New York import/export Ledger, 1819 - 28.
Hardcover. An early unidentifiable New York merchant, with the usual entries for purchases of sugar, tea, rum, shrub, tobacco, bitters, flour, etc. and nautical supplies for ships including the U.S. Navy.
One of the most interesting entries is for the firm of Daggett & Kensett. They feature regularly through out the journal and eventually developed a process for canning seafood (salmon, oysters and lobsters) in 1819, and in 1825, Ezra Daggett and Thomas Kensett were granted the first U.S. patent for food storage in cans. Our merchant appears to act as a bank & supplier for them. Amongst the provisions supplied to them are "Cash for Tin $53.63" in 1822, and "12 barrels vinegar" in 1823.
The merchant also supplied ships in the US Navy. Payment of cash & supplies appear on the left side of the ledger, with long lists of US Navy ships & Captains on the right side of the ledger, with payments. An April 3rd 1823 entry reads "Apl 3rd 1823 to Nov. 30th 1824 provisions sold US Navy received by US Navy received by Dept .... $4350.30."
The merchant obviously had a good business, with deposits at the Franklin Bank, the Bank of America & Bank of the United States, at times over $12,000.
Other clients include Mrs Susan Raymond, Pease Fowler, James Fowler, James Pinings, John C. Franklin & Co (coffee Importers) Capt. B. Cary, E. Brainard, Tomlinson Brinkerhof, Alfred Churchill, Nathan Jackson, Alexander M. Hamilton, Capt. Wm. Bunnell, Asaph Hall, Chatham 1823, possibly the father of Asaph Hall (October 15, 1829 - November 22, 1907) the American astronomer who discovered the moons of Mars in 1877.
Ships & captains listed include Capt. Williams, Ship London Trader; Capt. Cartwright, Ship Columbia, Ship Franklin, Brig Emily, Capt Gifford, Ship Liverpool, Brig Magnet, Capt. Gordon, Ship Hercules, Ship Monroe, Brig Georgiana Davis, Ship Corinthian, Ship Morrisson, Ship Manhattan, Ship Hannibal, London Trader, Howard, Meteor, Midas, Lewis, Paris , Brig Comet, Sloop Eagle, sloop Leander Willcox & Brig Greyhoun(d).
Book binder ticket, Sold by C. Brown, Stationer & Binder, No. 348 Water-street, New-York. 4to ledger, 121 pages, about 1" thick, from 1819 to 1828. Front board worn & detached, binding worn with very little of the leather spine present, as can be expected from a well-used journal with the first two signatures loose. Good +. Item #8992
Price: $950.00