Two volumes and a bill of lading recording shipments made by Richard Vaux from Saint Thomas and from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1782-1790. The bill of lading is dated 1790 and details a shipment of handkerchiefs and textiles from London to Philadelphia. The smaller volume records shipments from Saint Thomas in 1783. The records specify the name of the ship, the captain of the ship, the port for which it was bound, to whom the cargo was consigned, and a list of the goods in the shipment. Vaux was shipping goods to Baltimore, Virginia, Boston, Wilmington, Philadelphia, London, and Bristol. He shipped a variety of goods including tools, textiles, riding equipment, stationery supplies, and cash. The records give much detail about the tools and textiles that were shipped, for example among the tools specified were different size chisels, augers, hammers, hand saws, shoe knives, etc. Among the textiles shipped were calicoes, copperplate upholstery fabric, muslin, chintz, cottons, moreen, plus some items of clothing such as britches, caps, and hose. Some of the shipments were listed as being made for Ambrose Lloyd. The larger volume is a day book containing accounts and records of Vaux's expenses in Saint Thomas and Philadelphia from 1782 to 1783 and 1785. It has columns for recording the monetary amounts in sterling, windward currency, or pieces of eight. The records are a mix of personal expenses (such as a hair cut, a frame for a writing desk, boarding expenses, and laundry) and business transactions. He records sales of textiles, beer and cider, hose, blankets, men's hats, china, teapots, pins, fox tails, handkerchiefs, ribbon, frocks and trousers, glass wares, lanterns, whips, canes, children's corals, jewelry, and food (especially tripe, ham, and cheese). Details about many of the goods are given. For example, the copperplate furnishing textiles are listed by the designs on them, such as grapes, foxglove, small bird, huntsman and dogs, pagoda, Japanese, cobbler, Diana, pheasant, tiger, and Chinese. Hats came in an assortment of colors and trims. There were plain and flint mason wine glasses and tumblers in various sizes. Bengal fabrics were striped in gold, red, purple, or blue. One could buy a silver capped twig whip, a common whip, a half hunter, a common chaise, a whole hunter, or a horn hook twig whip.
