RIAMCO

Rhode Island Archival and Manuscript Collections Online

For Participating Institutions

Davisville Mill(s) Records (msg. 1)

North Kingstown Free Library

100 Boone Street
North Kingstown, RI 02852
Tel: 401-294-3306
E-mail: nkiref@nklibrary.org

Inventory

Series 1. Ledgers
26 items

Series I consists of 14 account ledgers with 7 accompanying name books and 12 accompanying folders, dating from 1803-1875, with gaps. I general, the ledgers are a record of work performed by various men and women and the payment they received, whether in cash or produce. Some of the ledgers contain patterns for cloth, records of piece work completed, boarding accounts and agreements between employees and the firm. The name books are indexes to the ledgers. Some of the ledgers that do not have separate name books have indexes in the front. The folders contain manuscript material that was scattered throughout the ledgers. This material includes scratch paper, promissory notes, blotter sheets, recipes, request for items, bills and pieces from newspapers. One folder contains fabric samples.

Container Description Date
Box 1, Folder 1 No legible number or name on cover or spine of ledger. Namebook 1: no number on cover, alphabetical by last name. Accompanied by folder 1.
1813-1823
Box 2, Folder 2 No legible number or name on cover or spine of ledger and extension of name list on last page. Namebook 2: number 2 on cover, alphabetical by first name. Accompanied by folder 2.
1812-1815
Box 3, Folder 3 Number 3 on ledger cover, alphabetical by first name and namebook is sewn into front cover. Accompanied by folder 3: record of piece-work done by John Reynolds, list of real estate sold at auction in North Kingstown (mostly Wickford).
1815-1817
Box 4, Folder 4 Number 4 slightly legible on cover and spine of ledger. Namebook 4: number 4 on cover, alphabetical by first name. Accompanied by folder 4: auction notices, two pages of ledger account.
1817-1820
Box 5, Folder 5 Number 5 on spine and cover of ledger. No namebook. Accompanied by folder 5.
1819-1828
Box 6, Folder 6 Number 6 on cover of ledger, inside cover states "Property of Ezra & J. Davis". Namebook 6: number 6 on cover, alphabetical by first name. Accompanied by folder 6.
1822-1834
Box 7, Folder 7 Journal 7 on cover of ledger, signature of E & J Davis on inside cover. Namebook 7: number 7 on cover, alphabetical by last name. Accompanied by folder 7: includes letters from Geo. Davis to his brother William Davis.
1826-1835
Box 8, Folder 8 Number 8 on cover of ledger, signature of E & J Davis on inside cover (partially written over), half of the book is blank. Namebook 8: number 8 is on cover, alphabetical by last name. Accompanied by folder 8.
1832-1848
Box 9, Folder 9 No legible name or number on spine or cover of ledger, first section contains patterns of cloth, second section contains records of piece-work done by workers and there is an attached namebook which is alphabetical by last name. Accompanied by folder 9.
1835-1838
Box 10, Folder 10 On the front cover of ledger: Ezra Davises, Account. Ledger includes various records of farm labor, boarding, cash sales and produce exchange. Namebook 10: alphabetical by first name, on the cover is a label listing 6% interest rates. Accompanied by folde
1830-1862, 1863
Box 11, Folder 11 No name or number on cover or spine of ledger, namebook is attached to the front of the ledger, alphabetical by last name. Accompanied by folder 11: several smal pieces of green/blue worsted wool.
1834-1841
Box 12, Folder 12 No name or number on cover or spine of ledger. Inside ledger: a record of agreements between the mill and the millworkers, time lost by workers, cash sales and amounts of yarn taken for piecework by the employees. No namebook or folder.
1834-1843
Box 13, Folder 13 On the spine of ledger: Davis & Reynolds, namebook is attached to front of ledger, alphabetical by last name. Accompanied by folder 13.
1846-1862
Box 14, Folder 14 On the spine of ledger: Davis, Reynolds & Co. Namebook is attached to front of ledger, alphabetical by last name. Accompanied by folder 14.
1862-1875

Series 2. Daybooks
16 daybooks

Series II consists of 16 daybooks, dating from 1817-1867, with gaps. They are a chronological listing of transactions. In general, the volumes contains the names of employees or patrons and the work they performed in exchange for goods. Two daybooks are a record of the dressing and coloring of cloth.

Container Description Date
Box 1, Folder 1 Daybook 1
1817 Feb 17-1818 Oct 31
Box 2, Folder 2 Daybook 2
1821 Mar 24-1823 Sept 27
Box 3, Folder 3 Daybook 3
1823 Sept 30-1825 Nov 26
Box 4, Folder 4 Daybook 4
1825 Nov 26-1827 Oct 11
Box 5, Folder 5 Daybook 5
1827 Oct 11-1829 Nov 30
Box 6, Folder 6 Daybook 6
1829 Dec 1-1832 Feb 26
Box 7, Folder 7 Daybook 7
1832 Feb 24-1833 July 25
Box 8, Folder 8 Daybook 8
1833 July 25-1834 Sept 18
Box 9, Folder 9 Daybook 9. Half of this volume is blank.
1834 Apr 11-1835 Dec 3
Box 10, Folder 10 Daybook 10. Inside front cover: J. Davis & Son 1835.
1835 Feb 5-1836 Mar 15
Box 11, Folder 11 Daybook 11
1836 Mar 17-1838 June 13
Box 12, Folder 12 Daybook 12. Inside cover: Jeffrey Davis. A record of dressing and coloring cloth, and of cloth and yarn sold.
1816 Mar 7-1825 Feb 12
Box 13, Folder 13 Daybook 13. A record of dressing and coloring cloth. Half of the volume is blank and is badly water/mildew damaged.
1825 Mar 14-1832 Feb 15
Box 14, Folder 14 Daybook 14. Inside front cover: J. Davis & Son 1835. A record of material purchased from individuals and companies.
1835 Feb 4-1838 Oct 3
Box 15, Folder 15 Daybook 15
1834 Apr 11-1852 June 30
Box 16, Folder 16 Daybook 16
1867 Apr 1-1871 Mar 18

Series 3. Pattern Book
1 Book

Series III is an undated book of nineteen patterns, entitled "Patterns for Plaids". Patterns one through six are accompanied by fabric samples.