Timothy Fletcher House Expense Book
Scope and Content
This collection contains a home expense ledger and two papers relating to the sale of personal effects. The expense ledger is hand-stapled and stitched, encased in a stiff leather cover, and contains fifty-four leaves written on with small script. The contents of the ledger are household accounts from 1825 to 1833 (listing date, item, and price), mostly for food stuffs such as meat, fish, fruits, vegetables, and spices.
The two papers are lists of effects sold to D.H. Cole. Originally, they were found folded and tucked into the ledger. The larger piece lists books and pamphlets for sale and is dated September 5, 1832; listed books include Shakespeare and Webster’s Dictionary. The backside of the paper lists maps for sale, to be sold in lots of five or six. The smaller paper features household effects to be sold; the list runs onto the back of the page. Dated 1832, this lists includes items such as a shovel, table, boxes, and more maps.
Dates
- 1825 - 1833
Creator
- Fletcher, Timothy, 1779-1864 (Person)
Language of Materials
The materials in the collection are in English.
Conditions Governing Access
The collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use
The copyright status of this collection is unknown. Copyright restrictions may apply. Contact Special Collections and University Archives for assistance in determining the use of these materials.
Reproduction or digitization of materials for personal or research use can be requested using our reproduction/digitization form: http://bit.ly/scuareproduction. Reproduction or digitization of materials for publication or exhibit use can be requested using our publication/exhibition form: http://bit.ly/scuapublication. Please contact Special Collections and University Archives (specref@vt.edu or 540-231-6308) if you need assistance with forms or to submit a completed form.
Biographical Note
Timothy Fletcher was born on May 9, 1779 in Acton, Massachusetts. When he was just twenty-days old, his father died and he was bound out to a farmer for the rest of his minority. In 1792, Fletcher left Massachusetts for New York City to search for his long lost brother named Daniel. Fletcher made most of the trip alone and on foot, covering about fifty miles a day till he reached Bridgeport, Connecticut; from there, he sailed to New York.
In 1803, Fletcher moved to Lincolnville, Maine, where he would spend the rest of his life. In that same year, he took up a teaching job, bought a farm, and married Mary L. Brown, a Maine native. The couple had several children together. Throughout his life, Fletcher was known as an upright man and stout Christian, faithful to the Fletcher family’s puritan roots. When Fletcher was eighty-five, he wrote in his journal that he was, "[still] not too old to hate rum and slavery." He died on August 21, 1864.
Due to his role as a teacher, Fletcher may have been involved in the educational case, Fletcher vs. Lincolnville (1841) that reached the Maine Supreme Court. The case concerned the posting of meeting notices. Its outcome required that notices be posted at both Lincolnville’s grist mill and schoolhouse within a reasonable time period before a meeting’s date. Additionally, the ruling decided that if an agent of a district was chosen by a group of assembled qualified voters, the appointment could only be valid if the meeting was announced legally.
Sources:
- Fletcher, Edward H. Fletcher Genealogy: an Account of the Descendants of Robert Fletcher of Concord, Mass. Boston: Printed for the Author, by A. Mudge & Son, 1871. Print.
- "History of Lincolnville, Maine." Town & County Histories of Maine. History at Ray's Place, 2009. Web. 01 Nov. 2010. http://history.rays-place.com/me/lincolnville-me.htm
- Maine. Dept. of Education, and Maine. Office of State Commissioner. Thirty-Fifth Annual Report of the State Superintendent of Common Schools State of Maine. Augusta: Burleigh & Flynt, 1889. The University of Michigan. Web. 1 Nov. 2011.
Extent
0.1 Cubic Feet (1 folder)
Abstract
This collection contains three items pertaining to Timothy Fletcher between the years of 1825 and 1833: a home expense ledger filled mostly with foodstuff purchases running from 1825 to 1833 and two papers dating to 1832, selling personal effects such as books, maps, and furniture.
Arrangement
This collection is arranged by material type.
Source of Acquisition
This collection was purchased by Special Collections in 2010.
Rights Statement for Archival Description
The guide to the Timothy Fletcher House Expense Book by Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, is licensed under a CC0 (https://creativecommons.org/share-your- work/public-domain/cc0/).
Processing Information
The processing, arrangement, and description of the Timothy Fletcher House Expense Book was completed in November 2010.
- Title
- Timothy Fletcher House Expense Book, 1825-1833
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Julia Viets, Student Worker
- Date
- 2010 (CC0 1.0)
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech Repository
Special Collections and University Archives, University Libraries (0434)
560 Drillfield Drive
Newman Library, Virginia Tech
Blacksburg Virginia 24061 US
540-231-6308
specref@vt.edu