Matthew Frame account book, 1806-1809

Archive

-

Jefferson County Museum

Name/Title

Matthew Frame account book, 1806-1809

Entry/Object ID

ARC866

Scope and Content

This leather-bound ledger is an account book containing records of purchases and payments by individual customers of Matthew Frame, a Charles Town merchant (see Background below). Accounting entries begin on the right-hand side of what is presumably folio page 3 (the page number is missing). The first extant entry is dated January 26, 1806, and entries continue to folio page 159 where the last extant legible date is August 24, 1809. However, the first and last dates may not reflect the earliest and latest entries because several pages and part of the first extant folio page are missing at the beginning and two-thirds of page 159 and several subsequent pages are missing. On the left folio page the customer's name, followed by Dr (Debit), is written at the top and debits are entered underneath. Credits are entered on the right folio page under the heading Contra. The left and right folio pages have the same page number. On some pages are notations: See L B & folo # (i.e., see Ledger B at a particular folio #). (See alphabetical index to customer names in Media.) Debossed on the upper spine is EDGER. The "L" is missing. Under the debossing is the letter "A." Three indecipherable letters are handwritten at the top of the outside front cover. On the inside front cover are handwritten calculations (in pencil) and two ink-stamped organization names: Jefferson County Historical Society and Old Charles Town Library. Initially, the merchant who kept this ledger was unknown. However, an analysis of this ledger A and Matthew Frame's ledger C (ARC179) by history researcher Don Watts, revealed that ledger A is a companion to ledger C and is therefore a Matthew Frame ledger. (See Don Watts, "Mysteries Surrounding Matthew Frame's Account Ledger," attached in Media.) Background: Matthew Frame immigrated to Charles Town from Ireland in the late 18th century, married Massa (Massey) Gibbs (died 1854, age 78), established a mercantile business, and was appointed Charles Town's first postmaster in 1799. Although it's not clear when he opened his business, entries in ARC179 date from 1791. See Media for information on location of his store in Charles Town.

Acquisition

Accession

75

Source or Donor

Charles Town Library

Acquisition Method

Gift

Archive Details

Date(s) of Creation

1806 - 1809

Archive Size/Extent

One leather-bound ledger, 15 9/16" x 10 3/16" x 1 5/8" (near the spine)

Archive Notes

Date(s) Created: 1806 - 1809