A Philadelphia Woman’s Financial Life Before the Civil War — Ann Chalmers Manuscript Receipt Book, circa 1835–1861
An evocative original manuscript receipt book preserving approximately twenty-five years of household and property payments made by Mrs. Ann Chalmers of Philadelphia.
The narrow, hand-stitched volume contains numerous dated receipts recording payments for house rent, ground rent, notes, bills and related expenses. Many entries begin “Received Philadelphia” and acknowledge money received from “Mrs. Ann Chalmers” or other members of the Chalmers household. Each receipt was written and signed by the landlord, agent, tradesman or other person who received the payment, creating a collection of original 19th-century handwriting and signatures rather than a ledger maintained by a single clerk.
Entries extend from approximately the mid-1830s through 1861. The book therefore follows one Philadelphia household from the Jacksonian period, through the economic and social changes of the antebellum decades, and into the opening year of the American Civil War.
Particularly interesting are repeated payments described as being “in full for one month’s house rent,” providing tangible evidence of the cost and administration of urban housing in 19th-century Philadelphia. The volume also offers evidence of a woman personally participating in financial and property transactions decades before married women enjoyed equal legal and economic rights.
The receipt book survives in heavily used but authentic condition. Its wrappers are stained, worn and partially separated; the spine covering is substantially lost, exposing the original stitching and cords. The leaves exhibit edge wear, creasing, stains and occasional fading, with some leaves loose or weakened at the folds. Nevertheless, a substantial number of entries remain clearly legible. The wear reflects the object’s prolonged use as a working household financial record.
A compelling piece of Philadelphia social history and a valuable primary source for research into women’s history, urban housing, family genealogy and everyday American life before the Civil War.
An evocative original manuscript receipt book preserving approximately twenty-five years of household and property payments made by Mrs. Ann Chalmers of Philadelphia.
The narrow, hand-stitched volume contains numerous dated receipts recording payments for house rent, ground rent, notes, bills and related expenses. Many entries begin “Received Philadelphia” and acknowledge money received from “Mrs. Ann Chalmers” or other members of the Chalmers household. Each receipt was written and signed by the landlord, agent, tradesman or other person who received the payment, creating a collection of original 19th-century handwriting and signatures rather than a ledger maintained by a single clerk.
Entries extend from approximately the mid-1830s through 1861. The book therefore follows one Philadelphia household from the Jacksonian period, through the economic and social changes of the antebellum decades, and into the opening year of the American Civil War.
Particularly interesting are repeated payments described as being “in full for one month’s house rent,” providing tangible evidence of the cost and administration of urban housing in 19th-century Philadelphia. The volume also offers evidence of a woman personally participating in financial and property transactions decades before married women enjoyed equal legal and economic rights.
The receipt book survives in heavily used but authentic condition. Its wrappers are stained, worn and partially separated; the spine covering is substantially lost, exposing the original stitching and cords. The leaves exhibit edge wear, creasing, stains and occasional fading, with some leaves loose or weakened at the folds. Nevertheless, a substantial number of entries remain clearly legible. The wear reflects the object’s prolonged use as a working household financial record.
A compelling piece of Philadelphia social history and a valuable primary source for research into women’s history, urban housing, family genealogy and everyday American life before the Civil War.
