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Collection Number: 01896

Collection Title: Robert Wilson Account Books, 1772-1888

This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held in the Wilson Library at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in our reading room, and not digitally available through the World Wide Web. See the Duplication Policy section for more information.


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Size 18.0 feet of linear shelf space (approximately 80 volumes items)
Abstract John Wilson, his son, Robert Wilson, and his grandson, Robert Anderson Wilson, were merchants and farmers of Danville and Dan's Hill, Pittsylvania County, Va. The collection includes daybooks and ledgers containing lists of general merchandise; accounts for blacksmithing, carpentry, and other services; a few accounts with overseers; records of sawmilling and grain milling; invoice books; and other accounts for the Wilsons and their associates. There are also a few records, 1772-1782, for general merchandise in Guilford County, N.C., and an account book, 1885-1888, of Annie M. Hairston of Martinsville, Va.
Creator Wilson, Robert, b. 1789.
Curatorial Unit University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Southern Historical Collection.
Language English
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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Information For Users

Restrictions to Access
No restrictions. Open for research.
Restrictions to Use
Retained by the authors of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], in the Robert Wilson Account Books #1896, Southern Historical Collection, The Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Alternate Form of Material
All or part of this collection is available on microfilm from University Publications of America as part of the Records of antebellum southern plantations from the Revolution through the Civil War, Series J.
Acquisitions Information
Received from Mrs. James E. Covington of Beaver Creek, Martinsville, Va., in August 1951.
Sensitive Materials Statement
Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations, the North Carolina Public Records Act (N.C.G.S. § 132 1 et seq.), and Article 7 of the North Carolina State Personnel Act (Privacy of State Employee Personnel Records, N.C.G.S. § 126-22 et seq.). Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals represented in this collection without the consent of those individuals may have legal ramifications (e.g., a cause of action under common law for invasion of privacy may arise if facts concerning an individual's private life are published that would be deemed highly offensive to a reasonable person) for which the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill assumes no responsibility.
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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Processing Information

Processed by: Rebecca Hollingsworth, December 1991

Encoded by: ByteManagers Inc., 2008

Updated by: Dawne Howard Lucas, May 2021

This collection was rehoused under the sponsorship of a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, Office of Preservation, Washington, D.C., 1990-1992.

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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Subject Headings

The following terms from Library of Congress Subject Headings suggest topics, persons, geography, etc. interspersed through the entire collection; the terms do not usually represent discrete and easily identifiable portions of the collection--such as folders or items.

Clicking on a subject heading below will take you into the University Library's online catalog.

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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Biographical Information

John Wilson made his home at Dan's Hill, an estate adjoining the home of his father Peter Wilson at Wilson's Ferry on the Dan River in Pittsylvania County, Va. He was a colonel in the Revolutionary War and represented his county at the Constitutional Convention of Virginia. He was also a successful merchant, financier, and gentleman farmer; he owned the land on which the city of Danville was laid out, and his general store was the entrepot for all the settled country for miles around. He died in 1820.

Robert Wilson, the seventh son of Colonel John Wilson, inherited Dan's Hill. He was a colonel in the War of 1812. He married Catharine Pannill, the daughter of Samuel Pannill, a successful businessman of Green Hill, Campbell County, Va.

Robert Anderson Wilson, the third son of Colonel Robert Wilson, inherited Dan's Hill from his father. He married Ruth Stovall Hairston, the daughter of Marshall and Ann Hairston of Martinsville, Va.

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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Scope and Content

The volumes are of three main types:

1. Journals or daybook accounts, chronological records of business day by day, usually with detailed entries as to the articles purchased and showing also the name of the buyer and the amount charged.

2. Ledgers, into which the accounts from the journals were transferred and arranged under the name of the individual purchaser. In some cases, the lists of purchases were transferred in full; in other cases only the amounts or the totals for a day or month were transferred to the ledger.

3. Shop accounts: the same type of records for services such as blacksmithing, shoemaking, carpentry, and general repair work.

The volumes are arranged chronologically according to the earliest date included in each volume, and are organized in the following series and subseries:

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Contents list

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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Series 1. John Wilson Books, 1772-1822.

39 volumes.

Accounts of an extensive turnover of general merchandise--provisions, dry goods, hardware, medicine, notions and sundries, rum and tobacco--almost entirely on a credit basis. The name of John Wilson appears on many of the books; "Pittsylvania County" [Va.] appears on nearly every volume beginning with Volume 3.

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December 7, 1772 - August 29, 1782. John Tate, Guilford County, N.C. Journal, general merchandise; also tavern account and record of cash received and various memoranda, including one of notes and bonds taken from John Wilson. 506 pages

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December 1772 - May 1779. John Tate, "Wilson & Tate." Ledger (mostly totals); also miscellaneous memoranda such as "books lent out" and "suits depending in law." 515 pages

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December 28, 1783 - May 23, 1787. John Wilson, Pittsylvania County. Journal, general merchandise. 173 pages

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March 10, 1784 - October 1796. John Wilson, Pittsylvania County. Ledger "A," shop book for blacksmithing. 188 pages

Volume 5

April 10, 1784 - March 2, 1785. J. W., Pittsylvania County. Journal, general merchandise. 368 pages

Volume 6

March 16 - December 5, 1785. Pittsylvania County. Journal "B," general merchandise. 358 pages

Volume 7

March 17 - December 1785. Ledger "B," 369 pages

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May 21 - November 17, 1785. Pittsylvania County. Journal, general merchandise; also a list of tobacco sent to Petersburg. 297 pages

Volume 9

December 6, 1785 - February 6, 1787. Pittsylvania County. Journal "C," general merchandise. 364 pages

Volume 10

December 1785 - February 1787. Ledger "C." 368 pages Separate index enclosed, 24 pages

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February 7, 1787 - November 7, 1788. Pittsylvania County. Journal, general merchandise. 463 pages

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May 7 - December 3, 1787. Pittsylvania County. Journal, general merchandise. 288 pages

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February 1787 - November 1788. Ledger: amounts from "Journal D." 327 pages

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November 9, 1788 - January 24, 1804. Pittsylvania County. Journal "E," general merchandise. 374 pages

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November 19, 1788 - 1796. Ledger: totals from Journal E. 359 pages

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October 3, 1789 - March 26, 1791. J. W., Pittsylvania County. Journal "A," general merchandise. 550 pages

Volume 17

October 1789 - March 1791. Ledger "A." 558 pages

Volume 18

March 26, 1791 - March 30, 1793. J. W., Pittsylvania County. Journal "B," general merchandise. 561 pages

Volume 19

April 1791 - 1793. J. W., Ledger "B." Separate index enclosed. 550 pages

Volume 20

April 1, 1793 - January 4, 1796. J. W., Pittsylvania County. Journal "C," general merchandise. 543 pages

Volume 21

April 1793 - August 1795. J. W. Ledger "C." 544 pages

Volume 22

September 1, 1795 - February 28, 1798. J. W., Pittsylvania County. Journal "D," general merchandise; also accounts for shoemaking. 560 pages

Volume 23

September 1795 - January 1798. John Wilson. Ledger "D," 542 pages

Volume 24

October 1796 - 1816. John Wilson, Pittsylvania County. Shop book: ledger of charges for blacksmith work.

May 5, 1786 - January 1787, invoices of goods bought by the shop. 332 pages

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March 1, 1798 - September 25, 1800. J. W., Pittsylvania County. Journal, general merchandise. 452 pages

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March 1798 - August 1800. J. W. Ledger "E." 524 pages

Volume 27

June 17, 1798 - September 5, 1804. Pittsylvania County. Journal, general merchandise. 299 pages

Volume 28

October 26, 1799 - October 27, 1816. Invoice book. Chronological listing of orders of goods (itemized) bought for store, showing amount, cost, and where bought. Most of the orders are from Buchanan, Dunlap & Co. or from James and John Dunlap. 227 pages

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October 1, 1800 - May 25, 1804. Pittsylvania County. Journal, general merchandise. 534 pages

Volume 30

October 1800 - January 1804. Ledger "F." 556 pages

Volume 31

February 1, 1804 - February 19, 1808. Pittsylvania County. Journal, general merchandise. 573 pages

Volume 32

February 1804 - December 1807. Ledger. 544 pages

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January 1, 1808 - September 10, 1817. Pittsylvania County. Journal "M," general merchandise. 631 pages

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January 1808 - June 1817. Ledger "M." 552 pages

Volume 35

May 1, 1810 - August 1821. Pittsylvania County. Journal, general merchandise. 441 pages

Volume 36

June 4, 1813 - March 14, 1818. Pittsylvania County. Journal, general merchandise. 71 pages

Volume 37

June 5, 1813 - June 2, 1814. Cash sales: items sold and prices listed day by day chronologically.

1815 - 1818. Dan's Hill, Pittsylvania County. John Wilson family accounts.

June 30, 1815 - September 28, 1822. Dan's Hill, Pittsylvania County. Journal, general merchandise. 284 pages

Volume 38

June 30, 1815 - April 25, 1822. Pittsylvania County. Journal, general merchandise; also accounts for blacksmith work. 237 pages

Volume 39

June 1815 - March 1822. Ledger. Also accounts with overseers, carpenter, bricklayer, and other individuals. 300 pages

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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Series 2. Robert Wilson and Associates

expand/collapse Expand/collapse Subseries 2.1. Pannill, Wilson, and Others, 1827-1844.

24 volumes.

Accounts of general merchandise sales, shop accounts, and records of interest payments and expenses of the firm. The name Dickenson, Pannill and Company appears on volumes 40 and 41, and volume 42 deals with the change to Pannill, Wilson, and Company, the name appearing on most of the volumes after volume 43. Danville and Dan's Hill are the locations given for most of the volumes.

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September 1827 - December 1829. Dickenson, Pannill and Co. Ledger "A," general merchandise accounts arranged by name and listing purchases under each name; also records of cash sales and purchases by the firm. 736 pages

Volume 41

February 25, 1831 - December 6, 1856. Dickenson, Pannill, and Co., Danville and Dan's Hill. Journal, general merchandise; also entries for rents and interest. 406 pages

Volume 42

April 6, 1831 - June 21, 1838. Danville, Va. Invoice and inventory book--an inventory of goods taken by Pannill, Wilson and Company of the stock of Dickenson, Pannill and Company in April, 1831; a list of the bills of goods purchased by Dickenson, Pannill and Co. in April, 1831; and a record of goods purchased by Pannill, Wilson and Company from 1831 to 1838. 282 pages

Volume 43

April 21, 1831 - June 30, 1832. Pannill, Wilson and Co., Danville. Journal, general merchandise. 553 pages

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April 21, 1831 - June 30, 1834. Danville. Journal, general merchandise. 722 pages

Volume 45

April 21, 1831 - June 30, 1836. Pannill, Wilson and Co., Danville. Shop book "No. 1" for blacksmithing, etc, including day by day record of work done.

Volume 46

April 29, 1831 - July 28, 1838. Pannill, Wilson and Co. Shop Journal, volume 1, for blacksmithing, etc. 231 pages

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April 21, 1831 - June 1834. Pannill, Wilson and Co. Ledger "A," with references to journals by letters. 668 pages

Volume 48

July 2, 1832 - September 26, 1833. Pannill, Wilson and Co., Danville. Journal, general merchandise. 487 pages

Volume 49

October 1, 1832 - August 16, 1835. Pannill, Wilson and Co., Danville. "Cash Book No. 2" giving items sold day by day with price.

Volume 50

August 20, 1833 - July 3, 1834. Pannill, Wilson and Co., Danville. Journal, general merchandise; also records of expenses of the firm.

Volume 51

September 28, 1833 - September 19, 1834. Pannill, Wilson and Co., Danville. Journal, general merchandise. 481 pages

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July 1, 1834 - May 13, 1854. Pannill, Wilson and Co., Danville and Dan's Hill. Journal "B," general merchandise; also entries covering payment of interest, etc. 1017 pages

Volume 53

July 18, 1834 - May 27, 1835. Pannill, Wilson and Co., Danville. Journal, general merchandise; also account of expenses.

Volume 54

September 20, 1834 - August 10, 1835. Pannill, Wilson and Co., Danville. Journal, general merchandise. 522 pages

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July 3, 1834 - May 1854. Pannill, Wilson and Co. Ledger "B," with references to journals by letters. 906 pages

Volume 56

April 20, 1835 - August 15, 1838. Pannill, Wilson and Co., Danville. Cash book "No. 3" giving items sold day by day with prices.

Volume 57

August 11, 1835 - July 25, 1836. Pannill, Wilson and Co., Danville. Journal, general merchandise. 505 pages

Volume 58

March 12, 1836 - January 14, 1837. Pannill, Wilson and Co., Danville. Journal, general merchandise.

Volume 59

July 26, 1836 - October 20, 1837. Pannill, Wilson and Co., Danville. Journal, general merchandise. 520 pages

Volume 60

September 2, 1836 - August 15, 1838. Danville. "Shop Book No. 2," journal of accounts for blacksmithing. 120 pages

Volume 61

January 16, 1837 - January 19, 1838. Danville. Journal, general merchandise.

Volume 62

October 21, 1837 - March 18, 1846. Danville and Dan's Hill. Journal, general merchandise.

Volume 63

January 20, 1838 - January 15, 1844 (scattered entries for 1844 1863). Pannill, Wilson and Co., Danville and Dan's Hill. Journal, general merchandise.

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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Subseries 2.2. Robert Wilson Books., 1838-1868.

14 volumes.

Mostly journals and ledgers of accounts for general merchandise. They are labeled either Danville or Dan's Hill, except for Volume S-74 and Volume 76, which contain accounts of the Sandy River Mills. The name Robert Wilson appears on most of the volumes.

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August 17, 1838 - April 1848. R. Wilson, Danville and Dan's Hill. Journal, general merchandise; also account of expenses.

Volume 65

August 17, 1838 - May 17, 1842. Cash sales accounts, general merchandise.

Volume 66

August 17, 1838 - March 1, 1841. Robert Wilson, Danville. "Shop book" journal of blacksmithing accounts. 121 pages

Volume 67

August 17, 1838 - July 6, 1839. Robert Wilson, Danville. Journal, general merchandise.

Volume 68

August 17, 1838 - August 23, 1838. Robert Wilson, Danville. Journal, general merchandise. 354 pages

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August 1838 - June 1848. Ledger. 395 pages

Volume 70

August 26, 1839 - July 6, 1840. Robert Wilson, Danville. Journal, general merchandise and provisions. 347 pages

Volume 71

September 2, 1839 - August 19, 1840. Robert Wilson, Danville. Journal, general merchandise.

Volume 72

July 7, 1840 - November 25, 1845. Robert Wilson, Danville and Dan's Hill. Journal, general merchandise.

Volume 73

August 20, 1840 - September 30, 1841. Robert Wilson, Danville. Journal, general merchandise.

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March 3, 1841 - November 5, 1861. Robert Wilson, Sandy River Mills. Journal, saw mill accounts. 269 pages

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May 1848 - 1861. Robert Wilson. Ledger of accounts and index; also Colonel Robert Wilson's cash accounts.

Volume 76

April 2, 1855 - December 24, 1861. Robert Wilson, Sandy River Mills. Journal of grain mill accounts. 604 pages

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June 1861 - January 1868. R.W. Ledger. 260 pages

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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Series 3. Miscellaneous Volumes and Fragments, 1870-1888.

3 volumes.

Two account books of Robert Wilson's son Robert Anderson Wilson and one account book of Annie M. Hairston of Martinsville, Va.; Hairston was apparently the sister-in-law of Robert Anderson Wilson. Also included are several loose sheets and fragments, including sections of a journal dated December 1835 - March 1836, an index to a ledger, and pages from a ledger with references to "Journal E."

Volume 78

January 19, 1870 - January 1881. Robert A. Wilson. Ledger, accounts mostly with laborers, also accounts of rents and crops. 340 pages

Volume 79

November 2, 1885 - December 1888. Annie M. Hairston, Martinsville, Va. Account book--apparently of dealings with tenants. 170 pages

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May 22, 1886 - May 9, 1887. Robert A. Wilson, Sandy River Mills. Journal of grain mill accounts. 120 pages

Folder 81

Loose sheets and fragments (index, journal)

Folder 82

Loose sheets and fragments (pages from ledger)

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