The Huyck Bain Crandell Collection, Document BH079
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1770(?) Letter, Bearer Note re Two Bushel Corn
Sending someone named Johnson to collect corn on his behalf, with this note as authorization. A common practice — a written order allowing a third party to collect goods on credit, essentially a primitive check or draft.
Image: BH079.jpg
Transcription
Sir you whil ples to leat the Barer mister Johnson have twe Bushel of Corn on my acount and in so duing you whil much oblighe yours Thomas Hane Sir i whil be whith you in twe or thre Days
Commentary
Notes:
- Thomas Hane — a new name, writing to authorize a corn purchase on his account. The informal spelling throughout — whil, ples, leat, duing, oblighe — suggests someone with limited formal education writing phonetically, not unusual in rural Columbia County in the 1770s.
- “The bearer Mr. Johnson” — sending someone named Johnson to collect corn on his behalf, with this note as authorization. A common practice — a written order allowing a third party to collect goods on credit, essentially a primitive check or draft.
- “Two bushels of corn” — a small quantity, household rather than commercial scale, consistent with a neighbor buying provisions.
- “On my account” — confirming Elizabeth was running a credit account for Thomas Hane, consistent with the shop function throughout the second account book.
- “I will be with you in two or three days” — Hane promising to come in person shortly, likely to pay his account or discuss further business.
- The note is addressed “Sir” — suggesting it was written before the recipient was known to be a woman, or that Elizabeth was addressed as “Sir” in commercial contexts as a courtesy title — not unusual for a widow running a business in this period.
A charming and very human document — the everyday commerce of a small rural shop captured in a hasty note.
— Notes by Claude.ai 4.6 2026-05-05 - jhc
Metadata
Document: BH079
Date: 1770?
Language: English
Type: Letter
Subject: Commerce
Principals: Mister Johnson, Thomas Hane
Places Mentioned: None
— page revised 2026-06-09 - jhc
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Huyck Bain Crandell Collection © 2026 by John H. Coxon is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
