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Salah Barnard's Account Book

(c) Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, Deerfield MA. All rights reserved.
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Like other shopkeepers in the eighteenth century, Salah Barnard kept daily accounts of what his customers bought, how much they owed, and if anything was used as a credit. In these pages from Barnard's account of 1765, Abijah Prince, a former slave, is listed as both a debtor and creditor. Abijah is credited "By a Day Work" and by doing specific things like reaping and making mortar. His debts range from purchasing goods like sugar and nails, to using other men's labor for running his own farm. These entries show that the economy in Deerfield, Massachusetts included men working on each other's farms when tasks like reaping and haying were performed. Using other men's slaves or indentured servants is evident with entries such as "to my Man & Cattle to get hay".

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