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Revolutionary War Ledger

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles Start Price:1,000.00 USD Estimated At:0.00 USD
Revolutionary War Ledger
"WINNERS WILL BE NOTIFIED AFTER THE AUCTION ENDS BY THE AUCTIONEER ONCE ALL BIDS HAVE BEEN PROCESSED TO DETERMINE THE WINNER FOR EACH LOT."
Very rare 1782-1788 manuscript ledger of a chandlery (candle making) company believed to be owned by the Arnold family from Warwick, Rhode Island with extensive accounts for various sailing ships, ship's captains, historical figures, negro freemen, Revolutionary War officers, etc. Massive 12'' x 19'' vellum bound ledger contains 228 pages of handwritten accounts (400 total pages in the ledger) of the various and sundry items purchased, with each page containing the accounts of one to four purchasers. Some of the ships with accounts include the Schooner Nancy, Brig Providence, Brig Dolphin, Sloop Delaware, Brig Harmony, Sloop Smithfield, and the Schooner Friendship. Military Officers include Colonel Israel Angell of the Second Rhode Island Regiment and Colonel Daniel Tillinghast of the Artillery Company of Providence. Of special interest are extensive accounts of Cato Gardner, identified as ''Negro,'' who was a blacksmith by trade and raised significant funds for the erection of the African Meeting House in Boston. A plaque which can still be seen today over the entranceway to the meeting house reads ''Cato Gardner, first Promoter of this Building 1806''. Also included is another ''Negro'' named James Booze. Many of the people with accounts are identified by occupation including carpenters, Ship's Mates, Baker, widow, Blacksmith, Rigger, Corker, Boatman, Sail Makers, and of course ''Negro.'' Some of the entries are listed simply as sundries but identified items include rum, tobacco, sugar, molasses, tea, coffee, nails, steel, iron, rope, clothing, meats, building materials, wood, and on and on. The owner of this chandlery company also loaned money, issued Notes and Bonds, owned parts of Ships and exported material to other parts of the newly formed United States and abroad. Vellum covers are moderately worn and soiled but intact, tight and very attractive. The interior pages are complete, tight (except for one loose leaf) and generally clean. There is some shadowing created by the ink on opposing pages and some age toning but the entries are very legible and the penmanship is meticulously neat and beautiful. The ledger covers the period from August 1782 to April 1788. Treasure trove of information documenting the early commercial and naval history of the United States.