys, etc.;
with added note:
“The above buttons being very prevailing took the opportunity of sending them.”
85x2.2 September 15, 1801: cask of goods
forwarded to Lees & Rundle of Liverpool: including bright chest and
cupboard locks, iron fill locks, fine padlocks, black shackle double bolted
padlocks, trunk locks, etc.;
With added note: “Have
this day received your esteetm’d favor of 5th Augt. ult. ordering
the above, which you will see I do not lose a moment in attending to.