These are excerpts from two pages of Jonathan Ashley’s account book. Page 11 dates to 1752, and page 37 dates to 1756. Jonathan Ashley lived in Deerfield, Massachusetts, and owned Titus and Cato. The work that they did on page 11 was for Asa Childs. “Childs Asa Debtor” means that Mr. Childs owed Mr. Ashley for the work that Titus and Cato did. In 1756, the two men worked for Abijah Prince, who was a free Black man. Titus and Cato were also loaned out to work for Mr. Sheldon, Lieutenant Field, and Mr. Hawks, who were White men.

An old system of money was used to record values. In the series of 3 numbers, the first refers to pounds, the second to shillings, and the third to pence (or pennies). An entry such as “0-15-0” can be read as 0 pounds, 15 shillings, and 0 pence.

You can view the original pages of Jonathan Ashley’s account book here: Pages from Rev. Jonathan Ashley’s account book

Jonathan Ashley, pg. 11

Childs Asa Debtor
Days work of Titus Dunging1 in holes for planting	0	15	0
Days work of Cato reaping2 oats
Days work Titus picking Corn
Days work Titus thrashing3
½ a day of Titus mending fence little meadow
1 days work Cato about Hay
Days work Cato picking Corn
½ a day Cato Husking
2 days Titus mowing
1 days work picking Corn & taking up flax
½ days work of thrashing 27 of oct.
2 days going into ye woods to mend roads
Janry4 2 days thrashings
Feb 4 days thrashing

Glossary

1. Dunging: using manure as fertilizer
2. Reaping: gathering a crop
3. Thrashing: to separate seeds from stalks by beating
4. Janry: January

Jonathan Ashley, pg. 37

Cato a Day for (37) coming to N. Hampton
Abijah Negro Debt Decem. 1756
	to a yoke of Cattle 1 day	0	10	0
1756	Feb to 1/2 a days thrashing for Lt Field	0	7	6
	to Titus & Cato 1 day dressing flax1	1	10	0
	to Titus & Cato thrashing 1 day for Shelden	1	10	0
	to Titus Day Cutting wood	0	15	0
	to Titus 3 days Sugaring2	1	10	0
May 15	to Cato & 3 Cattle a Day	1	10	0
May 16	to Cato & a Horse a Day	1	10	0
18	to Cato plowing a day	0	15	0
June 9	to Titus & Cato to How3 & a horse to harrow4	1	10	0
June 10	to Titus & Cato to How & a horse to harrow	1	10	0
June 11	too Cato & Horse to How & Harrow	0	15	0
June 15	to Cato a day to How	0	15	0
		13	17	6
June 24	Due to mean balance5	0	17	6
June 25	debtor to Titus days Howing	0	15	0
June 30	to Cato a days Houghing6	0	15	0
July 1	to Titus & Cato 1/2 a days Houghing	0	15	0
July 29	to Titus & Catos Howing	1	10	0
August 1	to Catos pulling flax	0	15	0
August 4	to Titus Mowing a day	1	0	0
Septem 4	to Titus 1/2 a day mowing	0	10	0
		6	17	6
Sept. 8	to half a day Titus Cutting Stalks	0	7	6
15	to Cato mowing & raking up stalks	0	10	0
20	to Titus mowing for Shelden til 2 of Clock	0	12	0
24	to Cato & the Team to fetch hay from Pasture land	0	12	0
Oct. 6	to Catos fetching a load of Corn flour N. Fort	0	10	0
10	to Cato & the team to bring in Stalks	1	3	0
		10	12	0
Oct. 18	to Titus Draining a day	1	0	0
31	to Titus thrashing a day for W Hawks	0	15	0
Nov 22	to a Team to fetch wood	0	12	0
Decem. 27	to Titus 1/2 day killing hoggs	0	6	6
March 24	to Catos Dressing flax begin at 10 Clock	0	12	0
april 7	to Wood	0	15	0
	Catos plowing	0	15	0
		15	12	6

Glossary

1. Dressing flax: preparing flax for spinning
2. Sugaring: making maple sugar
3. How: hoe
4. Harrow: to break up and smooth out soil before planting
5. Mean balance: middle balance of the account
6. Houghing: hoeing