William and Nat Read account book, 1837-1839,1860-1861.
(Document/manuscript/pamphlet/archival material)

Materials housed in Special Collections Division of the Main Library, Nashville Public Library.

Condition note: The following pages were noted as missing during rehousing in 2015: pp. 22-23 (Mar. 1838); pp. 84-85 (July 1838); pp. 132-133 (Nov./Dec. 1838).

Caution and Health Advisory: Inactive mold or mildew may be present! Book has musty smell.

In library use only. Available by appointment.

Abstract: Account book kept by William and Nat B. Read of Rutherford County, Tennessee. At different time periods, and in different locations throughout the book, accounts were recorded in the form of a day book, ledger, and cash book, and use single entry bookkeeping.

Scope and content: William's entries begin May 1837 and continue through Jan. 1839. It is assumed that William operated a store; the location of the store is unidentified. Entries concern individual accounts for purchases of cloth, shoes, clothing, hats, and occasional other items such as mirrors, ribbons, cologne, flasks, paper, riding whips, and other items. Name of purchaser, price of each item, and total amount due from the purchaser is noted.

Nat B. Read's entries begin Jan. 1, 1860 and continue through Apr. 15, 1861. The pages for his entries are headed with the word "Jefferson" and this is assumed to be the community of Jefferson in Rutherford County, Tennessee. Nat's records primarily concern the purchase of sheeting and the production of cotton, both used in his manufacture of cotton bags for flour, grain, meal, and other products. Purchases of raw materials, especially cotton sheeting, are made from other manufacturers in the Middle Tennessee area, such as Gallatin and Clarksville, and perhaps from as far away as Roswell and Augusta, Georgia. The company Laurel Hill Sheeting appears with some frequency. There are careful accounts of expenditures, sales, and net profit realized on the bags. The volume concludes with "taxable property of N.B. Read" for 1861, showing him as owner of 526 acres of land, 44 slaves, cattle, wagons, farm machinery, mules, hogs, sheep, and cotton and corn crops. There is also a "stock and crop memorandum" for 1861, describing planting, tending, and harvesting of crops, and shearing of sheep; "hog killing" for 1860 giving the quantity of hogs killed and the meat produced from them; and a "bag account" for 1861.

Perhaps the most significant entries in the volume are on the final pages, where there is a list of names and ages for over 40 slaves held by Read. A second list, containing some of the same slave names, includes individual birthdates, mothers' names, and occasional death notes, or mentions of fathers' names.

The account book does not follow a strict chronology. Instead, it frequently switches back and forth from entries in the 1830s with entries from the 1860s. Researchers are advised to peruse the volume carefully and thoroughly if they are seeking all information from a particular year. Page numbers are not consistent, and may start anew at the beginning of a new year. A child's drawings and scribbles appear on some pages.

Cite as: William and Nat Read Account Book, Special Collections Division, Nashville Public Library

These materials are in the public domain.

Volume is very fragile. Spine is broken and pages are fragile and worn. A book cradle or other sturdy support must be used when viewing this item.

No photocopies due to fragile nature of materials.

Special Handling Instructions: Researchers and staff should take adequate steps to protect themselves from possible release of mold spores into the air. Recommended protective measures include wearing a protective mask; wearing latex or similar protective gloves (use a microspatula to turn pages with care if wearing gloves!); washing hands immediately after handling mold-contaminated materials and before handling any other uncontaminated items, including books or other materials. Avoid getting mold-contaminated materials damp or wet, whether from wet hands, wet clothing, perspiration, beverages, or other sources.

Source of acquisition unknown;,acquired prior to 2000;,Acc. RT-100.

No additional information is known about William Read. It is assumed that his store was located somewhere in Tennessee, and an early catalog card entry by NPL staff states that the account book was from a store in Nashville. However, the source for this information is not known, and NPL staff in 2015 are unsure of the reliability of this attribution. It is unclear if or how he was related to Nat B. Read.

Nat B. Read is almost certainly the same N.B. Read who appears in estate records of Rutherford County as the son of Mary (Barksdale) Read and John Nash Read, all of Rutherford County. The 1850 and 1860 Federal censuses confirm that Nathaniel B. Read, wife Margaret J. Read, and child, Edmund R. Read are living in District 6, in the community of Jefferson, Rutherford County, Tennessee. In addition, the 1860 slave schedule and agricultural schedule give information that correlates neatly with the data from the final pages of the account book. It is unclear if or how he is related to William Read. No further information about Nat Read is known.

In English

Unknown provenance.

Rehouse;,2015;,Linda Barnickel.

No further accruals are expected.