Installment III: "A bowl of grog, a gill of rum....: A Trader's Accounts

Stephen Couch, Trader from Bath, NH, Visits the Montgomery Store

About six miles away from Haverhill lies the charming village of Bath, NH. While today the town boasts of its long standing general store, clearly the Montogmery Store provided goods and services needed by Mr. Stephen Couch (born abt. 1763-d. 21 April 1813) in the 1790s.

1800 Census, Bath, NH. Note the changes in the family since 1790

Couch appears in the 1790 census in Landaff with a household consisting of two males 16 and over and three females.  This would have included his wife, Anne Edmund (b. 18 March 1764; m. 29 June 1784; d. 6 April 1813), a son (possibly Stephen Edmund) and a daughter (possibly Ann Edward). By the 1800 Census, he is listed in Bath. Couch is clearly a well established presence in the region: by 1793 he makes several substantial purchases from the Montgomery Store in early December (the account does not appear to be reconciled until January 12, 1794.)  Among the items in this large purchase: 50lb coffee, 70lb cotton wool, 2 loaves of sugar, 20lb of allspice, 10lb pepper and 100lbs (?) tea.  In late October and early November, he makes purchase of over 6 bushels of salt, as well as 3 sides of "sole leather."

Apparently, Couch was also invovled with General Montogmery's trip to Concord (see blog entry for 11/17/11) where he sells some of his beef cattle.  The large quantities of coffee, tea, salt, allspice and leather purchased by Mr. Couch would verify his role as a trader, while the substantial purchases of salt would most likely indicate the curing of meats. Couch, like General Montgomery and Col. Johnson, reamined among the wealthiest in the region due to their ability to trade (in cash, goods and services) in Concord and Boston, to own lands for pasturing of cattle and beef and the ability move large quantities of goods and to leverage services.

It is intriguing to note that Mr. Couch dies at the age of 50 and Mrs. Couch at age 49, both in April of 1813 within two weeks of one another.  The possibilty of illness, striking the family, is high. Further research into this possibility is underway.