Invoice, O. Cobb & Co. to Rigdon, Smith & Cowdery, 13 October 1836
Source Note
S. E. Darling on behalf of O. Cobb & Co., Invoice, , New York Co., NY, to , [, Geauga Co., OH], 13 Oct. 1836; printed form with manuscript additions in handwriting of S. E. Darling; one page; JS Office Papers, CHL. Includes endorsement and docket.
Single leaf measuring 6½ x 7⅝ inches (17 x 19 cm). The top and left edges of the document have the square cut of manufactured paper; the bottom and right edges of the form are torn, suggesting it was removed from a form book or separated from a series of several printed forms on a page. Printed in black ink in the top right corner is the date line, business logo, and address for O. Cobb & Co. in several font types. Two horizontal black lines divide the printed text from inscribed text. The document was trifolded vertically. Graphite insertions appear throughout the invoice in the handwriting of , ca. 1836. Marcellus Cowdery docketed the verso of the second panel: “O. Cobb & Co. | Fish. | $217.88”.
This document was in the possession of church agents who purchased fish from O. Cobb & Co. in . It was subsequently given to , who compared the contents of the invoice with the goods received. Based on the docket by Cowdery, the invoice was in church possession by 1837, suggesting continuous institutional custody.
The size and weight of a barrel varied and was often dependent on whether the contents were liquid or solid. In the United States, statutes generally regulated that a barrel should contain 28 to 31½ gallons. (“Barrel,” in American Dictionary [1828].)
An American Dictionary of the English Language: Intended to Exhibit, I. the Origin, Affinities and Primary Signification of English Words, as far as They Have Been Ascertained. . . . Edited by Noah Webster. New York: S. Converse, 1828.
“A close vessel for containing liquors, formed by staves, heading and hoops. This is a general term comprehending the pipe, hogshead, butt, barrel, etc.” (“Cask,” in American Dictionary [1828].)
An American Dictionary of the English Language: Intended to Exhibit, I. the Origin, Affinities and Primary Signification of English Words, as far as They Have Been Ascertained. . . . Edited by Noah Webster. New York: S. Converse, 1828.