Transcribed Excerpts from the Account Book of Jonathan Ashley
These are excerpts from two pages of Jonathan Ashley’s account book. Page 11 dates to 1752 and page 37 dates to 1756. Jonathan Ashley lived in Deerfield, Massachusetts, and owned Titus and Cato. The work that they did on page 11 was for Asa Childs. “Childs Asa Debtor” means that Mr. Childs owed Mr. Ashley for the work that Titus and Cato did. In 1756, Titus and Cato worked for Abijah Prince, who was a free black man. Titus and Cato also loaned out to work for Mr. Sheldon, Lieutenant Field, and Mr. Hawks, who were white men.
An old system of money was used to record the value of the slaves’ work. In the series of 3 numbers, the first refers to pounds, the second to shillings, and the third to pence (or pennies). An entry such as “0-15-0” can be read as 0 pounds, 15 shillings and 0 pence.
You can view the original pages of Jonathan Ashley’s account book here: http://www.americancenturies.mass.edu/collection/itempage.jsp?itemid=6303
Jonathan Ashley, pg. 11
| Childs Asa Debtor |
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| Days work of Titus Dunging 1 in holes for planting |
0 |
15 |
0 |
| Days work of Cato reaping 2 oats |
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| Days work Titus picking Corn |
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| Days work Titus thrashing 3 |
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| ½ a day of Titus mending fence little meadow |
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| 1 days work Cato about Hay |
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| Days work Cato picking Corn |
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| ½ a day Cato Husking |
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| 2 days Titus mowing |
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| 1 days work picking Corn & taking up flax |
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| ½ days work of thrashing 27 of oct. |
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| 2 days going into ye woods to mend roads |
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| Janry 4 2 days thrashings |
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| Feb 4 days thrashing |
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Glossary
- Dunging- using manure as fertilizer
- Reaping- gathering a crop
- Thrashing- to separate seeds from stalks by beating
- Janry- January
Jonathan Ashley, pg. 37
| Cato a Day for (37) coming to N. Hampton |
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| Abijah Negro Debt Decem. 1756 |
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| |
to a yoke of Cattle 1 day |
0 |
10 |
0 |
| 1756 |
Feb to 1/2 a days thrashing for Lt Field |
0 |
7 |
6 |
| |
to Titus & Cato 1 day dressing flax 1 |
1 |
10 |
0 |
| |
to Titus & Cato thrashing 1 day for Shelden |
1 |
10 |
0 |
| |
to Titus Day Cutting wood |
0 |
15 |
0 |
| |
to Titus 3 days Sugaring 2 |
1 |
10 |
0 |
| May 15 |
to Cato & 3 Cattle a Day |
1 |
10 |
0 |
| May 16 |
to Cato & a Horse a Day |
1 |
10 |
0 |
| 18 |
to Cato plowing a day |
0 |
15 |
0 |
| June 9 |
to Titus & Cato to How 3 & a horse to harrow 4 |
1 |
10 |
0 |
| June 10 |
to Titus & Cato to How & a horse to harrow |
1 |
10 |
0 |
| June 11 |
too Cato & Horse to How & Harrow |
0 |
15 |
0 |
| June 15 |
to Cato a day to How |
0 |
15 |
0 |
| |
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13 |
17 |
6 |
| June 24 |
Due to mean balance 5 |
0 |
17 |
6 |
| June 25 |
debtor to Titus days Howing |
0 |
15 |
0 |
| June 30 |
to Cato a days Houghing 6 |
0 |
15 |
0 |
| July 1 |
to Titus & Cato 1/2 a days Houghing |
0 |
15 |
0 |
| July 29 |
to Titus & Catos Howing |
1 |
10 |
0 |
| August 1 |
to Catos pulling flax |
0 |
15 |
0 |
| August 4 |
to Titus Mowing a day |
1 |
0 |
0 |
| Septem 4 |
to Titus 1/2 a day mowing |
0 |
10 |
0 |
| |
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6 |
17 |
6 |
| Sept. 8 |
to half a day Titus Cutting Stalks |
0 |
7 |
6 |
| 15 |
to Cato mowing & raking up stalks |
0 |
10 |
0 |
| 20 |
to Titus mowing for Shelden til 2 of Clock |
0 |
12 |
0 |
| 24 |
to Cato & the Team to fetch hay from Pasture land |
0 |
12 |
0 |
| Oct 6 |
to Catos fetching a load of Corn flour N. Fort |
0 |
10 |
0 |
| 10 |
to Cato & the team to bring in Stalks |
1 |
3 |
0 |
| |
|
10 |
12 |
0 |
| Oct. 18 |
to Titus Draining a day |
1 |
0 |
0 |
| 31 |
to Titus thrashing a day for W Hawks |
0 |
15 |
0 |
| Nov 22 |
to a Team to fetch wood |
0 |
12 |
0 |
| Decem. 27 |
to Titus 1/2 day killing hoggs |
0 |
6 |
6 |
| March 24 |
to Catos Dressing flax begin at 10 Clock |
0 |
12 |
0 |
| april 7 |
to Wood |
0 |
15 |
0 |
| |
Catos plowing |
0 |
15 |
0 |
| |
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15 |
12 |
6 |
Glossary
- Dressing flax- preparing flax for spinning
- Sugaring- making maple sugar
- How- hoe
- Harrow- to break up and smooth out soil before planting
- Mean balance- middle balance of the account
- Houghing- hoeing
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