William Trent ledger, 1703-1709.

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William Trent ledger, 1703-1709.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/62156236

William Trent's ledger begins in 1703 and continues through 1709. Entries, made in the double-entry style of bookkeeping, span more than 230 pages. Most entries contain few details and merely consist of names, prices, and methods of payment. Nevertheless, the ledger does allude to the large volume of business that Trent conducted and the breadth of his interests, which included grain, tobacco, wine, and pelts. Many entries refer to ships and voyages, briefly chronicling trade with the Carolinas, Curacoa, and St. Thomas. In addition, Trent's "account of Negroes" on page 156 is a brief account of his involvement in the slave trade. Among the individual accounts noted in the volume are several merchants who are noted as being "of London," as well as numerous prominent Philadelphians, including James Logan and Isaac Norris. Among the more interesting accounts is one entitled "house in ye 2nd Street bott of Sam'l Carpenter." This account, begun on April 29, 1704, chronicles work done on what was known as the Slate Roof House. This house was briefly inhabited by various members of the Penn family while they were in Philadelphia. Before selling the house to Isaac Norris several years later, Trent made numerous improvements to the house, including the installation of a pump. While most of the volume was written in the same hand, presumably that of Trent's clerk, occasional entries were recorded in another, less precise style. An 1897 newspaper clipping, laid into the back of the volume, provides some history and interpretation of the accounts, with particular attention to Trent's purchase of the Slate Roof House.

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Historical Society of Pennsylvania

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SNAC Resource ID: 7809603

Related Entities

There are 2 Entities related to this resource.

Penn, William, 1644-1718

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6p55q0b (person)

The British colony of Pennsylvania was given to William Penn (1644-1718) in 1681 by Charles II of England in repayment of a debt owed his father, Sir Admiral William Penn (1621-1670). Under Penn's directive, Pennsylvania was settled by Quakers escaping religious torment in England and other European nations. Three generations of Penn descendents held proprietorship of the colony until the American Revolution, when the family was stripped of all but its privately held shares of land...

Trent, William, d.1724

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6f27ndf (person)

William Trent, born in Scotland, immigrated to the United States by the early 1690s with his brother James. He embarked upon a successful career as a merchant in Philadelphia, trading mainly with Great Britain and with other American colonies. He was also involved in the African and West Indian slave trade. He served on Pennsylvania's Provincial Council and also was a justice on the Supreme Court, though he was not a lawyer. In 1714 William Trent purchased a large tract ...