Exceptional, original double-sided manuscript ledger leaf (folios 107 and 108) dated December 1772.
Written in a beautiful, highly legible copperplate hand, this document captures the daily commerce of pre-Revolutionary Virginia just three and a half years before the Declaration of Independence.
What makes this specific leaf a premium piece of early Americana is the remarkable density of prominent colonial Tidewater Virginia family names transacting on a single sheet. The convergence of these specific individuals places this merchant's operation squarely in the Middle Peninsula region (King and Queen, Caroline, or Gloucester counties).
Notable Virginia Planters & Figures Listed:
- The Taliaferro Family: Features transactions for Richard Taliaferro, Philip Taliaferro, and William Taliaferro. (Historically, Philip and Col. William Taliaferro were prominent planters, House of Burgesses affiliates, and Revolutionary War militia commanders from King and Queen County).
- James Trice (Carpenter): A highly desirable entry for social historians. 18th-century ledger pages explicitly designating tradesmen are scarce. James Trice Sr. (1715–1787) is a well-documented landholder and craftsman of the Caroline/Louisa County area.
- Willis Wills: Strongly correlates with Capt. Willis Wills, a prominent adjutant in the Virginia Militia.
- Additional Prominent Names: Mary E. Thacker, William Sears, Christopher Ware, John Wyatt, Henry Tilby, William Wright, and Edward Walden.
Fascinating Colonial Material Culture Recorded:
- Medicinals: "Jesuit's Bark" (the historic cinchona bark/quinine remedy for malaria), "Brimstone", "Allum", and "Ink powder".
- Spirits: Multiple entries for "West India rum", "Norfolk rum", and "Coffee".
- Goods & Hardware: "Fiddle strings" (sold by the knot), a "Curry comb & brush", "Flat irons", "Dog breast buttons", and "An Almanack".
- Textiles: "Osnaburgs" (heavy linen cloth central to plantation life), "Calamanco shoes", "Swan skin", "Napt cotton", and "White flannel".
Condition:
Excellent antiquarian condition. The iron gall ink remains remarkably dark, bold, and legible against the laid rag paper. Shows expected central horizontal folds from original storage, with minor edge toning/wear commensurate with a 250-year-old working mercantile document. A museum-quality piece ready for archival framing or institutional research.
Item Specifics
- Date of Publication: 1772
- Type: Handwritten Manuscript / Ledger Page
- Region of Origin: Virginia, United States
- Era / Subject: Colonial America, Pre-Revolutionary War, Tidewater Virginia
- Material: Laid Rag Paper
- Original/Reproduction: Original
- Key Families: Taliaferro, Trice, Wills, Thacker, Ware, Wyatt