Name/Title
Receipt Isaac Bull & Thomas Ellison Jr April 15, 1768Entry/Object ID
002538Tags
Isaac Bull, Thomas EllisonScope and Content
This document is a 18th-century handwritten receipt and ledger entry, likely from colonial America. It records a transaction between Mr. Isaac Bull and Thomas Ellison Junr. (Junior).
The document tracks small household purchases made in 1758 and shows a final payment received a decade later in 1768.
Document Breakdown
Header and Parties
Debtor: Mr. Isaac Bull
Creditor: Thomas Ellison Junr.
Transaction Details (1758)
The list shows goods purchased, using standard colonial currency notation of Pounds (£), Shillings (s), and Pence (d).
Date Item Quantity/Rate Cost (£. s. d.)
June 10 Wool cards (used for processing wool) 1 pr 0. 5. 0
July 22 Molasses 1 1/2 Gallons @ 3/6 0. 5. 3
[D°] Small hat 1 0. 3. 0
[D°] Cotton 2 [lbs] @ 2/6 0. 5. 0
TOTAL 0. 18. 3
Note: "D°" is an abbreviation for "Ditto," meaning it happened on the same date as the line above.
Settlement (1768)
At the bottom, there is a formal acknowledgment of payment written ten years after the initial debts:
"New Windsor April 15, 1768
Received the above 18/3 in full
Thos. Ellison Junr"
Historical Context
Location: The mention of New Windsor likely refers to New Windsor, New York, which was a significant trading hub on the Hudson River during the colonial era.
Social History: This provides a glimpse into the "credit economy" of the time. It was very common for neighbors or local merchants to carry debts for years before they were officially settled in cash or trade.
Items: The purchase of wool cards, cotton, and molasses highlights a typical domestic lifestyle—producing textiles at home and purchasing imported Caribbean goods like molasses.
