Guide to the Davisville Mill(s) Records
, 1803-1875
North Kingstown Free Library, Special Collections
100 Boone Street
North Kingstown, RI 02852
Tel: 401-294-3306
E-mail: nkiref@nklibrary.org
Published in 2011
Collection Overview
| Title: |
Davisville Mill(s) Records |
| Date range: |
1803-1875 |
| Creator: |
Davisville Mill Owners |
| Extent: |
50 item(s)
|
| Abstract: |
The Davisville Mill(s) Records are the records of one or more textile mills that existed in Davisville, North Kingstown, Rhode Island in the nineteenth century. It is unclear from the records themselves if the volumes and papers all belong to one mill or to a group of mills. Some of the volumes have names inscribed on the front, spine, or inside pages. These include: Ezra and J. Davis, E. and J. Davis, Davis Reynolds, J. D. and S. and Davis and Sweet. The E. and J. Davis textile firm was founded in the early nineteenth century. It became the Davis, Reynolds and Co. in 1849. It appears that the Davisville Mill(s) Records are from these mill companies. |
| Language of materials: |
English |
| Repository: |
North Kingstown Free Library, Special Collections
|
| Collection number: |
msg. 1 |
Scope & content
Access Points
Subject Topics
Arrangement
This collection is arranged in three series as follows:
- 1. Ledgers
- 2. Daybooks
- 3. Pattern Book
Access & Use
| Access to the collection: |
There are no restrictions on access, except that the collection can only be seen by prior appointment. Some materials may be stored off-site and cannot be produced on the same day on which they are requested. |
| Use of the materials: |
Researchers are advised that express written permission to reproduce, quote, or otherwise publish any portion or extract from this collection must be obtained from the North Kingstown Free Library. Although North Kingstown Library has physical ownership of the collection and the materials contained therein, it does not claim literary rights. It is up to the researcher to determine the owners of the literary rights and to obtain any necessary permissions from them. |
| Preferred citation: |
Davisville Mill(s) Records, Ms. 1, North Kingstown Free Library. |
| Contact information: |
North Kingstown Free Library, Special Collections
100 Boone Street
North Kingstown, RI 02852
Tel: 401-294-3306
E-mail: nkiref@nklibrary.org
|
Administrative Information
| ABOUT THE COLLECTION |
| Acquisition: |
These records were given to the library sometime in the early 1980s by the Phillips family (descendants of the Davis family) of Davisville, RI. |
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| ABOUT THE FINDING AID |
| Author: |
Finding aid prepared by Linda Clorite, Anne Bridges. |
| Encoding: |
Finding aid encoded by Linda Caisse, Maggie Brewer
2011 April 15 |
| Descriptive rules: |
Finding aid based on Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS) |
Additional Information
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.
| 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.
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1813-1823 |
| Box 2, Folder 2 |
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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.
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1812-1815 |
| Box 3, Folder 3 |
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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).
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1815-1817 |
| Box 4, Folder 4 |
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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.
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1817-1820 |
| Box 5, Folder 5 |
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Number 5 on spine and cover of ledger. No namebook. Accompanied by folder 5.
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1819-1828 |
| Box 6, Folder 6 |
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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.
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1822-1834 |
| Box 7, Folder 7 |
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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.
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1826-1835 |
| Box 8, Folder 8 |
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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.
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1832-1848 |
| Box 9, Folder 9 |
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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.
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1835-1838 |
| Box 10, Folder 10 |
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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
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1830-1862, 1863 |
| Box 11, Folder 11 |
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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.
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1834-1841 |
| Box 12, Folder 12 |
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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.
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1834-1843 |
| Box 13, Folder 13 |
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On the spine of ledger: Davis & Reynolds, namebook is attached to front of ledger, alphabetical by last name. Accompanied by folder 13.
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1846-1862 |
| Box 14, Folder 14 |
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On the spine of ledger: Davis, Reynolds & Co. Namebook is attached to front of ledger, alphabetical by last name. Accompanied by folder 14.
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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.
| Box 1, Folder 1 |
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Daybook 1
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1817 Feb 17-1818 Oct 31 |
| Box 2, Folder 2 |
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Daybook 2
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1821 Mar 24-1823 Sept 27 |
| Box 3, Folder 3 |
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Daybook 3
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1823 Sept 30-1825 Nov 26 |
| Box 4, Folder 4 |
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Daybook 4
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1825 Nov 26-1827 Oct 11 |
| Box 5, Folder 5 |
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Daybook 5
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1827 Oct 11-1829 Nov 30 |
| Box 6, Folder 6 |
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Daybook 6
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1829 Dec 1-1832 Feb 26 |
| Box 7, Folder 7 |
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Daybook 7
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1832 Feb 24-1833 July 25 |
| Box 8, Folder 8 |
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Daybook 8
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1833 July 25-1834 Sept 18 |
| Box 9, Folder 9 |
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Daybook 9. Half of this volume is blank.
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1834 Apr 11-1835 Dec 3 |
| Box 10, Folder 10 |
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Daybook 10. Inside front cover: J. Davis & Son 1835.
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1835 Feb 5-1836 Mar 15 |
| Box 11, Folder 11 |
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Daybook 11
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1836 Mar 17-1838 June 13 |
| Box 12, Folder 12 |
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Daybook 12. Inside cover: Jeffrey Davis. A record of dressing and coloring cloth, and of cloth and yarn sold.
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1816 Mar 7-1825 Feb 12 |
| Box 13, Folder 13 |
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Daybook 13. A record of dressing and coloring cloth. Half of the volume is blank and is badly water/mildew damaged.
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1825 Mar 14-1832 Feb 15 |
| Box 14, Folder 14 |
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Daybook 14. Inside front cover: J. Davis & Son 1835. A record of material purchased from individuals and companies.
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1835 Feb 4-1838 Oct 3 |
| Box 15, Folder 15 |
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Daybook 15
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1834 Apr 11-1852 June 30 |
| Box 16, Folder 16 |
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Daybook 16
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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.