News
Events
Blogs
William Redwood account books
William Redwood -- the half-brother of Abraham Redwood (1709-1788), born to the elder Abraham (1665-1728) and his first wife, Mehetable, and the son of Abraham and his second wife, Patience Phillips -- was born in 1726 in Newport, Rhode Island. There he worked for a number of years as a merchant in...
Saved in:
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Collection: | William Redwood Account Books |
| Collection Number: | Amb.7256 |
| Format: | Manuscript |
| Language: | English |
| Subjects and Genres: | |
| Online Access: | Link to finding aid |
| Tags: | Add Tag |
| Physical Description: |
1.25 Linear feet ; 10 volumes |
|---|---|
| Access: |
The collection is open for research. |
| Summary: |
William Redwood -- the half-brother of Abraham Redwood (1709-1788), born to the elder Abraham (1665-1728) and his first wife, Mehetable, and the son of Abraham and his second wife, Patience Phillips -- was born in 1726 in Newport, Rhode Island. There he worked for a number of years as a merchant in partnership with Elias Bland. Redwood moved to Philadelphia 1772 where he continued business. From 1782 to 1787, Redwood lived at and helped maintain the family's plantation on the island of Antigua in the West Indies.
This collection consists of ten account books (ledgers, journals, and daybooks) associated with Redwood. Most of them document his work in Philadelphia; however two volumes contain information on his Newport business and partnership, and two contain detailed financial records concerning the family's Antigua plantation. The William Redwood records are comprised of ten financial volumes, journals, daybooks, and ledgers. They span Redwood's career from Newport to Philadelphia to Antigua and date from the mid 1700s to the early 1800s. Redwood's records are exceptionally thorough and highly legible. The Antigua journal (Volume 5) and daybook (Volume 6) contain detailed plantation records, including the hiring and upkeep of workers (with notes on race), frequent recapturing of runaway slaves (who are usually identified by name), a high turnover in overseers, crop plantings, and commerce in farm products. Other volumes in the collection document Redwood's trade and import business, along with his involvement in specific voyages, including voyages between Newport and Philadelphia as well as to Canton and London. Both the Newport (Volumes 1-2) and Philadelphia (Volumes 3-4, 7-10) account books contain numerous records on trade in a vast array of items from fabrics, knives and forks, clothing articles, to pins, buttons, and sealing wax. In addition to these regular home goods and others, like pens and papers, Redwood also dealt in foodstuffs. These volumes indicate trade spices, salt, cocoa, flour, muscovado sugar, molasses, raisins, coffee, tea, liquors (especially rum), beef, and cheese. Other items of note that appear in Redwood's record include planks of various wood, saltpeter, goat hair and wigs, gold dust, cooperage oil, and indigo. These volumes also document Redwood's customer base. A number of members of old Philadelphia families appear regularly, such as Thomas and Joshua Gilpin, Edward and Isaac Penington, John Chew, James and William Logan, Thomas and Charles Wharton, Samuel and Levi Hollingsworth, and Clement Biddle. Other business associates who regularly appear include Captain Valentine Wightman, John and Robert Barclay (of London), William Sansom, Thomas Penrose, and William Lippencott, as well as several members of Redwood's own family. |