PEAES Guide: Bucks County Historical Society/Mercer Museum




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Bucks County Historical Society Mercer Museum Research Library 84 South Pine Street Doylestown, PA 18901-4999 215-345-0210 ext 141 www.mercermuseum.org Contact Person: Sara C. Good, Collections Manger sgood@mercermuseum.org 215-345-0210 ext 141 Overview: The Mercer Museum Research Library is the major research center for local and family history related to Bucks County and the surrounding region. With its roots in the founding of the Bucks County Historical Society in 1880, the Library houses over 20,000 books, periodicals and pamphlets, 2500 feet of county archives, over 800 manuscript collections, over 12,000 images, and maps and other records that document not only local history, but the life and work of Henry Chapman Mercer and early American technology, culture and folk art. List of manuscript collections and bound manuscripts that relate to economic history: this is only a sampling of the holdings of the Mercer Museum Research Library. Please reference “RolloPAC,” our online catalog for additional materials. www.mercermuseum.org MSC 2 Armitage Collection, 1738-1869 Early documents of his mill and weaving business MSC 288 D. Watson Atkinson, papers, 1689-1967 From Wrightstown; including deeds, drafts, mortgages, bonds and releases, beginning 1698 and clockmaker's apprentice indenture, 1766 (Chester Co.) MSC 212 Thomas Beans, papers, 1804-1830 Account books for horses at stud service, Warminster Twp. MSC 10 Blaker Family, deeds and legal documents, 1690-1864 Deeds, land drafts, mortgages, bonds, and releases which relate to the Blaker tract in Northampton Township, 1707-1864 [early real estate] MSC 220 Bradshaw Family, papers, ca. 1735-1890 Including lease, deed, draft, 1735-1750, papers dealing with business and land affairs in Luzerne County, 1784-1820; bonds, receipts, estate papers of John Dyer (1781-1790) MSC 13 William Brady, receipted bills, 1833 Proprietor of a general dry goods and food store from Philadelphia merchants MSC 193 Bucks County Bridges, Account Books, ca. 1797-1819 Accounts kept by various commissioners for building bridges: Neshaminy Creek, Brocks Creek, Tinicum Creek, Rich Valley Creek, Poquessing Creek, Tohickon Creek, Rodman Bridge, Shaby Bridge, Bridge near Funk's Mill, Morrisville Bridge, Milford to Philadelphia. MSC 27 Bucks County Taxables Township tax lists that cover 1764, 1772, 1806, 1837 MSC 175 & MSC 253 Center Bridge Company Records, 1812-1926 Including general correspondence, annual reports, receipts, bills, and accounts, stock and stock transfer certificates, tax reports, subscription books, stock books, toll records, dividends and general finances MSC 40 Crousillat Collection, 1790-1836 Records of ships belonging to Philadelphia merchant Lewis Crousillat, including cargo records, financial records, confiscations at various European ports MSC 278 Deed collection, ca. 1692-1917 Includes exemplifications and mortgages, primarily of Bristol, Newtown, Wrightstown, and Bucks County, but also a few in Montgomery, Northampton, Northumberland, Philadelphia, and Lehigh Counties MSC 47 Durham Iron Works, 1744-1929 (33 items) Fairly important collection of early furnace material: blast and pig metal record book (1785-1786), articles of agreement (1744), notes on patent and chain of title (1685-1727) MSC 57 Foulke Family, papers, 1726-1933 Includes account books of John Foulke, blacksmith (1787-1799); Thomas Foulke's store accounts (1814-1821) MSC 187 Geil Family Papers, 1825-1936 Papers of Samuel Geil, surveyor and map maker in the western US: Includes contracts, bonds, agreements, 1843-1887; personal and business receipts and bills, 1825-1872; business correspondence 1854-1881 MSC 78 John Jamison, family papers, 1714-1879 Deeds of Jamison tracts in Northampton and Middletown townships, 1714-1729; misc. deeds, agreements, mortgages, bonds, releases related to land in Warwick and Warrington townships, 1804-1876 MSC 79 Michael H. Jenks Papers, 1695-1919 Surveyor, county official and congressman; personal, political and business correspondence; deeds for lower Bucks County area (1685-1842); papers and accounts to settle estates of many local prominent families (1732-1866), etc. MSC 81 Kirkbridge Family, 1688-1849 Land drafts, wills, deeds, and mortgages of Bucks County and western New Jersey (1688-1849); copies of minutes, reports and other records of the Falls Monthly Meeting of Friends (1701-1754); copies of papers relating to Pennsylvania colonial affairs; papers of Mahlon Kirkbridge (1729-1764) Provincial Commissioner of Appeals for Bucks County; and Photostats of family estate papers (1693-1773). MSC 83 Kulp Family Papers, 1775-1889 Family correspondence (1860-1868); papers of Enos Kulp (1792-1888); land drafts (1800-1865); Bedminster Township tax records (1789-1798); bonds, agreements and obligations (1775-1834); docket records (1796-1797); mercantile accounts (1794-1818); accounts (1791-1816); and litigation papers for Sophia Pevekisor (1815-1816) and others (1801-1862). German medical recipes (1800); estate papers for Michael Kulp (1804-1869); Daniel Althouse (1792-1813); Bewighouse (1812-1828); John Wildman (1793-1796) and Tilghman-Allen estate (1801-1850). MSC 304 Moon Family Land Drafts, 1751-1812 Primarily Moses Moon for land in Bristol, Fallsington, Lower Makefield, Middletown twps. and Biles Island MSC 172 Anthony Morris, papers, 1698-1905 Business and political correspondence, 1791-1892; account books, deeds and other land transactions documents MSC 95 Enos Morris Papers, 1787-1879 Lawyer, county treasurer: business and legal correspondence (1787-1830), estate papers, papers relating to land in Pike Co., PA (1818-1830); accounts and lease of Spring Garden Mill (1822-1830); business receipts, writs, bonds, land, partnership agreements (1813-1831), etc. MSC 98 Neshaminy Lock Navigation Company Papers, 1814-1833 Charter, acts and patent for incorporation, subscription book (1832), plan for locks (1832), and correspondence (1832-1833) MSC 100 New Hope Delaware Bridge Company Records, 1827-1903 Minutes, 1812-1814, tool accounts, 1814, stock certificates, litigation papers, fire insurance policy, 1827-1860 MSC 259 Parry Family Collection, 1751-1911 Includes deeds, briefs of title, title papers, mortgages and agreements, 1764-1894 for New Hope (incl. mill property); records of B. Parry and Son (mill and grain, New Hope), 1787-1818 MSC 168 John K. Paxson Papers, 1792-1886 Includes papers related to the Brownsville Horse Company (1832-1859); New Hope Hay Scales (1835-1852); Farmers and Mechanics Insurance Company (1844-1854) MSC 255 William B. Pennebaker collection, 1707-1961 Includes early deeds, mortgages, lease, vendues for Bedminster (ca. 1743); Bristol deeds (1707-1735); Buckingham deeds (1739-1999); New Britain deeds (1730-1850) MSC 244 Philadelphia Poor Relief Fund, Subscription Records, 1793 Record books covering 49 districts in Bucks County to raise money for victims of Yellow Fever MSC 119 Pugh Collection, 1767-1867 Papers of John Pugh of Hilltown, a Doylestown attorney and Justice of the Peace. Includes land drafts, deeds, release involving Daniel Pugh and others for tracts at Hilltown; litigation over a land dispute in Buckingham MSC 126 William H. Rowland Papers, 1785-1893 County recorder and state assemblyman; agreements, bonds, judgments, 1785-1893 for Northampton, Hilltown, Hatfield, Rockhill, Plumstead, and Doylestown; Hilltown Township tax tables (1801-1808); MSC 260 Ruckman Family Account Books, 1793-1860 (44 volumes) Daybooks, ledgers, invoices, misc. accounts of James Ruckman, Ruckman & Hart, John Ruckman, William Ruckman, and Ruckman & Ellis, operating a general store in Solebury MSC 173 Scarborough Collection, 1700-1844 Family and farm business correspondence. 1738-1844; deeds, 1700-1805 for tracts in Buckingham, Tinicum, and generally Bucks County for Scarborough, Haworth, Stradling and others; family estate papers and transcript copies (1696-1843); bonds (1829-1830); receipts and accounts (1791-1825); including those of the John Wilkinson legacy. Account books of Henry Wismer (1826-1828); John Palmer, a farmer (1759-1786); and Thomas Palmer, a farmer (1786-1813). Miscellaneous papers including Crispin Pearson’s Math exercise book (1766); family genealogy and essays and other material (1714-1795) MSC 252 Stover Family, 1765-1894 Deeds, land drafts, patent and a mortgage for land in Nockamixon, Plumstead, and Tinicum (1765-1894) MSC 190 Samuel Sykes General storekeeper, account books, 1795-1821 (4 vols.), Chesterfield, NJ MSC 136 Tavern licenses, papers, 1722-1885 Petitions to the Court of Quarter Sessions in Bucks County MSC 314 Tillyer-Foster-Kelley Families,1702-1875 Includes deeds, leases, releases, mortgages, exemplification, bond agreements, 1702-75 MSC 149 Warwick Furnace Papers, ca. 1736-1788 Includes lease, 1736; articles of agreement, 1740; land draft, 1788; notes and transcripts of deeds and leases, 1704-1784 MSC 156 E. Wuibert Correspondence, 1788-1803 Merchant; letters, mostly in French to Dutilh and Wacksmuth in Philadelphia from Pittsburgh, Allentown, and Bucks County that concern the Black uprising in St. Domingue and aiding his friends there. BM-A-5 Henry Geil, farmer's account book, 1831-1877, Doylestown BM-A-15 John Kidd, unidentified account book, 1748-51, with accounts, 1791-1793 (possibly of estate of JK) BM-A-17 thru BM-A-20 George M. Child, daybooks, 1841-1853, Plumstead Twp. Bucks County BM-A-23 Eastburn, stud-book, 1804-1805; instructions for making malt from barley; farming accounts, 1804-1810 BM-A-32 John Bailey, carpenter's account book, 1828-1850, Attleborough BM-A-46 John Watson, book of surveys of land tracts and roads in Bucks County, 1747-1756 BM-A-47 Isaac Hicks, road survey books, 1765-1787 (2 vols.) BM-A-66 Bensalem Twp., account book of road supervisors, 1796-1870 BM-A-74 Wrightstown Twp., account book of Overseers of the poor, 1765-1809 BM-A-87 Doylestown and Danboro Turnpike Road Company, book of stock transfers, 1845-1992 BM-A-89 Elisha Weller, hatter's account book, 1840-1841 BM-A-90 Unidentified cigar maker's account book, 1838-1846, Pleasant Valley, Springtown and vicinity BM-A-94 Lang family, shoemaker's account book, 1766-1822, upper Bucks Co. [?], in German BM-A-95 Sawmill account book, 1820-1824, possibly Maine [?] BM-A-96 Henry Kern, carpenter's account book, 1836-1858 BM-A-97 Unidentified shoemaker's account book, 1839-1841 BM-A-100 Bucks Co. Agricultural Soc., treasurer's accounts, 1844-1858 BM-A-101 Durham Iron Works, misc. records, 1778-1792; 1780-1793: 8 books of Richard Backhouse: memorandum books, petty cash book, balance books, tanyard time book; 8 books of RB: receipt books, memorandum book, blotter, daybooks, Nockamixon Tannery, gristmill accounts, indexed BM-A-103 Oakland Furnace, account book, 1834-5Daniel Parry, financial accounts of sawmill, 1821-1835, New Hope, Bucks County BM-A-325 Rachel Child, account book, 1770, recording sale of sugar, tea, and other merchandise, Plumstead Twp., Bucks County BM-A-335 Mutual Beneficial Insurance Association of Bucks County, minutes, 1841-1887 BM-A-427 John Morgan, account book and records book, 1693-1746, brander of horses, Groton, CT BM-B-20 Bucks Co. Commissioners, account book, 1815-1819, for stone and other building materials, presumably for the construction of bridges BM-B-33 thru BM-B-34 Benjamin Parry, account books, 1790-1794, grist and sawmill, New Hope, Bucks County BM-B-37 Unidentified masonry ledger, 1812-1813, some entries relate Bucks County courthouse BM-B-38 Warminster Twp., poor book, 1757-1810 BM-B-40 Bedminster Twp., town book, 1809-1905, includes stray animal fines BM-B-42 thru BM-B-46 Dr. John Dyer, physician's account books, 1835-1869, Dyerstown BM-B-48 John Funk, account book for repairing watches, 1828-1830 BM-B-56 Thomas G. Kennedy papers, 1818-1847, regarding partnership with Richard Morris building the Philadelphia and Trenton RR BM-B-57 Bucks County Directors of the Poor, minutes, 1807-1853 BM-B-67 James Moon, account book, 1779-1814, 1840-1855, detailed accounts of general merchandise, daily labor and farming BM-B-80 Abraham Schmidt, blacksmith's account book, 1796-1806, in German BM-B-81 Stephen B. Wesner, shoemaker's account book, 1852-1877, Mechanicsville BM-B-82 Michael Dech, hatmaker's account book, 1800-1843 BM-B-91 Samuel Armitage, weaver's account book, 1749-1755 BM-B-92 Samuel Smith, account book, 1750-1802, Windy Bush farm BM-B-94 John Gillingham, ledger, account books for weaving, 1815-1831, New Hope BM-B-95 David Gillingham, "Carding book," 1827-1830, New Hope, includes formulas for dyes BM-B-96 Jonathan Ingham, physician's account book, 1782-1786 BM-B-111 John Dennison, shoemaker's account book, 1809-1832 BM-B-112 Epernetus L. Wismer, shoemaker's account book, 1829-1842, Plumstead Twp., Bucks County BM-B-115 thru BM-B-117 Fallsington Tannery, ledgers and daybook, 1802-1846 BM-B-125 Samuel Snyder, blacksmith's account book, 1821-1837 BM-B-126 Newtown Twp., supervisors' account book, 1766-1873 BM-B-127 thru BM-B-128 John Phillips, blacksmith's account books, 1811-1815, 1819-1821 BM-B-129 Unidentified stonemason's account book, 1777-1793 BM-B-132 Unidentified gristmill account book, 1804-1814, Solebury or Upper Makefield Twp. Bucks County BM-B-149 William Dillworth, daybook of general stores, 1809-1814 at New Hope, Saxtonville, NJ, and Lumberville, PA BM-B-150 Daniel Hogeland, daybook, 1817-1819, general store in Warminster Twp. BM-B-152 Justus K. Long, account book, 1843-69, "Burnt Mill," Plumstead Twp. BM-B-153 Michael Kulp, general store daybook, 1797-1804, Bedminster Twp. BM-B-169 John Paxson, farming account book, 1784-1809 BM-B-170 William Lewis, farming account book, 1797-1826 BM-B-176 New Hope Delaware Bridge Co., minutes, 1812-1825 BM-B-177 Parry family, gristmill account book, 1805-1812, New Hope, PA BM-B-219 thru 226Durham Ironworks, day books, journals, furnace journals, time book, account books, scrapbook of papers, 1768-1794 BM-B-224 Greenwich Ironworks, account book, 1780-1782 BM-B-228 Houpt's Mill, account books, 1792-1804, Springfield Twp. BM-B-236 Pennsylvania Canal, Delaware Division, bill book for materials to repair canal, 1839-1840 BM-B-237 John W. Coryell, shoemaker's account book, 1819-35, Lambertville, NJ BM-B-238 Jacob Wentz, account book for household expenses and farm products, 1815-1832, Whitemarsh Twp. BM-B-239 Fredrick A. Hendricks, sawmill account book, 1850-3, Hilltown Twp. Bucks County BM-B-240 Lewis s. Coryell, account book for lumber sold on commission, 1819-1822 BM-B-241 Smith, account book for grist and sawmill, 1805-35, Tinicum Twp. Bucks County BM-B-242 Augustine Willett, account book, 1771-1775, tavern at Attleborough (Langhorne), PA BM-B-244 Hugh McCormick, account book for tailoring, 1813-1839 BM-B-245 Farmers Bank of Bucks County, protest book, 1840-1842 BM-B-268 thru BM-B-271 Doylestown and Dublin Turnpike Road Co., dividend books (1883-1921) and minutes (1841-1860) BM-B-296 Joseph Richardson, account book, 1813-1828, record of rents with tenants, Middletown Twp. BM-B-303 G.D. Billmeyer, bookstore account book, 1814-1819, Doylestown, Bucks County BM-B-338 Christian Moyer, shoemaker's account book, 1819-1838, Hilltown Twp., Bucks County BM-B-339 John Hofford, carpenter's account book, 1835-1876, Doylestown, Bucks County BM-B-347 Lane and Godfrey, dealers in flour, hardware, stoves, etc., account book, 1793-1794, Philadelphia BM-B-348 Unidentified physician's account book, 1815-1841, Bucks County BM-B-364 Benjamin Riegel account book (1819-1825) of grist and saw mill account book, Bucks County BM-B-367 Benjamin Riegel gristmill account book,. Includes account of expenses for building a house (1845-1846), Bucks County BM-B-576 Account Book belonging to Benjamin Riegel. Including items bought, work done for him, amount paid and money owed. Has account with a Blacksmith, and several women. Volume inscribed with a book curse on inside front cover. BM-B-369 Joseph Wharton, shoemaker's daybook, 1831-1834, Hulmeville, PA BM-B-372 Andrew Swartz, carpenter's account book, 1831-1859, with references to boating on the Delaware Canal and list of coffins made, Point Pleasant, PA BM-B-379 Fisher, Samuel & Miers, merchants' letter book, 1792-1793, Philadelphia BM-B-381 H.B. Ely, farmer's account book (1832-1840), Includes accounts for quarrying and burning limestone. Doylestown, Bucks County BM-B-382 Isaac Chapman [?], physician's account book, 1809-1832, Wrightstown and vicinity BM-B-384 Randal H. Morgan, wagon maker and wheelwright's account book, 1807-1818, NJ BM-B-385 Unidentified wheelwright and blacksmith's account book, 1845-1846, Point Pleasant, PA BM-B-386 Edward Hicks, account book for painting carriages and furniture, 1804-1836, Newtown, PA BM-C-2 Bucks County Soc. for the Encouragement of Agriculture and Domestic Mfg., constitution and minutes, 1809-1812, also used as survey book by John Watson, 1825-1843 BM-C-16 New Hope Delaware Bridge Co., account book, 1812-1820 for stock dividends BM-D-8 Joseph Landes, general store daybook, 1843-1844 BM-D-9 Buckingham Township, supervisors' account book, 1767-1870 BM-D-10 Warwick Township, supervisors' account book, 1773-1885 BM-D-20 John Clemens, hardware dealer's account book, 1841-1850, Doylestown, Bucks County BM-D-21 Newton Rowland, blacksmith's account book, 1835-1838, Dublin, Bucks County BM-D-24 Johnson Hurley, shoemaker's account book, 1840-1850, Solebury Twp, Bucks County BM-D-26 Thomas Atkinson, store account book, 1815-1853, possible Buckingham Township, Bucks County BM-D-34 thru BM-D-35 Joshua Gilbert, daybooks for blacksmithing, 1818-1829, Buckingham Twp., Bucks County BM-D-41 thru BM-D-43 Greenwich Iron Works, NJ, accounts between Durham Co. and Backhouse & Williams, 1779-1780; daybook of Aaron Musgrave & Co., 1782-1783, possibly of a general store (w/many sales of liquor), also accounts of Thomas Wright, Dyerstown, 1784-1785; account book of a gristmill, 1783-1784 BM-D-74 Unidentified ship-chandler's account book, 1805-1808, Philadelphia BM-D-75 Edward Dodge, wheelwright and blacksmith's account book, 1823-1841 BM-D-79 Unidentified sawmill account book, 1835-1851, Solebury Twp. 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