Best Diary

Nov. r 99 Sometime the beginning of this month brother Thomas returned from that expedition from Holland to London

Nov. r 28, 1799 Mr. Jn o [John] Mullett [?] was married to wife Sarah Hollway at Spicoland Meeting house in [illeg.] County of Devon.

Nov. r 9 99 Gave my first order to Butler Brothers, Birmingham for coffin plates, etc., hinges, etc. etc.

Aug t 28 Died Mr. William Bryant, Att r. aged 33 this our fair he was born on a fair day and in the same room he died. His brother Jn o [John] died in June.

My father, mother, Samuel, Thomas, Robert, Ann Dover, James Dover, Sally

and Henry Best, Joseph Jackson, Fanny Porter, Robert Hunt and William

Chapman, left Ilminster to journey on to Bristol in Jacob Larcombes wagon to embark in the Roebuck – Capt n . Raser, Bound to Philadelphia. The above with Thomas’s wife and Sister Dover’s child, myself excepted set sail on Monday morning from King Road 17 th August 1801. They arrived at Philadelphia on Friday evening the 25 th of September.

On account of a suspicion of my being a Mechanic and an objection arising at

the Custom House to my taking out some tools and utensils contrary to law I

was prevented from accompanying my friends – but through Mr. William

Bower’s interests—I was assisted in

to pass at the custom house at Bristol by Wm. Cornelius Fry, Glass Bottle Manufacturer [in] Old Market and got a passage in the Brutus, Capt n . John

Bunce, to Philadelphia, the vessel was the property of Mr. John Warder,

merchant of that city. We departed from Mud Dock in the city of Bristol on Sunday morning the 6 th of September 1801 at 6 o’clock p.m. in company with

Jacob and James Ashman from Bath and a girl in the cabin –------------ Morreen

Mate ––----------

We arrived at Philadelphia on Thursday the 15 th of October. Some part of the

goods were forwarded to Pittsburgh prior to my arrival and all the party beside

my father, mother and Fanny Porter ––– and Joseph Jackson who procured

employment in the vicinity of Philadelphia were gone forward to Pittsburgh. We left it on the 6 th of Nov. with all our luggage and after a fatiguing journey we arrived at Pitt[sburgh] the 23 rd. on Tuesday the 1 st of Dec. we left

Pittsburgh. Chapman, Hunt, Dover, wife and child went down the river in a

trade boat belonging to Humphrey and Co. storekeepers, Harrodsburg on Saturday the 28 th 4 days before us. We proceeded down without any

material hinderance till we got on Grape Island. In the morning after we got in

the water about knee deep and with levers we hove her off the gravel after

about 1 hour’s hard work—and proceeded till within about 40 miles of

Wheeland [ sic. Wheeling] where we engaged with one Cuppy to pilot us to

Wheeling for 3 dollars after which we came on by ourselves till we fell in with a

large Orleans Boat belonging to Creton, Glass, etc.—to whom we lashed

ourselves and proceeded on to Limestone very agreeably. We passed Killikanic Creek on the 15 th of December and arrived at Limestone the next evening on the 17 th . Thomas and myself set out for Bourbon at which place we arrived on Saturday evening following – sent off a wagon for the remainder of the party which did not get here till Saturday evening the 26 th . Sunday morning the 27 th , James Dover, Wife, and Wm. Chapman left Bourbon for Lexington. On Jan y . the 1 st 1802 being New Year’s Day we found to our great mortification we had picked up the itch on our journey—and this evening Samuel Best anointed himself for the cure of it. On Wednesday 30 th December I worked for

the first time at the watch business for one Phillips at Bourbon. Henry Best this

same day at one Allentrass and the day after Thomas Best procured work at the

tinplate working at one Batterton in Bourbon.

Cincinnati Oct r . 2 nd 1809

French Blank

Celia Pain

straightening Verge & Cock 75 Bankin Paid to setting up balance wheel and cleaned - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -2 17. ½ ---------------------------------------------ll----------------------------------------- Paid mainspring - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 2 ------ ---------------------------------------------ll----------------------------------------- Paid click & fuzee [ sic. ] hook - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- -- 1 ------ ---------------------------------------------ll----------------------------------------- Jn o Clark assumed by mending & piece to chain & cleaned - - - - - - - - -J. Smith, R d bottom 1 37 ½ ---------------------------------------------ll----------------------------------------- Jos. Manley London 3044 by W m . Lynes Case + double cased French Blank Mr. Walker Wm. Cross London 699

Watches of the era could have one, two or three cases

A click and fuzee are watch parts

a pottance is a watch part

11 th Barthelony Paris No 1475

W m Wallace Gaibor

new main wheel & repairing fuzee [ sic. ] 38 pottance foot 1$ pair hands 1$ freeing work cleaned etc. etc. 12 ½ ---------------------------------------------ll-----------------------------------------

Watch- maker Duroy worked in Paris in the 18 th century

------ 6

Du Roia [ sic. ] & Fila No. 34192 Paid screw to dial freeing work xtal [crystal] cleaned etc. - - - - - - - - - - - - - 4 --- ---------------------------------------------ll----------------------------------------- David K. Este

9 th Fra s . Gates London 2318

Robert Mosby

foot hole repairing Cock do. freeing balance

Paid

wheel from pendulum & verge colleter & cleaned --------- ---------------------------------------------ll-----------------------------------------

1 12 ½

J Clark London 663

Mr. Blackman

foot hole repairing balance wheel setting

Paid

up do. freeing work setting cantrite wheel repairing couk hole xtal [crystal] & cleaned- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 3 12 ½

A cantrite wheel is a watch part

Charged to D. Cast

1809

Oct 9 t Breguet a Paris

Jn o . H. Johnson

Screw to dial sodering [ sic. ] in Pillar freeing work backing & cleaned- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Paid Bankin - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - ------ ---- 50 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- J Edmonds London 401 Walkers negro Cleaned & Christal [ sic. ] - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Paid 1 75 double cased French Blank Mr. Hosler

12 th

13 th

12 ½

-------------------------------------II------------------------------------------------

Painted dial Ray & Son London 491

the same Paid

Sodering [ sic. ] pendant xtal [crystal] & cleaned

1

25

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rob t, Strowd ***** ******

14 Cased painted back’d

London 181185 Paid Cleaned from water- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 1 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

25

16 double cased French Blank

Isaac Mickey

screw to fuzee [ sic. ] cap, bankin, tightning [ sic. ] cannon pinion & cleaned

1

37 ½

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

18 double cased F.B. Jos h Hawkings Paid mainspring - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 2

------

1809

Oct 20 Tho s Leader London 9716

John Wisler

sechond [ sic. ] hand repairing balance [ sic. ] wheel riveting pillars Christal [ sic. ] and Paid Cleaned - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 2 75 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

24 Cass t Warranted N o 123

Jesse Reader

freeing work scapeing [ sic. ] Christal [ sic. ] and Paid Cleaned - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ----- 2 -------------------------------------------ll---------------------------------------- Leslie & Price Philadelphia No 153 Cleaned - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - W m Marshall ---------------------------------------------ll--------------------------------------- Paid

------

62 ½

Harrington London 1597

the same

Paid

tightning [ sic. ] cannon pinion & cleaned 72 ---------------------------------------------ll---------------------------------------

French Blank

the same

pair gilt hands Christal [ sic. ] freeing Paid works & cleaned- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 2 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

37 ½

25 Romilly Paris

Edward H. Stall

charged in DB.P. 53 freeing work & cleaned- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 75 ---------------------------------------------ll---------------------------------------

Ja s Probert HAY 9635

Tho s Sloo

pair of pierced Z hands & cisering [ sic. ] Cock so as to free & up ballance [ sic. ] - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 2

50

Rec in part 1$

19 th June

Acct. of Henry Wallace’s Work

1812

[day] [order]

Done for S.B.

One set tea spoons

1 2

25 50

“”

25

2 do. do. [do. is abbreviation for “ditto”] 75 set plated head Hantle (sic.) Mending a watch key Mending sword scabbard do. Breat [ sic. ] pin 6 ¼. 2 sets teaspoons 2.50 Making extra piece to cantle for 1 saddle for Judge Symmes Mending 2 rings & breast pin Making 2 swivells for J. Symmes sword Making 2 slides for stirrups do. umbrella 12 1/2 do. ring 9 do. 61 silver Eagles @10 cts do. 1 soup spoon----Bryson------- Mend g . sugar tongs & tea spoons do. 2 teaspoons G. Wingate 3 buckles & 10 slides Mend. Ring 9 cts. Do. pr sugar tongs 12 ½ “ “ “ 1 “ “ 6 2 “ “ do. an earring 12 ½. Making chain & hook to a sword for Mr. Potter ---75-- - “ “ “ 2 1

July

1

28 87 ½

18 3/4

12 ½ 56 ¼

31 1/4

21 ½

12 1/2

28 28

62 1/2 21 1/2

10 50 50

12 ½

87 1/2

A dirk is a type of dagger

Mend g . a dirk -- 25--

“ 3

25

Making 9 ½ sett [ sic .] silver head cantle 8 ozs @ 37 ¼

56 ¼

Ring to dirk scabbard

“ “ “ 2

6 ¼

Mend g . umbrella

12 ½ 27 ¾

do. ring 9. watch key 18 ¼

Making 2 silver Infantry plates for Cap n . Adams & Cochran Mounting Col l . Riddles sword scabbard

--

2

--

Rep d . scabbard of sword

“

9

57 78 ½

Ammt. brought up ---------------------------------------------------------- 57 78 ½

Mend g . 2 spoons & 3 gold rings Casting one day (not spueing [ sic .]) Making head and tip for cane Mounting sword scabbard for Dr. Roberts

56 ¼

1 “ 2 “ 2 “ “ “ 1 1 2

“

62 ½

“

Making a silver buckle for do.

58

Mend g . a parasol 6 ¼ mounting scabbard 2 Mend g . a dirk 6 ¼ soldering a sword scabbd. 12 ½ do. umbrella 18 ¾ do. piece in a watch case 25 ct.

6 ¼

18 ¾ 43 ¾ 87 ½

head & ferule on a cane (short) 9 pair extra pieces for cantles Cutting out 90 copper eagles

“ “ “

Gen l . Taylor’s sword

$71

11 ½

United States License to Make Silverware, April 24, 1815, John J. Rowe Collection, Cincinnati Historical Society