The Winterthur Library

 The Joseph Downs Collection of Manuscripts and Printed Ephemera

Henry Francis du Pont Winterthur Museum

5105 Kennett Pike, Winterthur, Delaware  19735

302-888-4600 or 800-448-3883

 

 

OVERVIEW OF THE COLLECTION

 

Creator:         Thorn, William, b. ca. 1739.   

Title:               A journal of the proceedings of William Thorn in his occupation : together with the remarkable accidents happening within the limits or hearing of him : liquise the draughts of buildings which he hath been master of building : beginning in the year 1762

Dates:             1762-1766, 1796-1813, 1870-1889.

Call No.:         Doc. 601

Acc. No.:        69x80

Quantity:        1 volume (148 pages)

Location:        31 E

 

 

 

BIOGRAPHICAL STATEMENT

 

William Thorn was a carpenter and saw mill operator. He was 23 in 1762, suggesting his birth in 1739.  He resided in Dutchess County, New York, and was probably a member of the Society of Friends.

 

 

SCOPE AND CONTENT

 

Entries from April 13, 1762 to 1766 document Thorn's carpentry activities.  Included are 17 pen and ink drawings of the framing of houses, grist mills, and barns he helped to construct.  Depictions of the patterns of carving on mill stones, sketches of water and cog wheels, and plans for mill dams and races are shown.  In addition to noting his work on these projects, Thorn wrote about marriages and deaths of neighbors, meetings attended, and other community activities.

 

From 1796 to 1813, Thorn used the volume as a letterbook and maintained copies of pieces written to family and friends about business concerns, emphasizing his legal problems.  He describes a dispute about charging for more wood than was delivered from his mill in some detail.

 

In later years (1870s and 1880s) the volume was used for obituary notices, autographs, and newspaper clippings.  It may have been kept by Cora May Hudson, whose name appears on the front cover.

           

 

LANGUAGE OF MATERIALS

 

The materials are in English.

 

 

RESTRICTIONS ON ACCESS

 

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

           

 

PROVENANCE

           

Purchased from Howard S. Mott.

 

 

ACCESS POINTS

 

Topics:

            Dwellings - Designs and plans - New York (State) - Dutchess County.

            Architectural drawing.

            Architecture - Sketch-books.

            Carpentry - New York (State) - Dutchess County.

            Flour mills.

            Sawmills.

            Mills and mill-work.

            Diaries.

            Drawings.

            Letters.

            Clippings.

            Carpenters.

           

           

 

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION

 

Location: 31 E

 

 

 

 


Index to Doc. 601 (acc. no. 69x80)

 

Areles?, Wm.    25 

(see also Arkils)       

Arkils, Wm.    28

(see also Areles)         

 

Baker, Thomas  11, 12

Bound, Dinah   22                               

Brett, Majer   23, 26                           

Brinkerhoff, Derrick   1                     

Brown, Nathaniel  22                           

 

Casey, Samuel   21     

Clemments, Tobias  14                          

Conn, Nicholas  10                            

Congdon, Joseph  15                            

 

Daily, Saml.  23                                

Divaul, Martha  19

Divaul, Mehettabel   22                       

Dow, Henry (Capt.)  15                           

Durlin, Elizabeth  22

Duryee?, Abram  15                             

Dutch Church at Poughkeepsie  i

 

Eldred, Casey  9, 25                           

 

Gardner, Caleb   20, 22                         

Griffin, Obediah   21                           

 

Hagaman, Joseph   19, 21

Harris, Joseph   23

Hart, John   21

Hasbrouck, Capt.  32

Hudson, Cora May [front cover]

Huling, John   3, 4, 10

 

Irish, Samuel  21

 

Jenkins, Elizabeth  25

Jenkins, Jonathan  19

Jenkins, Judiah   1

 

Kelly, John  23

Kniffin, Israel   22, 23, 24

 

Lint, Abram  13, 14

 

Moore, Liguise Andrew  22

Moore, Mary  21

Mott, Joseph   25

 

Ostrum, John   21

 

Paddock, John  22

Palmer, Content  21

 

Remine, Isaac  23

Rogers, Elizabeth  14

Rogers, Philip   4

 

Saxton, Joseph   2, 3

Schanks, Henry   19

Spencer, Henry   14

Stanton, Dan'l   17

Sweet, Elnathan   iv, 1, 3, 11

 

Thomas, Patience  19

[Thorn?], Ebenezer   23

Thorn, Edward  11, 15, 23

Thorn, Elizabeth  [inside front cover,] 20

[Thorn?], Joseph  1

 

Vananden, Paul  16, 17, 19

Vaughan, David  18, 19, 21

 

Way, Phebe  22

Weight, George  9

Weldin, James   21

West, Wm.  4

White, Mary   23

Woolly, Pontius(?)  21


List of drawings:

 

Arkel, William – water works for grist mill

 

Baker, Thomas - plan of house

 

Brett, Majer – mill stones

 

Double guard grist mill

 

Dutch Church, Poughkeepsie – draught of roof

 

Gardner, Caleb - plan of cheese house

 

Hasbrouck, Capt. – plan of fulling mill

 

Huling, John – see Rogers, Philip

 

Kniffins, Israel – mill stones

 

Lint, Abram - plan of house

 

Rogers, Philip – plan of grist mill, including waterway and mill stones

 

Saxton, Joseph - plan of house

 

Sweet, Elnathan – plan of house

 

Vanander, Paul - plan of house

 

Vaughan, David - plan of barn

 

West, William – see Rogers, Philip