MARBLEHEAD MA Antique Handwritten Ledger/Manuscript Diary/History Genealogy 1852
Item History & Price
| Reference Number: Avaluer:6549 | Year Printed: 1852 |
| Subject: Americana | Topic: Historical |
| Original/Facsimile: Original | Binding: Hardcover |
| Special Attributes: Signed, 1st Edition, Manuscript |
FANTASTIC, ORIGINAL MID-19TH CENTURY MANUSCRIPT GENERAL STORE LEDGER FROM MARBLEHEAD, MASSACHUSETTS. This important early volume dates from 1853-1854 was kept by Samuel P. Hathaway, Jr. of Marblehead, MA, whose ownership signature appears on front flyleaf. Hathaway is one of the historic seaport's oldest family names and records indicate Stephen P. Hathaway, Jr. was active in local affairs, serving as a town selectman for several terms between 1859-1871 (see The Marblehead Manual by Sa...muel Roads, Jr., 1883, p. 84). He also authored a brief history on the Second Congregational Church in Marblehead (n.d.) where he was a member, and the Marblehead Directory of 1870 lists him as residing on Watson Street where his store was likely located. (Scroll down below description for more pictures).
Fascinating early volume contains about 250 pages of handwritten entries chronicling daily transactions at this busy Marblehead general store. The vast array of items sold and large number of transactions over a brief period of time suggest Stephen P. Hathaway Jr.'s store was a one-stop shopping destination and popular local gathering spot. Steady customers included Reverend Benjamin Huntoon who was the minister at the Second Congregational Church on 26 Pleasant Street from 1849-1855, the Unitarian Society located at 28 Mugford Street, and the Town of Marblehead itself which was then housed at the Old Town House at the intersections of Washington, State, and Mugford Streets. All these locations were within easy walking distance to Watson Street where we suspect Samuel P. Hathaway Jr.'s store was located. The Second Congregational Church's original Pleasant Street location is now occupied by St. Michael's Church. It holds the honorable distinction of being the oldest Episcopal Church in New England still standing on its original site and worshiping in its original building. Quite remarkable, given the many old church buildings scattered throughout New England.
Among the many items found here include apples, beans, beef, bread, buckwheat, butter, candles, cheese, cigars, coffee, eggs, fish, flour, globe chimneys, lard, lozenges, milk, molasses, paper rolls, peas, pork, potatoes, rice, soap, sperm whale oil, squash, sugar, tobacco, turkey, veal, wicking, etc. Customer names found throughout book also make for a treasure trove of early local history and genealogy. Family names here include Adams, Allen, Andrews, Bassett, Blaney, Brown, Bruce, Cambell, Carey, Chapman, Cloutman, Cornish, Crowninshield, Dixey, Doake, Evans, Follett, Fowler, Gile, Glover, Harr, Harris, Hobbs, Homan, Hooper, Humphrey, Huntoon, Ingles, Ireson, Keane, Keene, Laskey, Lindsey, Mann, Mason, Miller, Pitman, Proctor, Quiner, Read, Reynolds, Robinson, Rounday, Rowley, Sanborn, Savoy, Shepherd, Stevens, Stone, Strong, Sweet, Symonds, Titus, Treson, Walton, Whipple, Winslow, etc. Also occasional entries here for local businesses and other organizations such as the Marblehead [Fire] Engine Company. A fabulous manuscript artifact from the historic seaport town of Marblehead.
Marblehead is a coastal town located on the North Shore in Essex County, Massachusetts. According to recent census figures, the historic seaport is currently home to a population of about 19, 808 year-round residents. It i also home to the Marblehead Neck Wildlife Sanctuary, Crocker Park, the Marblehead Lighthouse, Fort Sewall, Little Harbor and Devereux Beach. Archibald Willard's iconic "The Spirit of '76" painting currently resides in Abbot Hall. A town with deep roots in the maritime pursuits of commercial fishing, whaling, and yachting, Marblehead was once a major shipyard and is often referred to as the birthplace of the American Navy, a title sometimes disputed with nearby Beverly. It is also the origin of Marine Corps Aviation. Today it remains a thriving center of recreational boating, and is a popular sailing, kayaking and, fishing destination. Several yacht clubs were established here in the late 19th century, and many continue to this day as busy sailing hubs.
Marblehead's first European settler was Joseph Doliber in 1629, who set up on the shore near what is now the end of Bradlee Road. Three years earlier, Isaac Allerton, a Pilgrim from the Mayflower, had arrived in the area and established a fishing village at mid-Marblehead Harbor on the town side, across from Marblehead Neck. This area was set off and incorporated separately in 1649. Originally called Massebequash after the river which ran between it and Salem, the land was inhabited by the Naumkeag tribe of the Pawtucket confederation under the overall sachem Nanepashemet. But epidemics in 1615-1619 and 1633, believed to be smallpox, devastated the tribe. On September 16th, 1684, heirs of Nanepashemet sold their 3, 700 acres; the deed is preserved today at Abbot Hall in the city.
At times called "Marvell Head", "Marble Harbour" (by Captain John Smith) and "Foy" (by immigrants from Fowey, Cornwall), the town would be named "Marblehead" by settlers who mistook its granite ledges for marble. It began as a fishing village with narrow, crooked streets, and developed inland from the harbor. The shoreline smelled of drying fish, typically cod. These were exported abroad and to Salem. The town peaked economically just prior to the Revolution, as locally financed privateering vessels sought bounty from large European ships. Much early architecture survives from the era, including the Jeremiah Lee Mansion.
A large percentage of residents became involved early in the Revolutionary War, and the sailors of Marblehead are generally recognized by scholars as forerunners of the United States Navy. The first vessel commissioned for the navy, "Hannah", was equipped with cannons, rope, provision (including the indigenous molasses/sea water cookie known as "Joe Frogger" )--and a crew from Marblehead. With their nautical backgrounds, soldiers from Marblehead under General John Glover were instrumental in the escape of the Continental Army after the Battle of Long Island. Marblehead men ferried George Washington across the Delaware River for his attack on Trenton. Many who set out for war, however, did not return, leaving the town with 459 widows and 865 orphaned children in a population of less than 5, 000.
The community lost a substantial portion of its population and economy, although it was still the tenth-largest inhabited location in the United States at the first census, in 1790. When George Washington visited the town during his presidential tour of 1789, he knew the sailors of Marblehead well; they had served him honorably in the war. He observed that the town "had the appearance of antiquity." At the beginning of the 19th century, wealthier citizens wanted a new bank to finance vessels, and to serve the town’s fishermen and merchants. On March 17th, 1831, with a capital of $100, 000, they founded the Grand Bank. The name was changed to National Grand Bank on October 3rd, 1864.
After the Revolution, fishing continued as a major industry. The town's fishermen had 98 vessels (95 of which exceeded 50 tons) putting to sea in 1837, where they often harvested fish off the Grand Banks of Newfoundland. However, a gale or hurricane in that area on September 19th, 1846, sank 11 vessels and damaged many others. With 65 men and boys lost in the storm, the town's fishing industry began a decline. The storm is depicted in "Fireboard: The Great Gale of 1846", c.1850 by William Thompson Bartoll. A copy of the book is held by the Peabody Essex Museum.
During the late 19th century, Marblehead had a short-term industrial boom from shoe-making factories. At the same time, the exceptional harbor attracted yachting by wealthy boat owners, and some yacht clubs established centers there. It would become home to the Boston Yacht Club, Corinthian Yacht Club, Eastern Yacht Club, Marblehead Yacht Club, Dolphin Yacht Club, and the oldest junior yacht club in America, the Pleon Yacht Club. After World War II, the town enjoyed a population boom, developing as a bedroom community for nearby Boston, Lynn, and Salem.
Essex County was created by the General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony on May 10th, 1643, when it was ordered "that the whole plantation within this jurisdiction be divided into four sheires". Named after the county in England, Essex then comprised the towns of Salem, Lynn, Wenham, Ipswich, Rowley, Newbury, Gloucester, and Andover, which were subdivided over the centuries to produce the modern composition of cities and towns encompassing the communities of Amesbury, Andover, Beverly, Boxford, Danvers, Essex, Georgetown, Gloucester, Groveland, Hamilton, Haverhill, Ipswich, Lawrence, Lynn, Lynnfield, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Marblehead, Merrimac, Methuen, Middleton, Nahant, Newbury, Newburyport, North Andover, Peabody, Rockport, Rowley, Salem, Salisbury, Saugus, Swamscott, Topsfield, Wenham, and West Newbury.
Condition: Rare book remains in fair only condition (see pictures). Volume bound in original leather-backed marbled boards; cover worn with spine partly perished and split, covers detached though present, mild toning, scattered minor staining, some loose pages and bundles, etc., generally clean internally with ink bold and legible throughout. Ledger contains about 250 pp. of manuscript entries; and measures approx 15" tall x 6" wide x 1" thick. Quite a find and a very worthy acquisition indeed.
Payment and Shipping: Please see our feedback and bid with confidence. Never a reserve and very low opening bid as always. Never a reserve and very low opening bid as always. For international shipping quote, please contact us. Bidders with no established feedback must contact us before bidding. Massachusetts residents must add 6.25% sales tax or include dealer tax resale number. Payment must be received within 5 days after close of auction. Thanks for your interest!On Apr-25-19 at 19:05:48 PDT, seller added the following information:
Fascinating early volume contains about 250 pages of handwritten entries chronicling daily transactions at this busy Marblehead general store. The vast array of items sold and large number of transactions over a brief period of time suggest Stephen P. Hathaway Jr.'s store was a one-stop shopping destination and popular local gathering spot. Steady customers included Reverend Benjamin Huntoon who was the minister at the Second Congregational Church on 26 Pleasant Street from 1849-1855, the Unitarian Society located at 28 Mugford Street, and the Town of Marblehead itself which was then housed at the Old Town House at the intersections of Washington, State, and Mugford Streets. All these locations were within easy walking distance to Watson Street where we suspect Samuel P. Hathaway Jr.'s store was located. The Second Congregational Church's original Pleasant Street location is now occupied by St. Michael's Church. It holds the honorable distinction of being the oldest Episcopal Church in New England still standing on its original site and worshiping in its original building. Quite remarkable, given the many old church buildings scattered throughout New England.
Among the many items found here include apples, beans, beef, bread, buckwheat, butter, candles, cheese, cigars, coffee, eggs, fish, flour, globe chimneys, lard, lozenges, milk, molasses, paper rolls, peas, pork, potatoes, rice, soap, sperm whale oil, squash, sugar, tobacco, turkey, veal, wicking, etc. Customer names found throughout book also make for a treasure trove of early local history and genealogy. Family names here include Adams, Allen, Andrews, Bassett, Blaney, Brown, Bruce, Cambell, Carey, Chapman, Cloutman, Cornish, Crowninshield, Dixey, Doake, Evans, Follett, Fowler, Gile, Glover, Harr, Harris, Hobbs, Homan, Hooper, Humphrey, Huntoon, Ingles, Ireson, Keane, Keene, Laskey, Lindsey, Mann, Mason, Miller, Pitman, Proctor, Quiner, Read, Reynolds, Robinson, Rounday, Rowley, Sanborn, Savoy, Shepherd, Stevens, Stone, Strong, Sweet, Symonds, Titus, Treson, Walton, Whipple, Winslow, etc. Also occasional entries here for local businesses and other organizations such as the Marblehead [Fire] Engine Company. A fabulous manuscript artifact from the historic seaport town of Marblehead.
Marblehead is a coastal town located on the North Shore in Essex County, Massachusetts. According to recent census figures, the historic seaport is currently home to a population of about 19, 808 year-round residents. It i also home to the Marblehead Neck Wildlife Sanctuary, Crocker Park, the Marblehead Lighthouse, Fort Sewall, Little Harbor and Devereux Beach. Archibald Willard's iconic "The Spirit of '76" painting currently resides in Abbot Hall. A town with deep roots in the maritime pursuits of commercial fishing, whaling, and yachting, Marblehead was once a major shipyard and is often referred to as the birthplace of the American Navy, a title sometimes disputed with nearby Beverly. It is also the origin of Marine Corps Aviation. Today it remains a thriving center of recreational boating, and is a popular sailing, kayaking and, fishing destination. Several yacht clubs were established here in the late 19th century, and many continue to this day as busy sailing hubs.
Marblehead's first European settler was Joseph Doliber in 1629, who set up on the shore near what is now the end of Bradlee Road. Three years earlier, Isaac Allerton, a Pilgrim from the Mayflower, had arrived in the area and established a fishing village at mid-Marblehead Harbor on the town side, across from Marblehead Neck. This area was set off and incorporated separately in 1649. Originally called Massebequash after the river which ran between it and Salem, the land was inhabited by the Naumkeag tribe of the Pawtucket confederation under the overall sachem Nanepashemet. But epidemics in 1615-1619 and 1633, believed to be smallpox, devastated the tribe. On September 16th, 1684, heirs of Nanepashemet sold their 3, 700 acres; the deed is preserved today at Abbot Hall in the city.
At times called "Marvell Head", "Marble Harbour" (by Captain John Smith) and "Foy" (by immigrants from Fowey, Cornwall), the town would be named "Marblehead" by settlers who mistook its granite ledges for marble. It began as a fishing village with narrow, crooked streets, and developed inland from the harbor. The shoreline smelled of drying fish, typically cod. These were exported abroad and to Salem. The town peaked economically just prior to the Revolution, as locally financed privateering vessels sought bounty from large European ships. Much early architecture survives from the era, including the Jeremiah Lee Mansion.
A large percentage of residents became involved early in the Revolutionary War, and the sailors of Marblehead are generally recognized by scholars as forerunners of the United States Navy. The first vessel commissioned for the navy, "Hannah", was equipped with cannons, rope, provision (including the indigenous molasses/sea water cookie known as "Joe Frogger" )--and a crew from Marblehead. With their nautical backgrounds, soldiers from Marblehead under General John Glover were instrumental in the escape of the Continental Army after the Battle of Long Island. Marblehead men ferried George Washington across the Delaware River for his attack on Trenton. Many who set out for war, however, did not return, leaving the town with 459 widows and 865 orphaned children in a population of less than 5, 000.
The community lost a substantial portion of its population and economy, although it was still the tenth-largest inhabited location in the United States at the first census, in 1790. When George Washington visited the town during his presidential tour of 1789, he knew the sailors of Marblehead well; they had served him honorably in the war. He observed that the town "had the appearance of antiquity." At the beginning of the 19th century, wealthier citizens wanted a new bank to finance vessels, and to serve the town’s fishermen and merchants. On March 17th, 1831, with a capital of $100, 000, they founded the Grand Bank. The name was changed to National Grand Bank on October 3rd, 1864.
After the Revolution, fishing continued as a major industry. The town's fishermen had 98 vessels (95 of which exceeded 50 tons) putting to sea in 1837, where they often harvested fish off the Grand Banks of Newfoundland. However, a gale or hurricane in that area on September 19th, 1846, sank 11 vessels and damaged many others. With 65 men and boys lost in the storm, the town's fishing industry began a decline. The storm is depicted in "Fireboard: The Great Gale of 1846", c.1850 by William Thompson Bartoll. A copy of the book is held by the Peabody Essex Museum.
During the late 19th century, Marblehead had a short-term industrial boom from shoe-making factories. At the same time, the exceptional harbor attracted yachting by wealthy boat owners, and some yacht clubs established centers there. It would become home to the Boston Yacht Club, Corinthian Yacht Club, Eastern Yacht Club, Marblehead Yacht Club, Dolphin Yacht Club, and the oldest junior yacht club in America, the Pleon Yacht Club. After World War II, the town enjoyed a population boom, developing as a bedroom community for nearby Boston, Lynn, and Salem.
Essex County was created by the General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony on May 10th, 1643, when it was ordered "that the whole plantation within this jurisdiction be divided into four sheires". Named after the county in England, Essex then comprised the towns of Salem, Lynn, Wenham, Ipswich, Rowley, Newbury, Gloucester, and Andover, which were subdivided over the centuries to produce the modern composition of cities and towns encompassing the communities of Amesbury, Andover, Beverly, Boxford, Danvers, Essex, Georgetown, Gloucester, Groveland, Hamilton, Haverhill, Ipswich, Lawrence, Lynn, Lynnfield, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Marblehead, Merrimac, Methuen, Middleton, Nahant, Newbury, Newburyport, North Andover, Peabody, Rockport, Rowley, Salem, Salisbury, Saugus, Swamscott, Topsfield, Wenham, and West Newbury.
Condition: Rare book remains in fair only condition (see pictures). Volume bound in original leather-backed marbled boards; cover worn with spine partly perished and split, covers detached though present, mild toning, scattered minor staining, some loose pages and bundles, etc., generally clean internally with ink bold and legible throughout. Ledger contains about 250 pp. of manuscript entries; and measures approx 15" tall x 6" wide x 1" thick. Quite a find and a very worthy acquisition indeed.
Payment and Shipping: Please see our feedback and bid with confidence. Never a reserve and very low opening bid as always. Never a reserve and very low opening bid as always. For international shipping quote, please contact us. Bidders with no established feedback must contact us before bidding. Massachusetts residents must add 6.25% sales tax or include dealer tax resale number. Payment must be received within 5 days after close of auction. Thanks for your interest!On Apr-25-19 at 19:05:48 PDT, seller added the following information:
