Manuscript Group 762, Upper Freehold Township Residents, Monmouth County, NJRecords, 1816-1885 (Bulk dates: 1816-1818, 1831-1834, 1867-1885)
Archives Documents, Manuscripts, Maps, & Photographs
Manuscript Group 762, Upper Freehold Township Residents, Monmouth County, NJ
Records, 1816-1885 (Bulk dates: 1816-1818, 1831-1834, 1867-1885), 0.3 linear feet / 1 volume
Call Number: MG 762 (os)
The volume contains the account book, 1816-1818, of an unidentified Hornerstown cloth merchant; the daybook, 1831-1834, of a Hornerstown farmer; and the daybook, 1867-1885, of Charles D. Ridgway, a farmer from Cream Ridge. Both Hornerstown and Cream Ridge are located in Upper Freehold Township, Monmouth County, New Jersey.
The source of this collection is unknown.
This volume was used from 1816-1885 by three different unidentified individuals living in various villages of Upper Freehold Township, Monmouth County, New Jersey. Although members of the Ridgeway family of Monmouth and Burlington Counties are mentioned throughout the entries, it is uncertain whether that family actually owned the book.
The first owner, a merchant operating in Hornerstown, used the volume as an account book from 1816-1818. Typical entries include the sale of cloth, tobacco, whiskey, glassware, and ginger, and the merchant held accounts with Rachel Ridgeway (1763-1843), Caleb Ridgeway, and Jacob Ridgeway. This portion of the volume is approximately 120 pages and contains an index.
The second owner, a farmer from Hornerstown, used the volume as a combination account book and daybook from 1831-1834. Typical transactions include the sale of corn, rye, hogs, nails, and whiskey, and services such as hauling and storing of grain. There is also a record of the wages and attendance of farm hands. The farmer bought corn and rye from Richard L. Ridgeway. This portion of the volume is approximately nine pages and is not indexed.
The third owner, a farmer from Cream Ridge, used the volume as a daybook from 1867-1885. Typical transactions include the sale of flour, wheat, corn, tobacco, and potatoes. The farmer collected rents and debt payments from Richard L. Ridgeway and Henry A. Ridgeway, and paid for the schooling of Charles D. Ridgeway at Princeton University. This portion of the volume is approximately 47 pages.
See other farmers’ records/papers.
See other merchants’ records/papers.
Processed by Luis Delfino, December 2000 as part of the “Farm to City” project funded by a grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission.
Submit a request to copy part of this collection
