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:         John Glassford and Company

Title:               Records

Dates:             1758-1817

Call No.:         Mic. 2677-2696

Acc. No.:        [none]

Quantity:        20 microfilm reels.

Location:        microfilm cabinet

 

 

 

BIOGRAPHICAL STATEMENT

 

John Glassford and Company, and successors, was a mercantile firm in Glasgow, Scotland which did business in Maryland and Virginia.  Near the beginning of the Revolution, the firm name changed to Glassford & Henderson, and additional stores were opened.  About 1790, Alexander Henderson, Robert Ferguson, and John Gibson (trading under the name Henderson, Ferguson & Gibson) had charge of most of these stores, and it was probably at this time that the trade passed out of the hands of the Scottish merchants and into the control of local owners.  From 1800 to about 1816 Vincent & Ferguson carried on the bulk of the business.  About 1816, until 1834, the firm was called Edelen, Thompson & Company.

 

 

SCOPE AND CONTENT

 

These papers include ledgers, journals, cash sales, lists of debts, firm accounts of the company and its successors; also included are records of transactions of several large firms, which, by a system of branch stores, supplied areas in Maryland and Virginia.  Prominent names found in these records are George Mason, Col. Henry Lee, George William Fairfax, Edward Washington, Captain George Plater, Col. Benjamin Young, Captain William Baylis, Hector Ross, and Richard Lee.  The records on microfilm are only a small part of the records for this company held by the Library of Congress.

           

 

 

LANGUAGE OF MATERIALS

 

The materials are in English.

 

 

RESTRICTIONS ON ACCESS

 

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

           

 

PROVENANCE

           

Originals in Library of Congress.   

 

 

ACCESS POINTS

 

Topics:

            Branch stores.

            Retail trade - Virginia.

            Retail trade - Maryland.

            Business records - Virginia.

            Business records - Maryland.

            Receipts.

            Journals (bookkeeping).

            Account books.

            Ledgers.

            Merchants.

           

 

 

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION

 

Location: microfilm cabinet

 

Mic. 2677       Ledger, 1765-1766.  Alexandria, Va.

 

Mic. 2678       Ledger, 1767-1768. Alexandria, Va.

Ledger, 1766-1767, Part l. Boyd's Hole, Va.

Ledger, 1766-1767, Part 2.  Boyd's Hole, Va.

 

Mic. 2679       Ledger C, 1768-1769, Part l.  Boyd's Hole, Va.  (Ms.: "ledger C Boyd's Hole Store of Glassford & Henderson Oct. 1768-Oct. 1769. Robert Chambers, factor.  (signed by) Robert Polk Thomas, July, 1953")

                        Ledger C, 1768-1769, Part 2.  Boyd's Hole, Va.

Ledger, 1769-1770, Boydshole, Va.   (MS.:   "Boydshole store of Glassford & Henderson.  Oct. 1769-Oct. 1770.  Robert Polk Thomas, 31 July, 1953")

 

Mic. 2680       Ledger, 1771-1772, part 1.  Boydshole, Va.

                        Ledger, 1771-1772, part 2.  Boydshole, Va.

                        Ledger, 1772-1773, part 1.  Boydshole, Va.

                        Ledger, 1772-1773, part 2.  Boydshole, Va.

 

Mic. 2681       Ledger, 1773-1774, part 1.  Boydshole, Va.  Includes name index.

                        Ledger, 1773-1774, part 2.  Boydshole, Va.

                        Ledger, 1774-1775, part 1.  Dumfries, Va.

 

Mic. 2682       Ledger, 1774-1775, Part 2.  Dumfries, Va.

Ledger, 1775, Part l. Boydshole, Va.

Ledger 1775, Part 2.  Boydshole, Va.

 

Mic. 2683       Ledger, 1775-1776.  Boydshole, Va.

Ledger, 1772-1773.  Cabin Point, Va.  (MS.:  "Account book of Adam Fleming, Cabin Point store of Glassford, Gordon Monteath & Co., 1772-1773")

Cash Sales, Jan. 1, 1772 - Aug. 29, 1774.  Cabin Point, Va.

 

Mic. 2684       Ledger, 1759-1760, Colchester, Va.  (MS.:  "Accounts of store of  John Glassford, Mercht. of Glasgow located at Colchester, Fairfax County, Va.")

Ledger, 1760-1761, Colchester, Va.  (MS.:  "Second Volume of Colchester Store of Glassford")

Ledger, 1763-1764.  Colchester, Va.

 

Mic. 2685       Ledger, 1765.  Colchester, Va.

Ledger, 1766.  Colchester, Va.

 

Mic. 2686       Ledger, 1767, Part l.  Colchester, Va.

Ledger, 1767-1768, Part l. Colchester, Va.

Journal & Ledger, 1767-1768.  Colchester, Va.

Ledger, 1766-1767, Part l.  Colchester, Va.

Mic. 2687       Ledger, 1767-1768, part 2.  Colchester, Va.

Ledger, 1768-1769, Part l. Colchester, Va.

Ledger, 1768-1769, Part 2. Colchester, Va.

Ledger, 1768-1769, Part 3. Colchester, Va.

 

Mic. 2688       Ledger, 1758-1759, Part l. Dumfries, Va. 

Ledger, 1758-1759, Part 2. Dumfries, Va.

Ledger, 1762-1763, Part l.  Dumfries, Va.  (MS.: "Ledger 1762.  Store of John Glassford at Dumfries, Prince William Co., Va." "Ledger E, From Accounts - Maryland & Virginia, Mr. John Glassford, Merchant in Glasgow had a store in Dumfries, Prince William Co., Virginia. His factor was Archibald Henderson")

Ledger, 1762-1763, Part 2. Dumfries, Va.

 

Mic. 2689       Ledger, 1765. Part l.  Dumfries, Va.

Ledger, 1765. Part 2.  Dumfries, Va.

Ledger 1765-1766, Part l. Dumfries, Va.

 

Mic. 2890       Ledger, 1765-1766, Part 2. Dumfries, Va.

Ledger, 1767. Dumfries, Va.

Ledger, 1767-1768, Part l. Dumfries, Va.

 

Mic. 2891       Ledger, 1767-1768, Part 2. Dumfries, Va.

Ledger, 1773-1774, Part l. Dumfries, Va.

Ledger, 1773-1774, Part 2. Dumfries, Va. 

 

Mic. 2892       Ledger, 1775-1776. Dumfries, Va. 

Journal, 1779-1817. Dumfries, Va.  [mostly 1779-1806; only one page of 1817]

Miscellaneous accounts: Norfolk, Va., October 1775-February 1776; Elizabeth River, February 1776- June 1776; Irwins Island, June 1776; Chesapeake Bay, June 1776-August 1776; New York, September 1776-May 1778.

Ledger, 1796-1797.  Northern Neck, Va.

 

Mic. 2893       Ledger, 1760. Dumfries, Va.

Ledger, 1760. Dumfries, Va. (continued)

Ledger, 1758. Colchester, Va.

Ledger 1763-1764, Part l. Dumfries, Va.  (MS.: “1763 Ledger.  John Glassford 's Store at Quantico Nov. 1763-1764.  Robert Polk Thomson, July, 1952”)

Ledger, 1763-1764, Part 2. Dumfries, Va.

 

Mic. 2894       Ledger, 1767-1768.  Boyd's Hole, Va.

Ledger, 1768-1769. Dumfries, Va.

Ledger, 1768-1769. Dumfries, Va.  (continued on next reel)

 

Mic. 2895       Ledger, 1768-1769.  Dumfries, Va.  (continued from previous reel)

Ledger, 1771-1772, Part l. Dumfries, Va.

Ledger, 1771-1772, Part 2. Dumfries, Va.

 

Mic. 2896       List of Debts, Journal and Ledger, 1776-1804. Boyd's Hole, Alexandria, Dumfries, Colchester, Va.  (MS.:  "Glassford & Henderson")

Firm Accounts. Ledger 1800. Va. Stores Debts.

Cash Receipts. 1791-1794.

List of Debts.  1792-1817.  Va.