A Guide to an Unidentified Iron Furnace Negro Book, 1847-1848 Unidentified Iron Furnace Negro Book, 1847-1848 1157709

A Guide to an Unidentified Iron Furnace Negro Book, 1847-1848

A Collection in
the Library of Virginia
Barcode Number 1157709


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© 2003 By the Library of Virginia.

Processed by: Greg Crawford

Repository
The Library of Virginia
Barcode number
1157709
Title
Unidentified Iron Furnace Negro Book, 1847-1848
Physical Characteristics
1 volume (170 p.)
Collector
Lunenburg County (Va.) Circuit Court
Physical Location
The Library Of Virginia, Local Government Records Collection, Lunenburg County
Language
English

Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Use Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Preferred Citation

Unidentified Iron Furnace Negro Book, 1847-1848. Local Government Records Collection, Lunenburg County Court Records, The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.

Acquisition Information

This item came to the Library of Virginia in shipments of court papers from Lunenburg County.

Historical Information

The account book was maintained by Washington F. Plunkett, an ironmaster who lived in Appomattox County. The iron furnace where the slaves worked may have been Stonewall Furnace located in Appomattox County.

Lunenburg County was named for George II, duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, a German possession of the Hanoverian kings of England. It was formed from Brunswick County in 1745.

Scope and Content Information

Unidentified Iron Furnace Negro Book, 1847-1848, is an account book that records purchases at the ironmaster's store made by slaves who worked at the iron foundry. Slaves who performed work beyond their required tasks were compensated in cash or in goods from the ironmaster's store. Each entry is made under the name of the slave and records the goods purchased, the money owed or paid, or if paid in labor what labor was done. Examples of goods purchased include sugar, clothing, shoes, tobacco, cloth, molasses, etc. Examples of extra work performed by slaves for payment of goods include stocking coal, wheeling dust, cording wood, stripping wood, working on Sunday and holidays. The account book includes and index listing names in alphabetical order and page number where their accounts can be found.

Account book also includes lists that record clothing furnished slaves who worked the iron furnace. Information found in lists includes name of slave and type of clothes he or she received (pants, coats, shoes, hats).

Index Terms

    Corporate Names:

  • Lunenburg County (Va.) Circuit Court.
  • Subjects:

  • African Americans -- Employment -- Virginia.
  • African Americans -- Virginia.
  • Dry-goods -- Virginia.
  • Groceries -- Virginia.
  • Iron foundries -- Virginia.
  • Slaves -- Virginia.
  • Genre and Form Terms:

  • Account books -- Virginia.
  • Business records -- Virginia -- Lunenburg County.
  • Local government records -- Virginia -- Lunenburg County.