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THOMAS TAYLOR TURNBULL : 1847 - 1921 ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT LEDGER AND JOURNAL OF A HARD WORKING PRE CONFEDERATION SOUTH WESTERN ONTARIO MAN DETAILING A LIFE OF HARD WORK AND ENTERPRISE

4to - over 9¾" - 12" tall. On offer is a super pre-Confederation manuscript relic of south western Upper Canada economy, finance, business and enterprise being an 1847 through to 1921 farm ledger handwritten by Thomas Taylor Turnbull a farmer in Dumfries, Ontario, Canada. The Ledger spans a long time period with entries beginning in 1847 and ending in 1921. The fep is hand stamped 'Lesslie Brothers Toronto' and within the circle of the stamp in tiny precise handwriting the book is dated '1847 Thomas Taylor Turnbull Dumfries'. Turnbull records his expenditures, purchases, repairs, all the names of his workers, who owes him and who he owes. The ledger is much more than a simple record of his farm business, it reveals his lifestyle, dozens of names, employees work records, names of people he pays for products and services, and how he measures his monetary work life in shillings, cords and bushels, what he grew, where he sold his goods, his mortgage payments, how he works on plastering the exterior of the school house and pays school taxes and donates to the church. He dies in 1902 and there is a page that refers to this through the Transfer of the farm to John in 1904. There is also an unusual record of how Turnbull and his wife's bodies and monument were moved in the cemetery in Komoka, Ontario in 1921. There are numerous entries 1903 -1921 by his son Robert they are very interesting to compare with the early entries 1847 - 1890. The later entries mention brand names of products bought, milk tickets, electric, film development, Hamilton Spectator newspaper, Presbyterian church, railroad fare, street car tickets etc, one can immediately imagine the time shift from rural farm life to the more urban life simply be reading what was purchased. A receipt for the purchase of a phonograph in London, Ontario may indicate a move to a city by Robert [R.B. Turnbull]. There are a few ephemeral pieces tucked in including a super broadside 'flyer' detailing a grocer's sale. In total there are 92 pages relating to 1847 - 1890 and then 24 pages 1890 -1921 for a total of 116 pages. Save for rubbing and general ageing the 8½" x 10" book is G+.. Manuscript. Book Condition: Good+

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