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An account book is a tangible still life of a person's business life. In it he recorded what he made, for whom, how much he charged, and how the debt was paid. John Partridge Bull (1731-1813) was a gunsmith/blacksmith in Deerfield, Massachusetts, in the 18th century. Accounts were often credited with work services or goods from third parties, and accounts were frequently fully settled up only at the debtor's death. By studying the accounts, we can learn who his customers were, what he made for them, and how and when they paid for the goods.

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