- Collection Overview
- Collection Description & Creator Information
- Access & Use
- Collection History
- Find Related Materials
Johannes Storm Account Book, East Fishkill, Dutchess County, New York, 1770-1839 (mostly 1800-1839)
Collection Overview
Collection Description & Creator Information
- Scope and Contents
This handwritten 230-page ledger includes personal and business accounts of the expenses of Johannes Storm, a brickmaker from East Fishkill/Stormville in Dutchess County, New York. Following the death of Johannes Storm in 1835, the ledger was continued by his son, Charles G. Storm, through 1839.
The ledger contains a significant number of entries for various construction projects in the area, including Johannes Storm's house and the Hopewell Consistory & Pine Grove Woolen Factory, as well as production for Dutchess County war regiments, and accounts for local residents, soldiers, including many former Revolutionary War veterans and War of 1812 servicemen, tradesmen, and workers.
Many of the workers documented likely include indentured servants as well as free and enslaved African Americans. Some were seasonal and tenant farmers or sharecroppers who were often hired for terms of 7 months. Most worked in the fields and on the farm; some worked in the household.
Members of the Schouten, Johnson, Freeman, and Collins families, who were likely African American based on information from a cemetery the Storm family used for individuals they had enslaved as well as census records, include: Abraham Schouten, Simon Schouton, Anne Schouten Jerry or Jirry Schouten; Joe or Joseph Johnson (page 44), Isabel Johnson, Jane Johnson (page 164), and Betsy Johnson (who died in 1848 at the age of 65); York Freeman, Joe Freeman, Samuel or Sam Freeman, France Freeman, and Robert Freeman; and Edward Collins and Truby Collins. Single names of individuals who were likely enslaved workers or indentured servants as their days of work are also accounted for against their provisions/accounts, include: Betsy (Spencer?), Betty (Johnson?), Hannah (Tomkins?), Harry (Gilbert?), Henry Cook, Henry Merit, Hiram Howard, Edward Howard, William Dugo, William Slocum, Old Slocum, Polly Jacox, Rufus Ebens, Sally Brown, Timothy Wood, Caty, Diane, Dick, Dinah, Francis, Jo, Massy, Phillis, Pompey, Pomp, Raymond, Stephen, Terrah or Jirrah, Terry, Henry, Lenah ("purchased 1808 to serve 10 years; sold to Mr. George Green," page 255), Betsy Morse (began to work in 1833), Henry How ("came here at 11 years old; 1823 – work for victuals and clothing till age 16"), Jim ("purchased 1809 – to serve 14 years"), Joe ("purchased 1812 – to serve 12 years"), Frank, Phebe Haff ("cash paid Dr. Gilbert; credit by house work"), and Mehala.
Regular tenant farmers include: John Van Alst, Sam Henderson, and Francis Dence. Other accounts include those for Lewis Germany Bass Viol ("paid to Mr. Mosely teach singing school"), and Wallace Patrick.
Other local individuals documented include: Jonathan Lee, Isaac Adriance, Thomas Doughty, Abraham Schouton, John Carman, Asahel Thrasher, and Theodorus Adriance, among others.
This description comes from information provided by the dealer.
- Content Warning
This item contains some descriptions of the purchase and sale of enslaved African Americans.
- Arrangement
Arranged alphabetically by the name of the creator or by the date of acquisition.
Collection History
- Acquisition:
Purchased from Dan Casavant Rare Books in 2021 (AM 2021-58).
- Custodial History
This item was part of the Fred W. Haida Collection (of Putnam County, New York) as noted in a stamp on endpaper. It had also been part of the collection of Dave Englund of Seattle.
- Appraisal
No material was separated during processing.
- Processing Information:
Item processed and described by Faith Charlton in 2022.
Access & Use
- Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open for research use.
- Conditions Governing Use
Single copies may be made for research purposes. To cite or publish quotations that fall within Fair Use, as defined under U. S. Copyright Law, no permission is required. For instances beyond Fair Use, it is the responsibility of the researcher to determine whether any permissions related to copyright, privacy, publicity, or any other rights are necessary for their intended use of the Library's materials, and to obtain all required permissions from any existing rights holders, if they have not already done so. Princeton University Library's Special Collections does not charge any permission or use fees for the publication of images of materials from our collections, nor does it require researchers to obtain its permission for said use. The department does request that its collections be properly cited and images credited. More detailed information can be found on the Copyright, Credit and Citations Guidelines page on our website. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us through the Ask Us! form.
- Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
For preservation reasons, original analog and digital media may not be read or played back in the reading room. Users may visually inspect physical media but may not remove it from its enclosure. All analog audiovisual media must be digitized to preservation-quality standards prior to use. Audiovisual digitization requests are processed by an approved third-party vendor. Please note, the transfer time required can be as little as several weeks to as long as several months and there may be financial costs associated with the process. Requests should be directed through the Ask Us Form.
- Credit this material:
Johannes Storm Account Book, East Fishkill, Dutchess County, New York; General Manuscripts Miscellaneous Collection, C0140, Manuscripts Division, Department of Special Collections, Princeton University Library
- Location:
-
Firestone LibraryOne Washington RoadPrinceton, NJ 08544, USA
- Storage Note:
- Firestone Library (mss)
- Boxes B-001748
NoteBoxes 59 and 63 are stored in special vault facilities.
Find More
- Existence and Location of Copies
Parts of this collection are available on microfilm, cataloged separately as RCPXM-7497696.
- Separated Materials
Citizens of Coculco & Tempatetetzintla v. Antonio de Padilla, 1624, previoulsy in Box 10, has been removed and transferred to the Princeton Collection of Mesoamerican Manuscripts (C0940).
- Subject Terms:
- African Americans -- Employment -- New York (State) -- History -- 19th century -- Sources
African Americans -- New York (State) -- History -- 19th century -- Sources
Construction industry -- New York (State) -- History -- 19th century -- Sources
Enslaved persons -- New York (State) -- History -- 19th century -- Sources
Free African Americans -- New York (State) -- New York -- History -- 19th century -- Sources
Indentured servants -- New York (State) -- History. -- 19th century -- Sources
Sharecropping -- New York (State) -- History -- 19th century -- Sources - Genre Terms:
- Ledgers (account books) -- 19th century
- Places:
- Dutchess County (N.Y.) -- History -- 19th century -- Sources
