William Russel ledgers

Collection

Identifier: MSS 0096-Item 0076

Staff Only

Scope and Content Note

Includes two ledgers kept by the Russel family of Lewes, Delaware, primarily documenting the accounts of William Russel's tannery and dry goods services, but also containing miscellaneous items related to other pursuits or other family members. In addition to the business figures, customer indices, notations on hired help, lists of trees planted, school work, and drawings of house and barn plans recorded on the pages of each volume, several clippings, study leaflets, letters, hymnal pages, receipts, and plant and feather specimens are also laid into the volumes. The contents of each volume are described in greater detail in the contents list below.

Dates

Creation: 1808-1885

Creator

Russel, William, 1777-1858 (Person)

Language of Materials

Materials in English.

Access Restrictions

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

William Russel or Russell was born on May 16, 1777, in Broadkill Hundred, Sussex County, Delaware, and died on December 20, 1858. He was the son of Emanuel Russel and Esther C. Heavelo. He learned the trade of tanner and currier in Milford, Delaware, and later established himself in that trade in the town of Lewes providing his customers with bridles, shoe leather, cordovan, shoe soles, and other leather items, all made of goatskin, calfskin, sheepskin, and occasionally vealskin. Often customers provided him with a piece of hide as payment for leather or provided other services such as sawing or farming, in exchange for goods. In addition to operating a tanning business, Russel cultivated a farm and by 1823, his goods included farm products such as potatoes, corn, hay, cotton, indigo, and tobacco. Accounts were often carried over the course of years. At some point, probably around 1835, Russel also formed a partnership called Russel & Rodney which allowed him to extend his services to include various dry goods.

He married Elizabeth Coleman and had seven children; Robert (b.1813), James H. (b. 1816), Elizabeth Maud, William T. (b. 1827), Edward (b.1830), Mary P. (b. 1833), and Esther (b.1836). Russel's business and home was located along what is now called Pilottown Road in Lewes.

Biographical information derived from the collection.

Extent

2 volume ; 39 cm

Additional Description

Abstract

Includes two ledgers kept by the Russel family of Lewes, Delaware, primarily documenting the accounts of William Russel's tannery, farming, and dry goods services, but also containing miscellaneous items related to other pursuits or other family members.