Smithsonian Libraries

Peter Spicer notebook, 1805-1806

Summary

Collection ID:
SIL-DL.qMSS001770
Creators:
Spicer, Peter, 1795-1873
Dates:
1805-1806
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
1 Volume
53 pages
33 cm.
Repository:
Notebook kept by Peter Spicer for recording arithmetical concepts and exercises as a young student, with an emphasis on business and bookkeeping-related skills. Some of the topics covered include: Federal money; simple interest; brokerage; insurance; compound interest; annuities; loss and gain; conjoined proportion; vulgar fractions; decimal fractions; arithmetical progression; and geometrical progression; among others.

Biographical/Historical note

Biographical/Historical note
Born in Preston, Conn. on 7 Dec. 1795, and died in Westminster, Conn. on 24 June 1873. Carpenter, wheelwright, soldier in the War of 1812, innkeeper and local postmaster.

More Information

General note

General note
Handwritten in black, red, and green inks, with some small doodles throughout.
General note
"Began to cipher the 10th day of December, A.D. 1805, Preston, in the county of New London [Connecticut]"--p. 1; "Peter Spicer's ciphering book, January 13th, 1806, Preston"--P. 19.

Local Notes

Local Notes
SCDIRB copy 39088014409213 has water stains, primarily on the upper third of the volume, somewhat affecting the legibility of the handwriting.
SCDIRB copy has bookplate: Smithsonian Institution Libraries. Gift of Mr. Stephen Harper.
SCDIRB copy has the original paper cover made from pages of a contemporary newspaper that have been glued and stitched together. Housed in an archival envelope for preservation.


Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Arithmetic -- Early works to 1900 Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Arithmetic -- Problems, exercises, etc. Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Bookkeeping Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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