North Country Trade in the late 18th Century: Haverhill, NH.

Haverhill Residents Settle Their Accounts with General Montgomery


The survival of the Montgomery Store Daybook allows the contemporary scholar and researcher to begin to slowly piece together what every day life was like in this rural town and how the economics of the community worked. A number of elements can be inferred from the evidence as the author becomes ever more familiar with the material and the cast of characters and will look forward to sharing developments with readers over the next few months.  


As 1793 drew to a close, the townspeople settled their accounts at the Montgomery Store - 

sometimes by cash, generally through barter or trade, and occasionally through "written indenture."  Not surprisingly, the last week of December in 1793 sees a rise in those who are paying off their accounts in full or in part.  Many pay in a variety of ways "to cash" "to grain" "to cattle" or even by paying for another's bill or services -- and frequently through payment of grog or especially rum.  One example of particular interest is the clerk's notation of "two written indentures" by Alden Sprague.  In this context, it appears he is hiring himself out for needed services, perhaps as a day laborer or a hand to assist with caring for any number of General Montgomery's teams when they traveled to Concord or Boston.

Mid-way through page, see "Alden Sprague...Orford"

The purchases made as the new year approached are ones we can easily image today as we plan and organize for the coming year: Stephen Lund purchased paper for an almanac on December 28 as do several other residents over the next few days. Several residents, including Moody Bedell, purchase spellers, perhaps with the notion of "self improvement" in mind for the new year or to keep occupied on the bitter winter nights. On December 29, Alden Sprague hired a sleigh from General Montgomery for travel to Orford, some 10 miles distant, returning two days later, perhaps from visit to family or on year end business for himself or the General.


1793 Montgomery Store Daybook. Courtesy, Haverhill Historical Society.