A Guide to the Henry W. Whitlock and Son Daybooks and Ledger, 1839-1846

Access and use

Location of collection:
Library of Virginia
The Library of Virginia
800 East Broad Street
Richmond, VA 23219
Contact for questions and access:
POC: Archives Reference Services
Phone: (804) 692-3888

Summary

Language:
English

Background

Scope and content:

Business records of Henry W. Whitlock and Son consist of two daybooks and a ledger.

Two daybooks, 1839-1842, record on a monthly basis transactions of Henry W. Whitlock and Son. Information recorded in the daybooks includes name of customer, dates of transactions, items purchased, quantity of items purchased, price of each item, form of payment, amount owed and paid, and page number of customer's found in corresponding ledger. Merchandise sold include beef, eggs, alcoholic drinks, shoes, dry-goods, marbles, castor oil, nails, flour, oats, and iron. Payments made by cash, credit, and barter of goods such as oats, wheat, corn, and bacon. Information related to entries dated 1841-1842 derived from second daybook.

Daybook, 1841-1842, records on a daily basis transactions of Henry W. Whitlock and Son. Information recorded in the daybook includes name of customer, date of transaction, items purchased, quantity of items purchased, price of each item, form of payment, and amount owed and paid.

Ledger, 1839-1846, records the accounts of individual customers. Each account lists transactions in chronological order. Information found in each entry include date of transaction, form of transaction, amount owed, form of payment, and amount paid. Each entry also includes page numbers of transaction found in Daybook, 1839-1842. Some entries state where the customer lived. Volume does not contain detailed information regarding items sold by general store. Rather, it uses the general term "merchandise." Volume also includes miscellaneous loose papers.

Biographical / historical:

Henry W. Whitlock and his son James M. Whitlock conducted a mercantile business called Henry W. Whitlock and Son in Jefferson, Virginia, from January 1841-January 1843. Prior to 1841, the business was solely owned by Henry W. Whitlock.

The daybooks and ledgers were used as exhibits in the chancery suit Executor of Henry Whitlock versus Frances E. Whitlock, etc., heard in the Powhatan County Circuit Court.

Acquisition information:
These items came to the Library of Virginia in shipments of court papers from Powhatan County.
Physical description:
3 vol. (877 p.)