About Item:

A daybook or wastebook is where business people kept their records. This entry from 1769 shows who the customer was, what Paul made for them, and how much it cost. Sometimes people would bring in their own silver to have it made into something new. In these cases, Revere would weigh the item before and after the project to make sure the customer was getting the same amount of silver back that they originally brought in (see Robert Hooper’s entry for his silver coffee pot). Why do you think that is?

Read excerpted transcription here

Read modernized transcription here

Glossary Terms:

• Pounds—British Currency
• Shillings—An English coin. One shilling was made up of 12 pence, and 20 shillings equaled one pound (symbol £). Amounts in English money were written in the following manner: £ 3/12/9 (3 Pounds, 12 shillings, 9 pence)
• Cann—A tall cup, usually metal with a handle, similar to a mug

Collection of the Massachusetts Historical Society