The Winterthur Library

The Joseph Downs Collection of Manuscripts and Printed Ephemera

Henry Francis du Pont Winterthur Museum

5105 Kennett Pike, Winterthur, DE 19735

302-888-4600 or 800-448-3883

OVERVIEW OF THE COLLECTION

Creator: Fife, Jeremiah, 1778-1850.

Title: Account books

Dates: 1810-1870

Call No.: Doc. 80

Acc. No.: 81x213, 81x214

Quantity: 2 volumes

Location: 31 A 4

BIOGRAPHICAL STATEMENT

Jeremiah Fife and William Fife lived in Pembroke, New Hampshire. Jeremiah was a furniture maker and wood worker. He was born in 1778, the son of Phebe White and William Fife; he died in 1850. He married Abigail Holt, and they had a number of children, including a son named Jeremiah (1812-1849) and a son named William (1815-1892). William was a laborer and carpenter. He married Mary Dudley Gault, and they had at least one child.

SCOPE AND CONTENT

Contains accounts kept by Jeremiah Fife and William Fife of Pembroke, New Hampshire. Jeremiah's entries fill the first volume and begin the second. They record making coffins, window frames, rakes, chairs, tables, and so on. William's entries complete the second volume. They record his work setting windows, and much unspecified day labor, as well as entries such as “amount paid out for work on Wm. Parker’s house, barn and shed,” “worked 20 days for John Tenant on George Fochs Shop” and “extry work on Academe.” The accounts are not in chronological order, so it is a bit difficult to work out the dates associated with each man. However, Jeremiah’s accounts seem to stop in the 1850s, while William’s accounts begin before Jeremiah’s end.

ORGANIZATION

Volume 1 covers 1810-about 1842. Volume 2 covers 1839-1870.

LANGUAGE OF MATERIALS

The materials are in English.

RESTRICTIONS ON ACCESS

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

PROVENANCE

Purchased from The Browsery, New Hampshire.

ACCESS POINTS

People:

Fife, William.

Topics:

Furniture making.

Furniture - Repairing.

Coffins -New Hampshire -Pembroke.

Business records - New Hampshire - Pembroke.

School buildings - New Hampshire - Pembroke.

Carpentry - New Hampshire - Pembroke.

Account books.

Furniture workers.

Carpenters.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION

Location: 31 A 4

Index to objects mentioned in acc. 81x213 (Doc. 80, vol. 1)

bedstead 9, 14, 86, 88, 90, 93, 98, 105, 116, 138

box 112, 126

bucket 38

canteen 13, 38

cartwheels 27-28, 32, 45, 60

chair 4, 6-7, 9-11, 13, 18, 20, 24, 25, 28, 31, 34, 38, 46, 52, 78, 90, 94, 135

chair, dining 13, 19

chair, kitchen 5, 19

chair, rocking 70, 72

cheese safe 62, 84

cheese press 14, 19, 52

chest 13, 21, 54, 60, 70, 93, 94, 98, 116

coffin 1, 13, 17, 22, 23, 25, 32, 34, 40, 44, 45, 48, 52, 54, 64, 70-73, 82, 86, 111, 114, 116, 124, 130, 131, 133, 142

cradle 1, 18

desk 34

drum 19, 26

drum shell 14, 22

dresser 5, 10

gig 93

knapsack 13

linen (fabric) 1, 23

pliers 7

rack 37, 48, 58, 68, 76, 98, 104, 108, 116, 128, 134

rake 4, 16-17, 113, 128, 154

reel 2, 82, 142

sleigh 1, 8, 14, 15, 19, 23, 24, 26, 29, 31-32, 34, 46, 72, 82, 93, 97, 98, 103, 105, 113

stand 9, 13, 78, 94

stand, wash 19, 93

stand, work 34, 78

staves 128

table 5, 9, 13, 52, 58, 78

table, dining 5, 13

table, kitchen 13, 20, 34, 78

trunk 36, 38, 76, 78

wagon 13, 23, 28, 60, 103, 120, 122, 123, 144

wash stand 19, 93

wheel barrow 61-62, 65, 8[?], 90, 93, 96, 112, 114, 130, 140

wheels 60, 68, 78, 94

wheels, cart 27-28, 32, 45, 60

whipple tree 2, 97

winding mill 4-5, 16, 21, 120

window frame 45, 108, 110, 121, 136

window sash 44-45, 60, 71, 80, 93, 97, 100, 108, 110, 113, 120, 123, 132, 136

work stand 34, 78

Index to objects mentioned in acc. 81x214 (Doc. 80, vol. 2)

Academy 131-133

beads 76

bed 101

bench 68

box 34

cart 21

cart wheel 3

chairs 2, 17, 27

chairs, kitchen 17

chairs, rocking 27

cheese press 20

cloth 51

coffin 2, 5, 9, 16, 18, 22

cupboard 112

desk 12, 131

doors 12, 19, 92, 97, 99, 118

frames 14, 92, 100, 122

furniture repairing 3, 6, 21, 34, 52, 67, 70, 80, 86, 90, 112, 127

gates 34

glass, window 34, 55, 66, 70, 80, 89, 99, 140

hammer 51

hatchet 51

hinge 99

iron 46, 72, 111

knobs 43, 130, 132

lead 47, 134

lumber 45, 52, 131

meeting house 120

molds 89

nails 43, 47, 52, 71, 96, 116, 118, 128, 131, 132

paint 46-47, 126, 134

painting [verb] 67

pine (wood) 103

press [clothes?] 20

rack 17, 25

rake 8

saw 70

screws 43, 99, 130

shingles 70, 127, 130

sink 80, 122, 135, 139

stand, wash 127

stove 15

table 14, 99

tray 27

varnish 43

wagon 3, 80

wash stand 127

window 55, 70, 132, 136, 145

window frame 14, 34, 80, 100, 114, 126, 140

window sash 19, 24, 26, 128, 140

wheel barrow 89

wood 48-49, 63

wool (fabric) 77