A collection of receipts and bills, in a variety of hands and mostly signed by the tradespeople, related to Sir Christopher Musgrave’s expenses during the years 1708-1718, with the bulk of the detailed receipts covering the years 1716-1718.
LWL Mss 31
Acquired November 2018
A handwritten receipt or invoice for thatching work carried out by Edward Peirce on various estates of Peter Delmé at “Whetly”, “Posbroock” [Fossbroke, Wiltshire?], “Swanwick Hill Farm” and “Frogmoar” among others for Peter Delme, Esq. It is dated 15th December 1764. The list of charges include supplies such as spars, ledgers, leggers, and rope as well as labor charges for a five month period, August through December.
LWL Mss File 141
Acquired July 2017
Album of 43 trade cards, of various formats, which have been used as receipts or invoices by the traders and have stab holes resulting from the pin they where put on by an accountant or secretary. A few trade cards are repeated, four are typographically printed, and the rest are engraved or etched. All trade cards and bills are addressed to Mrs. Forth and give a good idea of the expenses and needs of a fashionable household in mid 18th-century London.
LWL Mss Vol. 230
Acquired March 2017
On an engraved billhead illustrated with a medallion of St. Luke mixing paint on a palette, Joseph Bell’s itemized invoice to Charles Wren dated 20 July 1782. Motto at the head of the sheet: “Pictures carefully cleaned, lined & repaired, & funeral achievements accurately painted, and picture frames neatly executed in oil, or burnished in gold.”
Catalog Record & Digital Image
LWL Mss File 131
Acquired July 2015
Three printed bills with manuscript completions, issued by the Aberdeen inn, the Lemon Tree and later the Lemon Tree Tavern and Hotel, and dated 1802, 1806, and 1811. The billhead includes a woodcut of a lemon tree and identifies the proprietor as George Ronald. The three bills display typographic differences in the setting of the headings as well as variation in the extensive list of drinks, foodstuffs, and services on offer, and the printer’s devices used to create the columns for prices in pounds, shillings, and pence vary. A note on the 1802 bill records the details of a game of whist including the names of the participants. The 1806 invoice also includes a note about the guests and their travel details.
LWL Mss File 132
Acquired July 2015
Manuscript invoice on engraved billhead, recording in considerable detail the fitting out of a town house in Kings Lynn in Norfolk in 1807 by John Greeves for George Edwards Esq. The invoice totals £88 6 s. 1 1/2 d. and includes information about the furniture purchased and details about the curtains, upholstery, and carpeting. Receipt signed and dated 30 April 1807.
LWL Mss File 130
Acquired July 2015
A manuscript invoice issued by Robert Sayer, a successful London print, map, and chart publisher, on 15 August 1772. The purchaser is one “Mr. Gordon” of “9 Bury Court, St. Mary Ave”. The list is grouped by type, “10 historical prints”, “72 prints of ladies, eminent men, humourous, etc.”, “8 large landskips”, and “12 views of Havannah”, with details concerning framing, glass, cases, and shipping charges. On the verso, a docket title indicating a discount presumably because of the size of the order.
Catalog Record & Digital Collection
LWL Mss File 120+
Acquired January 2014
Invoice presented to Sir Christopher Musgrave by a blacksmith Thomas Robinson for work performed in November on Musgrave’s estate. Work includes shoeing, iron work for wagons, and various repairs. A note at the bottom indicates payment was made 4 January 1726. Total invoice £1.7.8.
LWL Mss File 97
Acquired July 2012
Invoice presented to Sir Christopher Musgrave with each laborer named, the number of days worked, and the daily rate of pay. Also invoiced are wages for carting hay. Receipt of payment is noted by Richard Mathew; with docket title. Total invoice £8.10.9.
LWL Mss File 96
Acquired July 2012
A collection of 140 bills and invoices made out to attorney Charles Wren or his wife Mary, dated 1793-1797, issued primarily by businesses in London and Newcastle; they document the personal and household expenses of a prosperous provincial lawyer and his household.
LWL Mss 8
Acquired December 2012
Recent Antiquarian Acquisitions 