Seventeen ledger books kept by Rebecca Lewis Evans of Haverford, Pa., May 1876-April 1910, May 1913-February 1927. The ledgers give insight into the life of an upper middle class family living in the suburbs of Philadelphia, Pa., during the last quarter of the 19th and first quarter of the 20th centuries. In these books, Rebecca Evans lists her expenses, first by month, and then by category: clothing, gifts, house expenses, groceries, stable, automobile, furniture and repairs, amusements and societies, trips, wages, wash, Penrhyn, and miscellaneous. Although not separate categories, the volumes also include charges for medical expenses and utilities. All of the volumes include monthly summaries of how much money was spent; many also include yearly summaries. Mrs. Evans carefully noted for whom clothing was purchased, and the growth of the family is seen from the addition of names of children. Mr. Evans purchased new cricket clothing from time to time, indicating his on-going interest in that sport. Sometimes Mrs. Evans noted the name of the store where clothing was purchased, but most often she bought fabric that she then took to a dressmaker. Deaths may be inferred when Mrs. Evans bought quantities of black garments. Eventually each grown child was given an allowance for clothing, and Mrs. Evans no longer recorded purchases made for them. The Penrhyn expenses were for the estate itself, including the property and the exterior of the house, and were recorded separately from money spent on household goods. Expenses were for plumbing, drains, carpentry work, plants and seeds, cleaning wells, putting up fences, plowing, and such. In 1919, the lawn had to be reseeded because it had been taken up and replaced by a potato garden during World War I. House expenses were for carpeting, pots and pans, a kitchen range, table linen, glasses, soap, curtains, piano tuning, etc. Noted in one volume was that Penrhyn "burned to the ground" on December 30, 1897, but oddly only two pieces of evidence of that calamity are recorded in these expense ledgers: Mary was given money to replace her lost library, and there was a charge for storing silver. Food expenses were not precisely detailed, but separate expenditures were noted for fruits, ice, bread, tea, butter, ice cream, chickens, and other items. Mellins food was purchased for the babies. The total amount spent on food each year is given, and names of several vendors are listed. Miscellaneous expenses cover a very wide range, including eye glasses, theater and concert tickets, magazine and newspaper subscriptions, club dues, trips, stationery, photographs, children's allowances, birthday parties, flowers, water analysis, hair cuts, books, railroad tickets, etc. In later years, the miscellaneous expenses for tickets and dues were listed under society and amusements. Expenses for trips are recorded, first under miscellaneous and then as an individual category. The family vacationed together, and the children also took trips with family friends. Some family members visited the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893. Other trips were made to Newport, Atlantic City, Baltimore, Maine, and New York City. A trip to Washington, D.C. was noted as an anniversary celebration. Family members visited Europe over the years; the first reference was Mary's four month excursion in 1895. Stable expenses eventually gave way to automobile expenses. Before purchasing a car, the Evans had economized by having only one horse rather than two. Much of their travel was done by train; references to P.R.R. were to Pennsylvania Railroad tickets. Later volumes have separate tallies for wages for hired men and female servants: cook, maid, seamstress, waitress. In the volume for 1919-1923, Mrs. Evans recorded not just the increases in their wages, but also noted how long the cook, seamstress, and chauffeur (originally hired as coachman) had been with the family, where the servants spent their holidays, and her dismay at the amount the servants were costing. Costs for servants' attire, such as collars and cuffs for the waitress, are listed under miscellaneous expenses. The Evans supported their church, area hospitals, and other charitable institutions, and gave money and clothing to poor people; also, they sent money to St. Andrews, an Episcopal school in Tennessee. During World War I, they donated to organizations that helped the people of Belgium and France. After the great Tokyo earthquake of 1923, they sent money to a hospital there. Many ledgers have a separate category for "wedding and other presents." Personal information can be found in the accounts. Some house charges were noted as being for Mary's wedding in 1906, but almost nothing about the ceremony can be gleaned from the references. From other passing references, one learns of the birth of Mary's baby in 1907, the weddings of Rowland and Allen, Jr., and the births of grandchildren. John and Rowland attended Yale, and Allen, Jr., graduated from Yale's theological seminary. All three young men served in the military during World War I. John was gassed but returned home safely. Margaret was paid a monthly stipend for clerical work, doubtless for helping her mother run the house.
