Administrative Information

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Use Restrictions

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Preferred Citation

Abram R. North Business Records, 1827-1836. Local government records collection, Lynchburg (Va.) Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Va. 23219.

Acquisition Information

These items came to the Library of Virginia in shipments of court papers from Lynchburg.

Historical Information

Abram R. North was a dealer in books and stationary operating in Lynchburg, Virginia, during the nineteenth century.

Scope and Content

Abram R. North Business Records, 1827-1836, document North's financial activities as a bookseller in Lynchburg, Virginia, and consist of 1 Journal H, 1 Ledger C, 4 memorandum books, and 1 Inventory of Books and Stationary.

Journal H, 1832-1834, records both the accounts of individual customers and accounts of business expenses. Information found in the customer accounts include name of customer, date of transaction, name and quantity of items purchased, amounts owed, and amounts paid. Customers purchased such items as novels, law books, blank books, quills, and stationary. The business accounts recorded in the journal document such business expenses as the purchase of merchandise, book binding fees, sugar, coffee, payment of employees, and rent. There are also several business accounts that record payments made to individuals, but no details are provided as to the nature of the transactions.

Ledger C, 1827, records the accounts of individual customers. Information found in each entry include the customer name, date of transaction, amounts owed, and amounts paid. Purchases are noted simply as merchandise with no further detail as to the items purchased, and payments on account balances are listed as cash. References are made to account totals being carried over from or to unidentified Ledgers B and D.

Memorandum Book, 1828-1836, was used as a daybook to record daily sales. Transactions were entered as they occurred, and each entry includes the date, customer name, name and quantity of items purchased, amounts owed, and amounts paid.

Memorandum Books, 1833-1834 and 1834 and 1835, record sales made at auctions that North held throughout the South in Virginia, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia. In his sale announcements, North promised that a "great variety of Splendid Fancy Books such as has not yet been offered for sale together with many other Nice New Books among a great variety of New Novels" would be available at his sales. Entries for each auction recorded the auction location, the items purchased, purchaser name, and amounts paid.

Inventory of Books and Stationary, 1829, documents North's inventory of books and other items he had for sale. Each entry includes the name of the book volume or type of merchandise, quantity, unit price, and total price of items. In addition to books, North sold a variety of items including snuff boxes, quills, ink powders, playing cards, soap, and telescopes. North estimated the worth of his 1829 inventory at a little over seven thousand dollars.

Related Material

For additional information see the Lynchburg (Va.) Chancery Cause, Exr. of William Rucker and others versus Admr. of Abram R. North and others. It can be found in the Local Records Collection at the Library of Virginia. The index number is 1854-017.

Index Terms

Persons:

• North, Abram R.

Subjects:

• Book auctions--Virginia.
• Booksellers and bookselling--Virginia--Lynchburg.
• Merchants--Virginia--Lynchburg.

Geographical Names:

• Lynchburg (Va.)--History--19th century.

Genre and Form Terms:

• Business records--Virginia--Lynchburg.
• Daybooks--Virginia--Lynchburg.
• Journals (accounts)--Virginia--Lynchburg.
• Ledgers (account books)--Virginia--Lynchburg.
• Local government records--Virginia--Lynchburg.
• Memorandum books--Virginia--Lynchburg.
• Merchandise inventories--Virginia--Lynchburg.

Adjunct Descriptive Data