The Winterthur Library

 The Joseph Downs Collection of Manuscripts and Printed Ephemera

Henry Francis du Pont Winterthur Museum, Winterthur, DE  19735

302-888-4600 or 800-448-3883

 

 

OVERVIEW OF THE COLLECTION

 

Creator:          Silliman, Samuel.

Title:               Account books

Dates:             1804-1816

Call No.:         Doc. 913

Acc. No.:         55x516, 72x363

Quantity:        2 volumes

Location:        31 G

 

 

 

BIOGRAPHICAL STATEMENT

 

Samuel Silliman was a joiner in Chester, Middlesex County, Connecticut.  He married Anne H. Shippman.  In 1831, Silliman established a factory where lamp brackets, mallets, rulers, spool stands, sand boxes, and inkwells were made.  After taking on partners, the business was named S. Silliman and Co. in 1832.

 

 

SCOPE AND CONTENT

 

Consists of two account books kept from 1804 to 1807 and from 1806 to 1816.  The second volume is entitled "A journal of my earnings and expenses from April 1, 1806.  Ditto lost time. Kept by week."  The weekly entries, although intermittent, continue into 1809.  Silliman worked for a number of individuals performing carpentry and related tasks.  Both volumes document Silliman's personal expenses as well as his furniture making and related activities.  The first volume features accounts of work done in a shop in East Haddam, Connecticut,. with S. Higgins and a shop in Duanesbury, listing pieces of furniture made.  The second volume mentions that on Oct. 13, Silliman went to work at East Haddam at the cabinet business on shares with Mr. Sylvester Higgins.  Their first activity was to fix the shop.  The first volume contains an account for building a shop, perhaps the same one.  Such furniture forms as bedsteads, cherry stands, breakfast tables, dining tables, secretaries, portable desks, chests, and clock cases are noted.  Reference is also made to painting, varnishing, turning chair banisters, and work on stairs and fences.  Personal expenses were for food, board, articles of clothing, and sundries.  Entries from 1810 to 1816 list amounts owed to and by various people.

           

 

LANGUAGE OF MATERIALS

 

The materials are in English.

 

 

RESTRICTIONS ON ACCESS

 

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

           

 

PROVENANCE

           

Accession 55x516 purchased from Rockwell Gardiner.

Accession 72x363 purchased from N. David Scotti.

 

 

ACCESS POINTS

 

People:

            Higgins, Sylvester.

 

Topics:

            Finance, Personal - Connecticut - Middlesex County.

            Furniture making.

            Furniture industry and trade - Connecticut - East Haddam (Town)

            Clothing and dress - History - 19th century.

            Food prices - 19th century.

            Rent charges.

            Carpentry.

            Building - Estimates.

            Furniture - Prices - 19th century.

            Business records - Connecticut - Middlesex County.

            Account books.

            Cabinetmakers.

           

 

 

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION

 

Location: 31 G

 

Name index to volume 1 and list of names found in volume 2:

Name index to Doc. 913, volume 1 (acc. 55x516)

 

Ambrose  3, 5, 7                             

Applegate, Mr.  2                           

Auger, Joseph  12                            

 

Baird, Dr.  2                               

Buckingham, John   3, 7, 8,  9, 21                                     

 

Canfield, Capt.  8                           

Chapman, Asa  12

Clark, Jared  9

Cone, Deacon  14

Cone, Doct.  13

Cone, Dier  13, 14

Cone Noadiah 14

 

Denison, Bani  11

Dicinson, J.  11

 

Ely, Dr. Richard  15, 21

 

Feril, A.  8

 

Gardner, Joseph  8

Gates, Mr.  12

Gilbert  14

Guess, Mrs.  2

 

Harvey  8

Higgins, S.  17

Higgins, Sylvester  13, 14, 15

Holland  22

 

Lord, Mr.  14

 

McCleave, James  8

Mills, Samuel  15

Mudges  5

 

Rector, Mr.  22

Reynolds, Mr.  7

 

Samuel  5

Sawyer, David  15

Silliman, Father   21, 22

Silliman, Samuel   cover, 2, 7, 11, 13

Silliman, Thomas   5, 6, 19, 20

Stephens, Mr.   6, 16, 21

Stephens, George   3, 4, 5, 9, 10, 11

Stevens, Mr.  1, 2

 

Thompson, Mr.  2

Thompson, Plat  3

Tiffiny, Mr.  2

 

Willard, George  12

Williams, Mr.  5, 20

Williams, Cyrenus  1, 2, 6

Young, Mr.  22


List of names from volume 2 (acc. 72x363)

 

Auger, Joseph

 

Buckingham, Mr.

 

Canfield, Capt.

Canfield, Hezekiah (Capt.)

Clark, Eleazer

 

Daniels, Mr.

Denison, Bani

Dudley

 

Ely, Cullick

Ely, Marsh

Ely, Richard (Dr.)

 

Green, Richard

 

Harvey, Ambrose

Higgins, Sylvester

Hull(?), Calvin

Hull, Levi

 

Johnson

Jones, Eliza

 

Kirtland, Joseph

Kough, Samuel


Leets, Edward

Leets, Widow

 

Mason, John

Mitchell, Capt.

Mitchell, John

Mitchell, William

 

Plant(?), Mr.

 

Rose, Silent(?)

 

Shipman, Ansel

Silliman, Anne

Silliman, father

Silliman, Jonathan

Silliman, Thomas

Smith, Thomas

South, Ansel

Southworth, Jabez

Southworth, William

Stevens and C[illegible]

 

Warner, David

Warner, Eunice

Warner, Jonathan

Webb, Jabez

Webb, Steven

Willard, David

Willard, George