A small bill Joseph Pollard presented to the estate of John Fornes for blacksmith work done in 1839: shrinking an iron tire onto a wheel, a job that kept a cart or wagon wheel tight. He swore to the account before Alderson Ellison, Justice of the Peace, on March 12, 1840, so that the administrator could pay it out of the estate.
Account of Joseph Pollard against the estate of John Fornes, deceased – 1839–1840
Transcription notes: spelling, capitalization and punctuation follow the original. Words in [square brackets] are editorial notes; [?] marks an uncertain reading and [illegible] marks words that could not be read.
Jo[hn …] [the rest of this first line is blotted out with ink]
Estate of John Fornes Decd.
1839 To Joseph Pollard Dr. [debtor]
For Shrinking Tire on wheell 3/- [three shillings] .30
Sworne to before me March 12th 1840
Ald. Ellison J.P. [Justice of the Peace]
Joseph Pollard
[Back:]
Estate of John Fornes
To [the rest is torn away]
About the original
The charge is written both in the old reckoning (3 shillings) and in dollars (30 cents). North Carolinians were still keeping accounts in shillings and pence long after the dollar became the official currency.
The first line of the bill was scratched out with a heavy stroke of ink and cannot be read. The bottom of the back is torn away.
Source: Account of Joseph Pollard against the estate of John Fornes, deceased. Roach Family Papers (#346), East Carolina Manuscript Collection, J. Y. Joyner Library, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, Box 1, Folder b (Inventories, Wills, and Estates, 1783–1868). Collection guide. Digitized folder: ECU Digital Collections, 0346-b1-fb.
Images courtesy of East Carolina Manuscript Collection, J. Y. Joyner Library, East Carolina University. View in ECU Digital Collections: 35974.
Part of the Roach Family Papers collection on East Carolina Roots.
