James Madison University Libraries Special Collections
880 Madison DriveSuzanne Wilson and Matt Wagner, Tiffany Cole
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[identification of item], [item #, box #], Samuel Peyton Dagg Ledger, 1871-1896, SC 0214, Special Collections, Carrier Library, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Va.
Donated by Dan Stickley in April 2009 with the Eleanor McCartney Papers.
Several newspaper clippings along with some scraps inserted into the pages that have been extracted and rehoused in a separate folder.
In order to streamline the process of applying collection numbers, Special Collections staff completed a large-scale renumbering campaign in 2017-2018. This collection was previously cataloged as SC 5040.
Samuel Peyton Dagg lived and worked as a tailor in Cross Keys, Virginia. He also served as a captain in the Regular Army. Dagg was born ca. 1819 in Loudon County, Virginia and lived with his mother Elizabeth until her death. After his mother's death, Dagg was noted as living as a recluse in a home he owned on the Keezletown Road between Cross Keys and Meyerhoeffer's Store.
Dagg died October 29, 1898 and willed all of his property to the American Bible Society.
The Samuel Peyton Dagg Ledger, 1871-1896, primarily documents Dagg's business transactions as a tailor. The ledger records customer names and accounts, services performed by Dagg (repairing, sewing, cutting patterns, etc.) and related charges. Customer accounts also include purchases of foodstufs and perishables.
In addition to business transactions, the ledger includes Dagg's lists on sundry topics and recipes for home remedies, for example the price of various coins (p. 150-151), how to properly introduce oneself to others (p. 148), the pronunciations of different names (p 161-163), and a list of famous authors and their hometowns (p. 143). Home remedies for warts, toothaches, and dropsy and recipes for rice pudding and bread pudding are included.
The collection is arranged chronologically with loose papers foldered separately.