£2,500
Hampshire Shopkeeper. Manuscript Exercise and Account Book of Josiah Pack of Alton, of the four basic mathematical operations, reduction of English money and exchange, reduction of foreign currency, cloth measure, iron weight, time, rules of proportion and other exercises, each with fine copper plate heading followed by worked examples, the accounts (at the other end) from 1748-1766 concerning the sale of cloth, including barragon, drugget, serge, fine woded denim, sallinett and black or white amen, for frequent purchases of national stock, interest payments (3½, 4 and 5%) and rent, original verse 'On Chewing Tobacco Written for the Benefit of G. H.' by J[osiah] P[ack] of 25 rhyming couplets, also signed at the end with initials and, elsewhere, in a slightly later hand a few notes, including 'My son went towards Charlbury on 19th of ye 11 mo: 1770', about half of the leaves blank, contemporary vellum with two blind fillets, cover inscribed in ink Josia Pack Liber Septembris rrvi a d 1727, brass clasps, 20 x 16cm, accounts indexed, unpagenated
An unusually well preserved and interesting picture of an early Georgian Quaker Mercer and Shopkeeper in a rural English market town.
Josiah Pack (January 13, 1714-May 1, 1768) spent his entire life in Alton. He was the son of Samuel and Mary Pack of Alton. Josiah Pack was buried in the Quaker burial ground adjoining the Meeting House. Almost all of the entries are for the sale of cloth. This example to William Benford is typical: 21.3.1748 "45y[ards] nutmeg-drab chequ'd Drugg[ett] 2s 4d". Several of his customers were contra creditors, including John Churchill, the owner of a vessel "at Pole" [Poole] in which Pack had a quarter share. On 5 March 1761 he paid Churchill 6s 3d "for the carriage of a cask of wine from Gosport"
Excellent condition
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