Conditions Governing Use

Before publishing quotations or excerpts from any materials, permission must be obtained from the Curator of Manuscripts and Rare Books, and the holder of the copyright, if not Swem Library.

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open to all researchers. Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations, such as the Virginia Public Records Act (Code of Virginia. § 42.1-76-91); and the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (Code of Virginia § 2.2-3705.5). Confidential material may include, but is not limited to, educational, medical, and personnel records. If sensitive material is found in this collection, please contact a staff member immediately. The disclosure of personally identifiable information pertaining to a living individual may have legal consequences for which the College of William and Mary assumes no responsibility.

Custodial History

This collection was formerly identified as Mss. Acc. 2010.192.

Preferred Citation

Silas Howe Journal, Special Collections Research Center, Swem Library, College of William and Mary.

Scope and Contents

Journal of Silas Howe of Marlboro, Massachusetts, listing accounts and transactions for both the sale of shoe making products (gum, buffers, sole leather, awls, thread, heels, pegs, lasts, etc.) and services rendered (trimming, making edges, lasting, whipping, pegging, buffing, heeling, etc.). Silas Howe was both a cobbler himself, and also operated a putting-out system by supplying material to other cobblers or workmen. Included are the names of customers of Howe's services as well as names of those who were a part of this cottage industry: Edwin Warner, Daniel Peirce, Richard Whitaker, Parker Lawrence, James Tucker, Ormond Cook, Otis Morse, and others.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• Cottage industries--United States
• Shoemakers--Massachusetts--History--19th century
• Shoemakers--United States.