Elizabeth W. Supplee math exercise book

Collection

Identifier: MSS 0097-Item 0126

Staff Only

Scope and Content Note

The early nineteenth-century notebook of Elizabeth W. Supplee (probably of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) contains handwritten math exercises demonstrating a variety of principles. The exercises include numerical problems, word problems, and other applications. The pages are adorned with elaborately scripted headings, Elizabeth’s name and initials, and simple sketches.

The mathematical subjects covered in Supplee's notebook each include a title identifying the topic, followed by example exercises that illustrate the principle. These topics include standard addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, as well as long division, compound addition, and compound subtraction. Supplee included exercises for the measure of time, motion or circle measure, liquid measure, dry measure, Troy weight, Avoirdupois weight, apothecaries weight, long measure, cloth measure, and land measure. She also included examples of more advanced exercises such as compound multiplication, compound division, reduction, "Promiscuous Questions," "The Single Rule of Three," and "The Rule of Three Inverse."

The paper-bound blank book in which Supplee wrote features engravings and accompanying verses printed on the cover. It was "Printed by T. S. Manning, corner of Carpenter Street, opposite the Arcade Philadelphia," and "Made & Sold by G. W. MENTZ, Bookseller & Stationer, No. 71 Race street."

Dates

Creation: 1831 March 23-September 8

Creator

Supplee, Elizabeth W, 1816-1873 (Person)

Language of Materials

Materials entirely in English.

Restrictions on Access

The collection is open for research.

Terms Governing Use and Reproduction

Use of materials from this collection beyond the exceptions provided for in the Fair Use and Educational Use clauses of the U.S. Copyright Law may violate federal law. Permission to publish or reproduce is required from the copyright holder. Please contact Special Collections, University of Delaware Library, http://library.udel.edu/spec/askspec/

Biographical Note

The Elizabeth W. Supplee who kept this exercise book studied math in 1831, likely near Philadelphia, where the blank book she used was printed. It is extremely probable that the following biographical information pertains to the same person, but the notebook does not contain sufficient personal information to say for certain.

Elizabeth Weber Supplee was born on November 4, 1816. Her parents were John (1779–1844) and Catherine Weber (1790–1851) Supplee. Elizabeth married John R. Supplee on October 3, 1843. They lived in Lower Merion Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, and had six children: Israel H. (who died in infancy), Lydia H., J. Howard, Alan W., and Catharine A.

Elizabeth Supplee died on August 30, 1873.

Edward D. Bradford, Dean and Collateral Ancestors, 2007, http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~edbradford/books/dean.pdf (accessed November 8, 2007)."Chapter XXXVI: The Bench and Bar – Part II," Bean’s History of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania (1884; USGenWeb Archives), http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/pa/montgomery/history/local/mchb0039.txt (accessed November 8, 2007)."Elizabeth W. Supplee" death notice, Philadelphia Inquirer, September 1, 1873, America’s Historical Newspapers, http://infoweb.newsbank.com (accessed November 8, 2007)."Elizabeth Weber Supplee." Find A Grave. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=14538253&ref=acom (accessed May 23, 2014).