ACCOUNT BOOK OF DANIEL PHELPS OF EAST WINDSOR, CONNECTICUT

ACCOUNT BOOK OF DANIEL PHELPS OF EAST WINDSOR, CONNECTICUT

 Phelps, Daniel. Hardcover accounting book of Daniel Phelps between the years of 1793-1811. Phelps was a farmer who hired out as indicated not only by his hundred’s of entries, but through the 75 names of others he evidently worked for and billed. These individuals are listed on the 1st page.

There are several very interesting historical entries which he mentions. The first is that of working on a bridge. Further research indicates that this was probably the Cornish-Windsor Covered Bridge, the first of which was built in 1796. It was a Town lattice truss wooden bridge with a total length of 449.5 feet. On page 101 he mentions “Paid out on the Bridge...” followed by the names of 9 individuals and their work payment. Then four pages later is another listing of bridge construction workers and their payment. Interestingly not only did they receive financial pay but some received an additional “gallon of rum”. Finally on February 9th, 1796 Phelps list the categories of bridge work as “Days worked on bridge...”; “Days worked with Teem”; “Days worked Cutting Timber”; “Days Carring and hauling timber”; “Days work framing”; plus other references.

The second historic reference which Phelps mentions is that of building one aspect of his brick home which presently stands on route 5 and 191 in East Windsor. It is of Federal style and is notable for a diaper pattern of criss-crossed black bricks on its front facade.

He writes on page 75 “Shingles that are on one side of my house & ten ___ on the other to bee ____on the roof at twenty Shillens Thousand. The lenth of the reff is 39 feet long. 37 corse on one side. 10 on the other but with ____ Shingles.”

Phelps must have also owned a brick making business as on page 100 is a listing of the sales of over 21,000 brick which he had sold to various individuals.

Most accounting is done in lbs/shilling/ pence and occasionally converted over to dollars. There are over 200 pages, but they are not numbered as such. Phelps may have placed a 1 on a page and then a 2 several pages later. For instance there are 4 pages with the number 75. Also the year chronology is not necessarily in order as he seems to have filled in empty pages from accounts from other pages. For instance on page 76 he has written that the entry was “brought over from page 62.”This sound confusing, but really is not. 

All in all a very interesting account book with entries which can be historically traced to actual events and buildings.

Condition is expected wear, but overall vg and legible.