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:         Milligan, Robert, 1800-1890 

Title:               Account book and bills

Dates:             1831-1850, bulk dates 1831-1839

Call No.:         Col. 993

Acc. No.:        2018x15

Quantity:        6 folders

Location:        34 J 1

 

 

 

BIOGRAPHICAL STATEMENT

 

Robert Milligan (1800-1890) was a cooper in Newark, Licking County, Ohio.  Later, he became superintendent of the Cedar Hill Cemetery in Newark.  He was born in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, the son of Margaret Wilson and William Milligan.  The Milligan family moved to Zanesville, Ohio, in 1816, where Robert apprenticed as a cooper.  He then moved to Newark, Ohio.  He married twice, first to Catherine Hunt (1802-1830) and then to Mary Wilson (1810-1883).  He had several children, including a son John and daughters Melvina and Ann E.   A family tree gives Robert the middle name Wiley.

 

In the 1850 census, Milligan was listed as a cooper, but later census records list him as superintendent of a cemetery.  A bill in the collection indicates he was superintendent of Cedar Hill Cemetery, which was established as the Newark, Ohio, city cemetery in 1850.

 

 

SCOPE AND CONTENT

 

A combination account and daybook, a slim account book recording cords of wood, and an assortment of bills, both to and from cooper Robert Milligan of Newark, Ohio, 1831-1850.   The combination account and daybook, covering 1831-1839, forms the bulk of the collection, and details the different kinds of barrels, tubs, kegs, and other cooperage items made and mended by Milligan and the men who worked for him.  Flour, meat, and apple cider barrels were important products of his workshop.  A more in-depth description of this volume is found as part of the finding aid to the collection.

 

As well, the collection includes some bills, both to and from Milligan.  Those to him include charges for men’s and boy’s clothing, shoes for the family, tuition for his children, materials for building a house, some household goods (dishes, tea spoons), textile fabrics and sewing notions, and other miscellaneous items.  An item of interest is an account of a Sabbath School celebration held on December 25, 1848 at the First Presbyterian Church, at which several of Milligan’s children were awarded New Testaments and rewards of merit. 

     

           

ORGANIZATION

 

Items within each folder are roughly 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 Dan Casavant Rare Books.

           

 

ACCESS POINTS

 

Topics:

            First Presbyterian Church (Newark, Ohio)

            Apprentices.

Barrels.

Christmas.

Coopers and cooperage - Ohio - Newark.

House construction - Ohio - Newark.

Pails.

            Staves and stave trade - Ohio - Newark.

            Teachers - Ohio - Newark.

            Account books.

            Daybooks.

            Coopers.

           

 

 

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION

 

Location: 34 J 1

 

 

All accession numbers begin with 2018x15.

 

Folder 1: Account book, 1831-1839  (acc. 2018x15.1)

 

Partly an account book, partly a daybook, kept by Robert Milligan, a cooper in Newark, Ohio.  Milligan records making barrels, tubs, hogsheads and hogsets, buckets, a few churns, cans, tierces, and kegs (which he spelled cag).  He also trimmed, hooped, and mended these items.  Among the kinds of barrels he made were pork, ham, beef, flour, double, fat, cider, “tite,” soap, apple butter, pickle, whiskey, and oil barrels.  Tubs were identified as washing, “crout” [i.e. kraut?], pump, “meet” [i.e. meat], mortar, pickle, still, and mash tubs.  He made well and wall buckets, pails, and various kinds of cans (butter, apple butter, and fat).  Some items were described as being “ireron boun” [iron bound]. 

In addition to the usual products of a cooper shop, Milligan also supplied boards, flooring, and logs to customers, and he occasionally made tool handles and rakes.  On page A (between numbered pages 23 and 24) is found the note that “David Moor ju [Junior] sot in to larn the coopers trad,”  and on the opposite page, one learns that “Silviens Stanford sot in to work.”  (Later, Stanford’s first name is recorded as Sel.)  On page 36 is found the note that James Milligan “sot in to work by the peac.”  (It is not known if James were related to Robert.)  Some customers ordered large quantities of barrels; see page 26 for one example.  Milligan had people who supplied him with staves; see page 65 for an example.

 

After p. 65, Milligan starts Daybook page 1, with this section covering the dates April 21, 1834-Jan. 2, 1838.  This section gives a view of the seasonal nature of his work; he made cider barrels in September, when apples were picked, and meat and pork barrels in December, when it was time to butcher livestock.  After pages of daybook entries (only page 1 is numbered), Milligan reverted to ledger format, but these pages are not numbered. 

 

In the front of the volume are found accounts of butter and accounts with Mrs. Addams (or Adams), who seems to have kept a store. 

 

 

[Volume: marbled covers, leather spine, all worn; name Robert Milligan written on front cover; other words and names also written on front and back covers.  On the front fly leaf, Milligan noted that the purchased the volume from B.W. Brice in 1832.  Height: 31 cm]

 

 

Folder 2: Account book of wood, 1849-1850 (acc. 2018x15.2)

 

Accounts of purchases of wood, most of which are simple records of cords of wood; however, making rails (“rales”), cutting saw logs, and orders on a mill are also mentioned.  An account headed Robert Milligan appears on the last pages, but nothing else connects this slim volume to him.

 

[Volume: pages folded and stitched together, no covers. 40 pages;  height: 16 cm]

 

 

Folder 3: Bills to others from Robert Milligan, 1831-1847

 

.3         bill sent to H. Gregory, from Milligan, Newark, dated Aug. 30, 1831, at top, but with charges through Nov. 24, 1834: for mending tubs, barrels, and bucket, can; hooping a barrel and a meat tub; and making a meat tub;

                        On back: assorted calculations

 

.4         partial bill, sent to A. Pie[torn off], dated March 12, 1834, at top, but with charges through Dec. 21, 1835: for quantities of flour barrels, also pork [barrels], butter [cans or kegs], and for trimming and hooping;

                        On back: the names Robert Milligan and Polly Milligan, and assorted calculations

                       

 

.5         partial bill, person to whom sent has been torn off; from Milligan; dated Oct. 2, 1834, includes a charge for something, and there is part of a note mentioning John Wilson

                        On back: “Due D. P. Moore” [who worked for Milligan]; charges for flannel, goods, vest, and sock; and some calculations

 

.6         bill: 1835 March 20th, Jhon [sic] A. Reder, no goods mentioned, just dollar amounts;

                        On back: John A. Reeder, with more dollar amounts

 

.7         account of D. P. Moore with Robert Milligan, , with charges for flannel, a vest, a pair of socks, pair of boots, razor strop and brush, “goods at Bakers,” hoops, etc., dated Aug. 26, 1835;

at bottom of page: account with James Taylor dated Dec. 9, 1835, for hooping something [perhaps meat barrels];

on back: other notes and calculations

 

.8         partial bill, to Thomas Smith, from Milligan, March 4, 1836, for tite barrels, meat hogset, and half barrels, with various calculations added;

                        On back: more calculations

 

.9         bill to B. Buckingham & Co., from Milligan, Jun 24, 1831-July 18, 1836: for large quantities of flour barrels, plus other kinds of barrels, buckets, hogsets, tubs, and a churn; and charges for mending items;

                        Bill continues on back, plus there is a calculation dividing the amount of the bill among various men, probably partners in the company

 

.10       bill to M. Stockwell, from Milligan, 1837: for boarding, but also mentioning Mr. Conner and Mr. Bell

 

.11       bill to Wm. Fillips from Milligan, Aug. 4, 1834-May 6, 1837: for ickel barrel, hooping meat tubs, a washing tub, and a well bucket;

                        On back: several names

 

.12       bill to E. Cooper & D. Jewet, June 16, 1842-March 25, 1844: for large quantities of flour and pork barrels, and kegs and slack tierces;

                        Endorsed on back: E. Coopper [sic] & Jewet

 

.13       bill to James Barney by Grainstaf, Aug. 11, 1840-Nov. 28, 1845: for pickle tub, and half barrel by Roberts; also for hooping barrels and hogset, and mending a bucket;

                        on back: crossed out bill to John J. Mooney[?], from Milligan, 1843: for mending tub and a meat stand, plus some figures

                        [see also 2018x15.14]

 

.14       bill to James M. Barney from Milligan, with some of the same charges as on the bill above, covering Aug. 11, 1840-June 5, 1846: for pickle tub by Granstaff, half barrel by Roberts, and butter kegs by Edda, plus mending a bucket, and hooping a hogset;

                        Endorsed on back: James M. Barney, and with some calculations

 

.15       bill to Wm. P. Moreson from Milligan, Aug. 4, 1841-Oct. 3, 1846: for hooping barrel and mending hogset and tubs

 

.16a     bill to C. Mc[illegible] from Milligan, June-Dec. 1847: for bucket, flour and pork barrels, and for mending and hooping barrels

 

.16b     bill to A. Wilder from R. Milligan, Superintendent of C.H. Cemetery [Cedar Hill Cemetery], March to June, no year, for cords of wood

 

 

Folder 4: Bills to Milligan from others, 1830-1849

 

.17       bill of work from John A. Reeder, July 1830: for window and door frames, plastering, framing roof, mantle pieces, pair of stairs, string board, laying flooring, lights of glass, hanging doors, and other charges pertaining to building a house;

                        Note: bill is water stained and part is extremely faded

 

.18       bill from MacCracken Duncan & Co., May 1831-Jan. 1832: for tea, coffee, tobacco, palm hat, fur hat, vest trimmed, pieces of wallpaper (“paper hanging”), pair of pans, pitcher and tumbrels, goods per bill or per order, nails, coffee mill, cheese, flour, salt, pepper, shoes, flannel, gloves, etc.

                        A number of charges were “per Arthur” and one was “per sister”;

                        Credit was given to Milligan for coopering;

                        On March 3, 1832, Daniel Duncan received payment by order on Adam Fleek[?], accepted for the late firm of MacCracken Duncan & Co.;

                        Calculations also included on back

 

.19       bill from unknown person, Jan.-July 1832: for making and mending shoes; with credit given for whiskey barrel;

                        On back: partial outline of a building, probably a house; the name Robert Milligan written twice, the name Everett[?] T[illegible]; and calculations

 

.20       bill from John Lunenford[?], 1833: for fine hats, one being for an unnamed apprentice;

                        On back: calculations

 

.21       receipted bill from Gregory & Watson, charges 1833-1834, payment received March 13, 1835: for making coat and “disct. with P. Stevenson”;

                        On back: sketch of something and name Robt. Milligan

 

.22       bill from A. Sherwood & Co., Dec. 2, 1835: for muslin, silk, ribbon, Florance, and wire;

                        On back: calculations

 

.23a-b  “Robert Milligan in account with B. Buckingham, June 1831-Sept. 1836: for a variety of items, including hoop iron, drawing knife, file, grass scythe, rifle; shirting and other textile fabrics, thread and needles, buttons and hooks and eyes; straw gimp, white Florence; socks, starch, chalk; tobacco; tea spoons, pitcher, cups and saucers, plates, tin cups, stone crocks; butter, coffee and tea; “sundries per lady,” comb, spelling book, pencil; bureau trims (per M. Moore), trunk, bed cord, wallpaper, etc.

                        Credit was given for a meat cask and a barrel

 

.24       bill from John Tupper[?], 1836: for hauling grain to the barn, getting out quantities of wheat, and hauling wheat to town;

                        Endorsed on back: Milligans a/c

 

.25       bill from unknown person, to Milligan, Nov. 8, 1837-Feb. 6, 1838: for setting lights of glass, paint, painting house, making “clok” [cloak], painting curtain to door window, making coat and pants for Jonathan, painting something else, and making drawers

 

.26       bill from Beckwith & Reece, Newark, May 10, 1839, to Sarah Adams, charged to Robt. Milligan: straw bonnet, ribbon, lining

 

.27       bill from John Taylor, Newark, Dec. 17, 1840, to Milligan per order of Mr. Stafford: for unspecified merchandise

 

.28       bill from John Taylor, Newark, Jan. 16, 1841, to Milligan per John Stafford: for unspecified merchandise

 

.29       bill from John Taylor, Newark, Jan. 23, 1841, to Milligan per John Stafford: for unspecified merchandise

 

.30       bill from J. Taylor, Newark, Feb. 2, 1841: for coffee and sewing supplies (calico, spool of cotton, hooks and eyes, skein of silk, muslin)

 

.31       bill from John Taylor, Feb. 6, 1841, to Milligan per J. Stafford: for unspecified merchandise

 

.32       bill from John Taylor, Newark, Feb. 8, 1841, to Milligan per John Stafford: for unspecified merchandise

                        On back: calculations

 

.33       bill from John Taylor, Newark, Feb. 27, 1841, to Milligan per Jno. Stafford: for pen knife;

                        On back: calculations

 

.34       bill from Jno Taylor, Newark, March 8, 1841, to Milligan per John Stafford: for a yard of check;

                        On back: numbers

 

.35       receipted bill from Jesse Smith, July 1840-Arpil 22, 1841: for shoes and boots, and for mending same, for various members of the Milligan family, including the hired girl

 

.36       bill from John Taylor, Newark, May 1, 1841, to Milligan per J. Stafford: for unspecified merchandise;

                        On back: calculations

 

.37       bill from John Taylor, Newark, May 3, 1841, to Milligan per Mr. Lamb: for unspecified merchandise;

                        On back: partial account, mentioning blankets, flannel, muslin, etc., but having nothing to do with the Milligan account

 

.38       bill from Jno Taylor, Newark, May 5, 1841, to Milligan per J. Stafford: for cott umbrella;

                        On back: continuation of the accounts as found on the back of .37 above, again, having nothing to do with Milligan

 

.39       receipted bill from B. Pilkington, Newark, May 6, 1842: for tuition of John for one year;

                        On back: calculations

 

.40       receipted bill: Ball & Ward were paid on May 18, 1843, for hinges, iron basket chain, files, lights of glass, shaft and bar, wheel barrow, coffee, and other things; John Wilson’s account was added to the bill

 

.41       receipted bill: B. Pilkington, Newark, Jan. 1, 1844, was paid for tuitions of Melvina, Ann  Eliza, Elizabeth, and John;

                        Endorsed on back: Milligan’s a/c

 

.42       receipt: Robert Milligan paid the remainder of B. Pilkington’s bill of July 7, 1845, for schooling, Jan. 19, 1846

 

.43       receipted: Moore & Godfrey were paid on May 29, 1845, for making a coat and a round jacket, trimmings, cutting out vests[?], making a suit, etc., for Milligan and his son; work done Nov. 1842-Oct. 1844;

                        Endorsed on back: Robert Milligan a/c; also some calculations

 

.44       receipted bill: Ball & Ward were paid on March 6, 1845, for veal, making hinges and hooks, repairing carriage, ash plank, a crane, file, putty, and purchases or repairs to other such goods;

 

.45       bill from D. Duncan & Co., June 26, 1846, to Samul. Fowler[?], for a hat and yards of something;

                        On back: calculations

 

.46       Robert Milligan in account with W. M. Sanborn, 1846: for sugar, with credit given for Milligan’s bill to Sanborn

 

.47       bill from Thos. L.[?] Barney, July 23, 1846: for sugar;

                        Endorsed on back: Robt. Milligan act.

 

.48       receipted bill: I. N. Stone, Newark, paid July 26, 1849, for a bill dated April 6, 1848: for balance on goods per Milligan’s lady, also calico, exchange of a dress, pair of raw silk hose;

                        Endorsed on back: Robt. Milligan acct.; also calculations for nails and other things

 

.49       receipted bill: G. F. Moore paid Dec. 29, 1849, for apples, beef, and corn meal, purchased Oct.-Dec. 1849;

                        Endorsed on back: Robt. Milligan; also initials and calculations

 

.50       receipted bill: John C. Wilson[?] was paid for corn, hay, hauling loads of wood and other goods;

                        On back: credit given to Milligan for board, a heifer, timber, and cash

 

 

Folder 5: letters, miscellaneous accounts and notes, 1831-1850, and no date

 

.51       tally of expenses, Feb.-Dec. 1831, for barrels of beer, pine boards, a load of poles (“poals”)

 

.52       Wm. Arther [sic] in account with Robert B. Reeder, Sept.-Oct. 1831: for cider and apples;

                        On back: a calculation

 

.53       James Mellegan’s [i.e. Milligan] account with Semor [sic] & Hotteste[?], March 13, 1834;

                        With calculations on front and back

 

.54       note from Samuel [illegible], April 15, 1836, asking for two dollars;

                        With calculations on front and back

 

.55       note from J. M. Barnes, by Henry F. Roberts, Nov. 6, 1843: asking Milligan to let the bearer Newby[?] have a [illegible] and charge it to Barnes.

 

.56       note from J. [illegible] to Bro. Milligan, April 26, 1848, asking that Milligan take charge of Brothers Brindley and McBirney, delegates to the Grand Division.

 

.57       Proceedings of the First Presbyterian Sabbath School Anniversary, Dec. 25, 1848, Newark. 

                        At this meeting, Robert Milligan was appointed one of the superintendents for the ensuing year.  His children John, Melvina, and Ann E. were presented with copies of the New Testament and rewards of merit.  Their teacher Mr. Pilkington was secretary of the meeting.

 

.58a-b  letter with envelope: John W. Milligan, Columbus, April 16, 1850, to Robert Milligan, Newark, Ohio.  Letter of introduction for the artist Mr. Gousland, who was a Polander by birth.  John thinks Robert will like his paintings.

                        Envelope and back of letter used for calculations; also a list of logs on back of letter.

 

.59       list of expenses: George Baker note, order on pine, order on Wing for flower [probably means flour], pay B. Buckingham, with a total of $115 due

 

.60       note to Robert Milligan from D. Moore & Co., no date: “Pleas [sic] let [illegible] McDowell have a better keg and our a/c”;

                        On back: calculations

 

.61       accounts headed staves, hading[?], cullings;

                        On back: an amount for James Ingels’ account, plus calculations

 

.62       accounts dated July and June, no year, with amounts paid to H. Atherton[?] and Jno. Lemman[?], and charges for a pair of socks, a cradle scythe, a rifle, and for boots and something else;

                        On back: calculations

 

.63       David Stone[?] owes Jewett & Willis $1.13, Nov. 17, 1834; Stone[?] signed with his mark [quite worn]

 

.64       note of a vendue sale to be held Sept. 3, no year, at home of unknown person in Newark; to be sold were two working mares, several colts, a two horse wagon, and “sundry articles to tedious to mention”;

                        On back: calculations

 

 

Folder 6: miscellaneous notes, chiefly additions of accounts

 

 .65      various calculations and some notes (several names on back) written on part of a printed subpoena form for Licking County, Ohio

 

.66       notes of charges for trimming and making barrels

 

.67       various calculations written on part of what was probably a receipt, with the date Sept. 3, 1836, the name Robert Milligan, and the phrase “for value received”

 

.68       various calculations written on a note about flowers: white lily, delphinium, and larkspur

 

.69       various calculations written on a note about washing something, etc., and with the name Wm. Criwell

 

.70       a wrapper addressed to Mr. Benjamin Wilson, Present (the note which had been placed inside the wrapper is not part of the collection)

 

.71a-h  various slips of papers with calculations and other notes