The
The Joseph Downs Collection of Manuscripts and
Printed Ephemera
Henry
Francis du Pont
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
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 -
Architectural drawing.
Architecture - Sketch-books.
Carpentry -
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
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
Eldred,
Casey 9, 25
Gardner,
Caleb 20, 22
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,
Jenkins,
Jonathan 19
Jenkins,
Judiah 1
Kelly,
John 23
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,
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,
[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