2001 --These pages are part of the Schuyler co., NY Genweb page.  Not for commercial use.
 

Journal #3 - 1840s - 1860s Ledger of Francis LEWIS
Town of Catharine, Schuyler co., NY
 

[Generously provided by the Montour Library staff &
Carol Fagnan, head of the Library Board & local historian.
They are dedicated to making their local history & genealogy archives accessible to all.]

  The book measures 6"X 8" & in the front is written:
"Francis LEWIS, Catharines, Chemung Co., NY".

  ["Catharinestown" = the Town of Catharine, once part of Chemung co. before 1854.
      Probably the same Francis LEWIS who was Supervisor of the Town of Catharine for 1838.
      A Dr. Francis LEWIS (1806-1878) was educated at the Univ. of NY College of Physicians
      & served in local military units as a surgeon.  He could have been connected
      with this store, unless there was another Francis LEWIS in the area.
      See LEWIS genealogy notes below.]

Page 1
Sept. 1859 - Sent Mr. JUDD 132 feet Boards cull lumber.

- The following pages have a listing of names with as little as one name on a page.
- Numbers were written after the names, with no indication of their meaning.
- The numbers were omitted, but other items & dates were copied below.
- It appears that some purchases made were credited to other people's accounts.
- Some of the pages show that a barter system was being used as work was done
     in exchange for the items purchased on the opposite page.

John COOPER
Sheldon COE
Susan CLARK
GANUNG & FITZGERALD
Jonathan GANUNG
T. L. C. FANTON
John FANTON
S. B. HERRICK
J. F. HOPKINS
William JUDD
Lorenzo JONES
Amos LATIN [LATTIN]
George LOWERY
Arlo MERCHANT
Mary F. LEWIS (Catharines written after this.)
George PAYNE
William SHELLENGER [SKELLENGER]
William STEVENS
Amos STRANG
Austin THOMPSON
Nelson WINTON (Doct. lwritten after it.)

Dr. Y. S. C. FANTON - list of meats and the poundage with a price and date.
        First date on this page is July 14, 1841.  Last date is May 11, 1853 with the only mention
        of Hay on this list.

Dr. John COOPER - list of various meats and dates.
       Dates go from June 4, 1842 thru  Dec. 8, 1845.

Austin THOMPSON - date of transaction to do with wheat, Jun 16, 1843.
        Mentioned that his debt was paid by setting 114 grafts to trees.

William SKELLENGER - Dec. 4, 1840 listed meats & had the entry: “To Eli COUCH note”.

Sheldon COE - June 1842 - “To veal, butter and port”.
        Sept 1842 -  by mending shoes and boots.

William JUDD - Nov. 21, 1842 - listing beef, pork and setting 4 hoops.

J. GANUNG & FITZGERALD - Aug. 22, 1843 - listing beef & pork amount for John COOPER.
        Soling, mending shoes and boots.

Arlo MERCHANT - June 1844 to Sept. 27, 1845 - listing meats.

Jonathan GANUNG - Oct 8, 1845 - listing cider, beef, potatoes.
        Cash to Balance - Harriett LEWIS  of Catharines.
        Mending of boots (myself) and mending of boots (William).

Arlo MERCHANT - dates go from Oct. 30, 1844 thru 1855 - listing of meats
        & this notation written at the bottom of page:
        April 11, 1855 Cr (credit) by amt (amount) to Balance writing our names & all accounts
        made even between us to the above date. Names signed are Francis LEWIS & Arlo MERCHANT.

Nelson WINTON - March 1844 - mentions Oats. Apothecary
        Aug 12, 1864 to one small pair Apochicarius?  Seals.
        At bottom of page was written April 7th, 1868 - snowed all day, snow about 8 inches deep.

S. B. HERRICK - dates from Oct 6, 1845 to July 6, 1846.
        Lists many different meats.  On the opposite page is listing of mending shoe for wife,
        making one pr. boots for William, making one pr. boots for myself.

 J. F. HOPKINS - June 1847 to waggon, mentions hay being cut.
     On opposite page is listed: helping butcher hogs, shearing sheep & shaving shingles.

John COOPER - dates 1847 thru 1855 - listing beef, hides & applying the amount to account.
        On opposite page lists buying & soling boots for “myself”.   Lists 2 pr small shoes.

Lorenzo JONES - April 2, 1844 - To continue house rent.
        Year house rent $25.00. To continue keeping cow on hay.

Lorenzo JONES April 2, 1849 - To continue house rent & keeping cow on hay.
        On opposite page:  chopping wood, hauling manure, spreading manure, hauling oats,
        for keeping cow in full.    (order on Charles JUDD to balance.)

George PAYNE - Nov. 30, 1849.  Listing butter, wheat. (veal per father)

George OWEN - March 28, 1850 - To rent house & garden from April 1st to July 17
        at $25.00 pr. year.  Oppoiste page lists cash being paid to balance.

William STEVENS - Apr. 29, 1850 listing the following:
        - day lost time going to Odessa & horse found to go with.
        - one half day absent & horse to Havana.
        - shearing sheep, hoeing corn, raising saw mill, going for berries.
        - also listed is money to Dr. VanVECTEN.

Amos STRANG - Apr. 10, 1852 - Listing one day lost going to Shoemakers.
        Time lost going to Odessa - shoes.  1/4 day absent at Corners, also mentions
         time going to Alpine.  On opposite page is:  “commenced work to receive fifty dollars
         for six months work - to be paid two-thirds his wages from time to time as called for
         and the balance at the expiration of the time, or when he completed the six month's work”.

Amos LATTIN - May 5, 1852 - to five bu. barley.
        Opposite page:  by one day shearing sheep to balance.

John FANTON - Nov. 17, 1852 - listing beef in large quantities of poundage.
        Opposite page: listing by amount worked.

Mary STEVENS - Oct. 18, 1853 - bulk linen thread, postage, writing paper.
        Opposite page: commenced work Friday Sept. 16, 1853 by 1/2 week's wages.

George LOWRY - commenced work Wednesday April 3, 1856.
        Listed were:  boots at Coopers, trade at P. KEYSERS ? for bill.
        Absent 3/4 day and horse to Havana (.50)

Susan CLARK - Apr. 1856 - commenced [work] Monday  Apr. 7, 1856.
        Lists shoes at Coopers, bonnet, bleached muslin, silk cord, paid school bill,
        goods at KEYSER's, 1 pair mitts, 1 hose, mending shoes, bill goods at Peter KEYSER's.
        On opposite page:  “by 29 3/4 week's wages”.

Willard REED - commenced work March 30, 1857 for 7 months at $13.00 per month.
         Basically he worked for cash wages with nothing bought or charged to his account,
         but on May 17 he was charged with breach of contract.

Michael CONLEY [CONNELLY ?] - Dec. 14, 1857 - Listing paid cash for large poundage of meat. (beef)
        Opposite page:  paid for work and applied to account.

Rose DONELLY - commenced [work] Tuesday May 5, 1857 at 4 per wk. ($4.00?)
        Nothing else mentioned.

Samuel GAREY ? - First part of page is too pale to read.
        The rest of the page gives cash thru haying, with the account balanced up to the close
        of work on haying & harvesting, after hay cut up the hill & the boy helped thrash [thresh] some.
        Opposite page name is perhaps Samuel GARY - Apr. 1859 - by splitting rails & chopping wood.

Nelson BACON - Apr. 20, 1860 - to bu. oats (per son Nelson) listing as follows:
        May 2, to 30 bu. Oats (per son Nelson). My 7, to 12 bu. oats (the lawyer),
        May 14, to 30 bu. oats. (Nelson ).  May 25, to 56 bu. oats (self).
        June 13 to 42 bu. Oats (Nelson). June 20 to 12 bu. oats (the lawyer).
        July10 to 3 bu. Oats. (Nelson).   Nov. 24 to Cash. Oats. to 8 bu. Oats boy thrashed.

N.  Eliza LEWIS BRADLEY - “to the following items charged in account not to be paid to me
        or my heirs or assignees, but after my decease, if I have any estate left for distribution
        among my children, to be deducted for the amount there-of from her share.”
        -- Francis LEWIS, Oct. 1864
            to cash at bank $104.00, Nov. 1864
            1 st. silver table spoons $25.00, March 1868
            to cash at bank $100.00. April 1868 to 1 cow.
  [Note:  Dr. Francis LEWIS (son of Zachariah) had children:
                 - William Henry (26 Oct 1838 - 3 Oct 1843)
                 - Nancy Eliza LEWIS (23 Jan 1843 - 14 Oct 1914) - apparently the same as above.
                 - Sarah Louisa LEWIS (28 Nov 1848 - 11 Dec 1867)
                 - Mary Frances (30 Dec 1850 - 11 May 1923, unmarried)
                 - Frederick William LEWIS (25 Nov 1853 - 27 Dec 1873, died from a runaway team.)
               Dr. Francis LEWIS was married on 4 Jan 1838 to Harriet A. SKELLENGER, daughter
                 of Nathan & Sarah (SEWARD) SKELLENGER.  Harriet d. 30 Jan 1897, age 81.]
 

Susan CLARK - work 35 wks. and 1 day.  Absent 3wk and 2 days.
        Due Nov. 20, 1855 at time of leaving.
        1 stand cloth, I pr. shoes, 8 yrs calico, 1 set silver spoons.

Stephen MILLSPAUGH - chopping 8 cords wood towards 1 stove.

Rebecca MERCHANT - Nov.7,  1853 - commenced work for a long list of articles on her account.

Charles GIBBS - Apr. 2, 1856 - worked chopping wood part of a day & trimming apple trees.

Austin THOMPSON - March 1854 - bottoming 4 chairs, half soling boots myself
        & mending horse rake.
       In Nov. Austin THOMPSON - grindstone & crank to pay towards account.
       This account looks like it was 165 feet hemlock boards,
       helping build log house one day and part of another.

Elizabeth MARACLER ? [MERICLE or MARICLE ?]
        - commenced work March 8, 1852.  By March work to Balance May 1, 1852.
        June 5,  credit by 5 weeks work.

Caroline BENNETT - commenced work Aug. 11, 1851.
        A long list of items put to credit.  Some of these listed were muslin, shawl,
        8 yds calico, 1 piece bobbing.   She worked six weeks and 5 days - wages at $6.00 a week.
        At the end of Nov 22, 1851 her balance was paid with the working plus cash she paid.
 

[contributed by I.C.J.]