“A bowl of grog, a gill of rum,
a stick of twist and a yard of shalloon”
The 1793 Montgomery Store
Daybook, Oliverian Village, NH.
Installment I
Kimberly Alexander,
Ph.D.
It
is not surprising that General John Montgomery (1764-February 21, 1825) was
likely the wealthiest man in Haverhill. In 1805, his poll tax was the largest
in the town registering in at over $100.00. A figure of considerable status who served his community and
his country in several capacities, the General was active in the War of 1812
(at the age of 48), leading his regiment, which included a number of Haverhill
men, to protect the Portsmouth waterfront. His business acumen was highly
regarded, and, he was one of the significant proprietors at the Oliverian
Brook, owning a sawmill, a distillery and a gristmill, according to tax
records. His house was appropriately located on a rise, just a short walk from
“the brook” so he could oversee his business interests, much the way a ship
owner, such as Salem’s (Massachusetts) Elias Haskett Derby, built his house at
the head of his wharf. The 1790 census reveals that he was just beginning to
build his home and business. He owned no slaves.
General Montgomery had created a strong revenue stream due
to the land and industries he owned at the Oliverian Brook. The General was
also able to offer a convenient outlet for the products produced in his various
factories through his store. The
Montgomery Store was located a short distance (across today’s Route 10) from
the Brook and adjacent to the General’s home. The survival of Day Book 1, 1793 offers a rich look at life
in this small town- from diet to clothing, to services, tools and trade, as
well as the finances and occupations of the disparate denizens. 1
Seasonal cycles, town or family celebrations, economic and social trends, as
well as patterns of trade and barter, are all evident in this over 150 page
daily ledger. When placed within the context of post Revolutionary rural
America and events such as the 1791 Distilled Spirits Tax and the subsequent
Whiskey Rebellion of 1794 or the introduction of Noah Webster’s “Blue back” spellers (Language, Part
I, 1783), the
survival of this small town New Hampshire daybook is a true find.2
General Montgomery’s wealth and status may be seen in the
commodious late Georgian home he built c. early 1790s, with its second floor
ballroom, his outbuildings and land holdings. The General was able to send, at
considerable cost, his three eldest daughters, Mary, Ann (Nancy) and Myra to
the esteemed school of Mrs. Susanna Rowson in Boston for tutelage in a variety
of subjects, including finishing their silk embroideries. 3 His legendary purchase of a piano
from the English court is further testimony to his wealth. 4
While a number of the daily entries appear at first glance
to be routine – and the most frequent are centered on the purchase of alcoholic
beverages such as rum, West Indian rum, grog, wine and brandy—numerous patterns
appear surrounding even the most common acquisitions. For example, the items
entered under Ephraim Root for March 26th 1793, indicate that some
repairs and preparations were being made at the Root household. Listed in the
inventory are nails, shingle nails, 2 3/4lbs. German steel, 14lbs 3/4. iron, 1ib brimstone, 2 yds. chintz, 1
yd. calamanco, 1 yd. muslin handiff, 1 skein silk, 2 1/2 yd. green ribbon silk,
1 pair gloves, 2 yds. quality, 1 1/4 yd. ribbon, 1skein thread, 1 yd. black
tafte and 5 gals. rum. While further research needs to be completed on the Root
family, the purchases might well indicate an expansion or repair to a house or
outbuilding in combination with a special event such as a wedding or the
remodeling of a chamber, hence the high-end textile purchase.
Payment for Mr. Root’s bill is also worthy of attention:
he paid part in cash, part through trade of 5 bushels of corn and by payment of
a bowl of grog for “Dimon”.
Installment II (Week of 1 November 2011) will find the
Montgomery Store clerk reviewing a major purchase by Mr. Stephen Couch, a
trader from Bath.
 |
| Day Book, March17, 1793-February 22, 1794. Courtesy, Haverhill Historical Society Gift of William F. Koch, Jr. 2009 |
 |
| Ephraim Root purchase, March 26th, 1793 |
 |
| Detail, Stephen Couch purchase. Note coffee, cottonwool, sugar, allspice, pepper and tea. |
Notes
1. The author thanks John Page, President of the Haverhill
Historical Society, for bringing the Montgomery Store Day Book to the author’s
attention; Prof. Dane Morrison, Salem State University for providing a broader
historical context for the Day Book entries; Haverhill librarian Nanci Myers
for providing access and a pleasant work environment, and James Garvin, NH
State Architectural Historian (ret.), Jim Alexander, FAIA and Tom Stocker for
sharing freely of their knowledge of Haverhill.
2. The
Distilled Spirits Tax of 1791 and the subsequent Whiskey Rebellion of 1794 did
not have the same impact in New England that it did in locations like Allegheny
County in Western Pennsylvania where the transportation of grains to
distilleries was challenging and the distilleries small, and even the time
needed to travel to a major city such as Philadelphia to pay the tax was
burdensome. However, the
preponderance of liquor purchases, frequently by gallons and barrels in a town
such as Haverhill may indicate some concern. More research into similar town purchase patterns in
combination with newspaper notices would yield further information.
Noah
Webster’s Language, Part I of 1783 was known for generations simply as The
Blue-back Speller, it
was in use for more than a century and sold over seventy million copies. Of
interest for this discussion is the fact that three spellers are sold from the
store within the first two pages of the Day Book: Joseph Pearson, Joshua Swan
and Moody Bedell each purchase a
“spelling book” and many others are sold throughout the year. According to numerous sources, the
effect of Webster’s book on students was unequaled in the history of American
elementary education. The purchase of the speller indicates an interest in
“self improvement” and desire for knowledge compatible with the ideals of the
new Republic. See http://www.notablebiographies.com/Tu-We/Webster-Noah.html#ixzz1bq2cIbM1
3.
The author thanks Jane C. Nylander, Director Emerita Historic New England, for
calling attention to the Elias Nasson archive, the Montgomery sisters and for
sharing her research on their time with Mrs. Rowson.
4.
Inventory and probate research for the Montgomery family is currently underway.
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