Collection: Joseph Guillaume Devacht Papers | University of Toledo

Scope and Contents

The two bound volumes that form this collection consist of a ledger, 1817-32, and a daybook, 1824-30. In the ledger, Devacht recorded his accounts with individuals. Each account contains debit and credit entries. The debit entries contain little more than the amounts the individual owed at different times to Devacht, due to purchase. The researcher can find out what the individual purchased, if the date of the particular transaction falls into the time range covered by the daybook, by referring to the transaction in the daybook by date. The credit entries, on the other hand, generally describe how the debtor settled his debts: with cash, through labor, rent, or bill of account.

The daybook, though covering a shorter period of time, probably contains information more useful to the researcher. A large number of individuals are mentioned, and purchases are described. A typical page, for example, shows that during one week in 1827 Devacht sold whiskey, coffee, nails, sugar, gun powder, tobacco, corn meal, and more whiskey.

Devacht's handwriting is neat and the condition of the paper and binding is relatively good.

Dates

1817-1832

Biographical / Historical

1761 Born in Flanders, Holland.

1790 Came to America on the ship La Patrie joined the French colony At Gallipolis, Ohio; a silversmith and general merchant there. 1798 Married Madame Parma tier 1844 Died in Gallipolis, Ohio.