PITTSYLVANIA COUNTY, VA - MISCELLANEOUS - 1793 Store Ledger
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This article was found in a Monroe, LA newspaper, and I thought someone 
could use this information in Pittsylvania county.  I do not know what 
happened to the framed journal page.  The article was written during 
Prohibition, hence the commentary on liquor.

Monroe Morning World [Monroe, LA]
Thursday, September 22, 1932
Page 1, Column 4

Monroe Citizen Has Ledger
Sheet Filled Out in 1793

	Having read yesterday afternoon in The News-Star an Associated Press story 
from Spartanburg, S.C., which gave notations from a store ledger 125 years 
old, T.J. Sandridge, of Monroe, brought to The World offices last night a 
store ledger sheet on which notations were made 139 years ago.
	Mr. Sandridge's ledger sheet bears at the top the information that the 
store in which it was used was located in Pittsylvania county, Virginia, and 
that sales recorded on the sheet were made March 12, 1793.  At the bottom of 
the sheet, which is now framed in glass, is found these words:  "This 
journal was found in an old storehouse west of Danville, Va., near the home 
of Patrick Henry, August, 1914."
	The page became the property of Mr. Sandridge some years ago.  He formerly 
resided in Virginia, his ancestors having moved there from England in 1792.
	The ledger listed the charge accounts in pence, shillings and pounds.  
Another interesting fact of storekeeping in 1793, revealed by the notations 
written with a goose quill pen, was that spelling of those days was quite 
different from spelling of this day.
	Memories of days when citizens could legally purchase liquor were brought 
to mind by the ledger, which listed a number of its customers with purchases 
of cider.  One of the customers, Thomas Dickerson, was charged with one 
quart of cider and eight "dittoes," or repeat sales.  As the ledger sheet 
accounted for only one day's trade, it was evident that Mr. Dickerson drank 
rather heavily or passed out cider rather freely to his friends on that day.
	Examples of notations of the ledger follow:
	Champuis Austin, 1 quart cider, 1 yd. I. linin, 1 quart cider, 2 yds. S. 
ribband. (Mr. Austin evidently was a light drinker, as two quarts of cider 
were enough for him for one day.)
	William Buck, Jr., 1 quart cider, 1 pair shue brushes, 1 quart cider.  
(Another light drinker.)
	William Austin, 1 quart cider, 1 ditto, 1 ditto (fairly heavy drinker), 1-8 
yd. cambrick.
	Isaiah Morton, 1 pint brandy.  (Morton liked his likker a bit stronger.)
	Thomas Dickerson (Son), 4 oz. indigo, 1 quart cider, 1 ditto, 1 ditto, 1 
ivory comb, 1 horn, 1 skein silk.


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	This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives 
	by:  Lora Peppers <loradpeppers@hotmail.com>
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