Ridgely Account Books, 1732-1884, MS 691

Ridgely Account Books, 1732-1884

Maryland Historical Society

(Text converted and initial EAD tagging provided by Apex Data Services, March 1999.)

Ridgely Account Books, 1732-1884
Maryland Historical Society

Contact Information:
Manuscripts Department
Maryland Historical Society Library
201 West Monument Street
Baltimore MD 21201-4674
410.685.3750
Fax: 410.385.2105
library@mdhs.org
www.mdhs.org

Descriptive Summary

Ridgely Account Books, 1732-1884

MS 691

Maryland Historical Society

Baltimore MD 21201-4674

Scope and Content Note

In October 1977 the Ridgely Account Books were reorganized. The categories remain the same as the old organization, but those listed miscellaneous have been integrated into the categories. The cumbersome alpha-numeric system has been dispensed with. The categories under which the collection has been arranged are as follows: Col. Charles Ridgely (1702/3-1772) Records; Northampton Furnace Records; Capt. Charles Ridgely (1733 -1790) Records; Macdonald and Ridgely Records; Eliza E. [Ridgely] Ridgely Records; John Ridgely Records; Charles Ridgely Records; and Samuel Sterett Records.

Preface

The Maryland Historical Society has 9 major collections

Ridgely Account Books MS. 691; Ridgely Papers MS. 692 and MS. 692.1; Ridgely-Pue Papers MS. 693; Ridgely Family Papers MS. 1127; Helen West Stewart Ridgely Collection MS. 715; Helen Ridgely Family Papers MS. 715.1; Ridgely-Stewart Papers MS. 716; Ridgely-Dorsey Papers MS: 717.

with papers pertaining to Ridgely family members. The papers in these 9 collections have been brought together because the people represented were all descendents of Robert Ridgely and, after 1789, all lived part of their lives at the family estate Hampton in Baltimore County. The papers were given to the Maryland Historical Society in small groups from 1935 until 1966, and each group was then given a separate manuscript number. The papers, however, appear to have all come from Hampton (with the exception of the Ridgely-Pue Papers). Therefore, these papers are most understandable if studied as a whole.

The purpose of this register is to do just that. By discussing all 9 collections together it is hoped the original order of the papers will become clear. Because much research has been done on the collections as 9 separate entities, these artificial collections have been retained. This register will attempt to relatedeach collection to the others so that researchers can more easily find pertinent materials.

The Introduction will give a brief biographical sketch of each Ridgely family member represented. These sketches will also direct researchers to materials in all 9 collections that deal with each individual. Following the Introduction will be a separate register for each of the 9 collections. Each register has a scope and content note, a description of each family member's papers in that collection, and a container list. There is also a name index to the Introduction and nine registers.

Col. Charles Ridgely Records

Col. Charles Ridgely (1702/3-1772) was a merchant in [Patapsco, Md.]. His records (1732-1755), 10 volumes, are the ledgers and daybooks from his store.

Northampton [UNK] Records

These records (1772-1827) are ledgers, journals, daybooks, time books, and ironware record books recording output. There is one ledger (1782-1785) labelled Ridgely's Forge and possibly refers to Northampton Furnace. It is in Box 2.

Most records deal with the furnace's management, but some reveal information about the workers. The time books (1775-1827) are monthly records of amounts of time worked. There is also a description of white servants which was written in 1772 to aid identification of runaways. An account (1772-1775) records clothing alotted workers. There are also 3 account books (1784-1788) for a blacksmith and carpenter.

The workers' accounts for food and liquor [at a company store?] might be the accounts in 7 ledgers (1785-1821) in Boxes 25 and 26. A similar ledger of groceries and liquor (1780-1782) is in MS. 1127 Box 5, and 2 other ledgers (1787-1791) are in

MS. 716, Box 6. Account books in Capt. Charles Ridgely's hand were separated from the Northampton Furnace Records, but some of these ledgers (Boxes 19-24) might belong with the grocery ledgers mentioned above.

Capt. Charles Ridgely Records

In addition Ridgely's partnership in Northampton he imported large quantities of English goods to Maryland. He bought the goods from English merchants through various agents especially James Russell, William Molleson, and Mildred and Roberts. He repaid the agents with cargoes of pig iron, tobacco, and lumber.

While the records of Ridgely's Northampton furnace activities are in the Northampton Furnace Record books (Boxes 3-15), the account books listed in his name (Boxes 16-24) appear to refer solely to his mercantile activities and his personal accounts. (There is a chance, however, some of the Charles Ridgely ledgers, Boxes 19-24 do deal with furnace accounts.) The mercantile records consist of daybooks, journals, ledgers, and cashbooks. He formed several partnerships over the years, and there are records of his final partnership Ridgely and Lux. These account books seem to record Ridgely's business transactions, but some ledgers list the number of hogs slaughtered annually and others list personal transactions.

Nicholas G. Ridgely

Nicholas G. Ridgely (1771-1829) was the father of Eliza E. [Ridgely] Ridgely. He was a grocery merchant in the Baltimore firm of Macdonald and Ridgely. The account books of this firm consist only one one ledger (1797) and 3 journals (1797-1801, 1821-23). There are 2 letterbooks (1819-1839) which shed more light on the firm's extensive business especially with customers in Ohio and Tennessee. These letterbooks complement Nicholas G. Ridgely's incoming letters in MS. 692.

Eliza E. Ridgely Records

Eliza E. [Ridgely] Ridgely (1803-1867) married her distant relative John Ridgely of Hampton (1792-1867). Her records consist of a clothing record for servants at Hampton and 3 volumes (1838-1848) of personal and household expenses. One of these volumes (travel account book, 1846-1847) has a brief description of her treatment at a water cure establishment in Austria.

John Ridgely Records

The records of John Ridgely (1792-1867) are 2 ledgers (1829-1870) of accounts with [Hampton?] workers and 2 memoranda books (1830-1871) listing cash he spent 1830-1867. The second memoranda book appears to have been kept for John by his son Charles and is continued by Charles until 1871.

Charles Ridgely Records

Charles Ridgely was the son of Eliza E. and John Ridgely. His records are a memoranda book (1850-1865) and an account of farm [Hampton] expenses (1864-1870).

Samuel Sterett Records

Samuel Sterett (1756-1833) was a [nephew?] of Capt. Charles Ridgely and was a notary public. His records are 12 volumes of notarized documents. They deal with protested bank notes for the Bank of Maryland, Bank of Baltimore, the Office of Discount and Deposit, and the Mechanics Bank.

Microfilm List

Reel 1

(Box 1)

Col. Charles Ridgely Ledger

1732-1735

Reel 1

(Box 1)

Col. Charles Ridgely Ledger

1734-36

Reel 1

(Box 1)

Col. Charles Ridgely Daybook

1740

Reel 1

(Box 1)

Col. Charles Ridgely Daybook

1741

Reel 1

(Box 1)

Col. Charles Ridgely Daybook

1742

Reel 2

(Box 1)

Col. Charles Ridgely Daybook

1742-43

Reel 2

(Box 1)

Col. Charles Ridgely Daybook

1745

Reel 2

(Box 1)

Col. Charles Ridgely Daybook

1746-47

Reel 3

(Box 2)

Col. Charles Ridgely Daybook

n.d.

Reel 3

(Box 2)

Col. Charles Ridgely Daybook

1746

Reel 3

(Box 2)

Col. Charles Ridgely Daybook

1748

Reel 3

(Box 2)

Col. Charles Ridgely Daybook

5/5-10/29/1749

Reel 3

(Box 2)

Col. Charles Ridgely Daybook

1753-55

Reel 3

(Box 2)

Ridgely Forge Ledger

1782-1785

Reel 3

(Box 3)

Northampton Furnace Journal

1782-83

Reel 3

(Box 3)

Northampton Furnace Journal

1783-84

Reel 3

(Box 3)

Northampton Furnace Journal

1775-78

Reel 3

(Box 4)

Northampton Furnace Journal

1784-85

Reel 4

(Box 4)

Northampton Furnace Journal

1785-87

Reel 4

(Box 4)

Northampton Furnace Journal

1787-88

Reel 4

(Box 4)

Fragments, Account books

1765, 1789, n.d.

Reel 4

(Box 5)

Northampton Furnace Journal

1790-96

Reel 4

(Box 5)

Northampton Furnace Journal

1796-99

Reel 5

(Box 6)

Northampton Furnace Journal

1810-18

Reel 5

(Box 6)

Northampton Furnace Journal

1819 (February to April)

Reel 5

(Box 6)

Northampton Furnace Journal

1824 (March to November)

Reel 5

(Box 6)

Northampton Furnace Journal

1825 (July to September)

Reel 5

(Box 6)

Northampton Furnace Journal

1826-27 (January to October)

Reel 5

(Box 7)

Northampton Furnace Ledger

1780-82

(Much decayed, part not filmed)

Reel 6

(Box 7)

Northampton Furnace Ledger

1783

Reel 6

(Box 7)

Northampton Furnace Ledger

1783-85,

2 vols.

Reel 7

(Box 8)

Northampton Furnace Ledger

1789-90

Reel 7

(Box 9)

Northampton Furnace Ledger

1794-96

Reel 8

(Box 10)

Northampton Furnace Ledger

1806-08

Reel 8

(Box 10)

Northampton Furnace Ledger

1810-15

Reel 8

(Box 11

Northampton Furnace Daybook

1788-89

Reel 9

(Box 11)

Northampton Furnace Ledger

1816-21

Reel 9

(Box 12)

Northampton Furnace Daybook

1789-90

Reel 9

(Box 12)

Northampton Furnace Daybook

1793-95

Reel 10

(Box 13)

Northampton Furnace Daybook

1815-21

Reel 10

(Box 13)

Northampton Furnace Daybook

1821-24

Reel 10

(Box 13)

Northampton Furnace Daybook

1826-27

Reel 11

(Box 14)

Iron Ware Record Book

1781-82

Reel 11

(Box 14)

Iron Ware Record Book

1802-19

Reel 11

(Box 14)

Iron Ware Record Book

1810-18

Reel 11

(Box 14)

Iron Ware Record Book

1811-18

Reel 11

(Box 14)

Iron Ware Record Book

1811-15

Reel 11

(Box 14)

Iron Ware Record Book

1819-27

Reel 11

(Box 14)

Description of white servants

1772

Reel 11

(Box 14)

Workers' Clothing Book

1772-75

Reel 11

(Box 14)

Blacksmith's Ledger

1784, 1787-88

(2 vols.)

Reel 11

(Box 14)

Carpenter's Ledger

1787

Reel 11

(Box 14)

Sawmill Ledger

1791-94

Reel 12

(Box 15)