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Randall, Mowry, Thomas Whipple, et al.

[Manuscript account book of a mill and farm at the Whipple Estate.]

North Providence, Rhode Island, 2 May 1800–19 November 1816; 17 December 1822–1825. 4to (12.8” x 7.9”), thick tan wrappers. 81 pp. (1800–16), 72 pp. (1822–25), with an additional 16 pp. (1800–25): a total of 169 pp. in ink, including 9 pp. of tables. Various ownership inscriptions on wrappers and pastedowns and different hands through the account book. CONDITION: Good, wrappers worn; a few leaves loose, chipping and short tears to many pages, but overall only minimal losses to the text.

An extensive ledger documenting nineteen years at a mill and farm operation that included a store on the Whipple Estate in North Providence, a property held by the same Rhode Island family for over 200 years.

Several hands appear over the course of this volume, but ownership inscriptions on the covers and front and back pastedowns indicate the ledger was kept by Thomas Whipple and Mowry Randall (1783–1872). Randall’s inscription “Mowry Randall’s Book” is visible with a date, “December 23 [1801?],” beneath later notes and inscriptions on the front cover, while Whipple’s name is written on the front pastedown. Four consecutive generations of Thomas Whipples lived at the Whipple Estate over the course of approximately 175 years, beginning with Thomas Whipple, Senior (ca. 1693–1770). The name here likely belonged to one of the two younger estate-owners. Randall seems to have overseen operations and managed labor at Jonathan Whipple’s sawmill on West River (in operation as early as 1772) as well as on a farm connected to a store. The names of numerous Randall and Whipple family members appear throughout the ledger, which also records many Whipple family events. The close connection between Randall and the Whipple family appears to be explained by kinship: Randall’s father Jonathan Randall (1758–1836), whose name appears in these pages, was the grandson of Jonathan Whipple III (1723–1805). Jonathan Randall inherited a homestead farm of sixty acres in North Providence and Smithfield (a location noted several times in the volume), as well as livestock, from his grandfather.

The transactions recorded here are primarily organized by individual purchases and payments, although entries over the years vary in form and scope. The mill that is frequently referred to is evidently Jonathan Whipple’s sawmill on West River located on the Whipple Estate. Some of the labor and wages recorded—sometimes that of women—includes farm work (including planting and plowing); tasks related to the production of cider and rye (such as thrashing rye); and work done to roads in 1807 by the Louisquisset Turnpike Co. and others. Commodities sold include supplies (timber, cider troughs, linen and wool wheels); consumables (cider, apples, meat, vegetables, coffee, raisins, snuff), and personal and household goods (lace, shoes, calico, “sundries”) and more. Sales of tickets, likely for lotteries, are also recorded. Occasional notes, unrelated to the person on whose account they appear, are also written on several ledger pages. A few lengthier journal-like entries record notable events in the area of North Providence, such as a flood in 1807 that destroyed buildings in Pawtucket, and a fire the same year that damaged mills and factories. Several pages of faint pencil from about 1812 pertain to “Republicans of Rhode Island,” and other non-business entries record taxes paid, deaths, school attendance, labor accomplished, and so forth. A section covering 1812 through 1816 is organized by date, rather than account, and records both transactions and daily events. Another page records a number of deaths, and near the end of the volume is a nine-page table, evidently recording legal activities, with records of plaintiffs, defendants, attorneys, court dates, fees, and so on.

By 1882 there were no family members remaining to manage the property, and the Whipple Estate was purchased by the Wanskuck Company. Thomas J. Whipple (1801–1868) operated a cotton or woolen mill west of his house known as Thomas Whipple’s Factory (evidently superseded by the Steere Worsted Mill, established in 1884), and following his death, his brother James maintained the estate. However, James, who died in 1885, never married, and the sons of Thomas J. Whipple had long since left the area.

SOME REPRESENTATIVE PASSAGES

[ca. 1801] “Taken from this mill some time last week a large bag with one bushel of meal the bag was nipped at the top, tied with short cord things, markets M.R. [Mowry Randall] on the middle with chalk. Whoever has borrowed it will greatly oblige the owner by leaving it at this mill or with the S[?] in North Providence.”

1801 “Dozen more than 20000 men have suffered in the last European war by balls and trouble.”

1801 “And it came to pass in the days of Thomas the King that the people of Alexander did thrive in and out against him and said all manner of evil against him.”

[February 1807] “Great Flood! The 15th Febr. 1807 which destroyed 14 buildings at Pawtucket [Rhode Island] principally mechanical ships. Likewise the bridge so much impaired as to be unpassable. All the bridges on that river carried away, except the bridge at Martin’s way which shared the fate of Pawtucket. All the dams, bridges and mills (nearby) on all streams of water either carried off or badly damaged. About a week before this flood, the water was very high, so much that considerable damage was done to bridges, dams &c. Wednesday Febr. 18th The River again was raised to a very considerable height but not so much as either of the others. No Material damage was done.”

2 November 1807 “The works commonly called Rutinbergo Mills consisting of a grist and saw mill &c. were destroyed by fire. A cotton factory was also in the building & a carding machine for wool. Some considerable cotton & other valuable things belonging to Dr. Hosea Humpfry.”

14 January 1808 “The largest snow fell that had fallen, Although considerable was ther[e] on the ground & next day (being Friday) Blowed all into drifts. Mondey following began to rain and continued th[r]ough the day which swept of[f] considerable the Snow. It remained warm untill Friday Night & then began to rain again & continued on Saturday 23d of January until 3 o’Clock. The river at the time was uncommonly high & did some considerable damage to Bridges roads &c. The Turnpike in Hart Hopkins land badly washed so as to need much Repairing. The new Bridge on the [?] Turnpike was partly carried away…”

8 March 1808 “Two horses broke loose in Providence and ran with the tackling hanging to them. I ran down Constitution Hill and ran against Go. Shadrach Randall’s horse and threw him about 2 rods and one of the two, being a young three years old horse pitched heels over his head and broke his [?] and died almost instantly. Shadrach’s horse very badly hurt &c.”

Feb. 1808 “In the vicinity of Pawtucket in North Providence a false pair of twins was born that (at their birth) weighed upwards of 24 pounds.”

Feb. 1808 “The elegant bridge belonging to Mr. John Brown Esq. was swept away and one other above that belonging to Moses Brown totally destroyed.”

29 Feb. 1808 “The first information I rec’d of Peter Randall’s death and that he was killed in a battle between the Spanish and English.”

1810 “The cow I killed this fall was the white fawn bought of Thomas Whipple. She weighted 481 lbs…good beef.”

14 Feb. 1812 [Marking the end of the War of 1812] “Great illuminations [i.e., fireworks] in Providence on account of Peace, news arrived the day before.” 

April 1816 “Agreed to live in P[?] Sheldon’s house another Year”; “Fire in Goddard’s Woods”

July 28 1816 “Sunday. The first Rain we have had for 4 weeks”

An early Rhode Island ledger connected to the Whipple Estate of North Providence.

REFERENCES: “Wanskuck Historic District,” at National Register of Historic Places Inventory—Nomination Form at the State of Rhode Island, Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission online; Whipple, Jr., Dr. Charles M., Edmond, Oklahoma and Barbara R. Carroll. “John and Jonathan, Sons of Captain John Whipple, With Notes on Their Sisters” at Whipple One Name online; “John Randall (abt. 1758 - 1836)” at Wikitree online.

Item #8240

Price: $1,250.00

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