The daybook of the Manakin Iron Works recorded the business transactions Richmond, Virginia, as they occurred daily. The volume was perhaps maintained by Groves, James, and Company, an agent in Richmond for the iron works. Information found in entries includes name of customer, date of transaction, items purchased, quantity of items purchased, cost of each item, form of payment, expenses paid, and total amount owed or paid. Nails were the main item sold by the iron works. The company's expenses include charcoal, tolls, advertising, hauling goods, and labor. The page numbers found in entries correspond with page numbers found in the Ledger of the Manakin Iron Works, 1847-1848.

The ledger recorded the accounts of individual customers and the company's controlling accounts. Each account lists transactions in chronological order. Information found in each entry includes date of transaction, style of transaction, form of payment, and the amount owed and paid. The ledger does not list the names of items purchased, rather it uses general terms such as "Manakin Sales" or "Sundries." The page numbers found in entries correspond with page numbers found in the Daybook of the Manakin Iron Works, 1847-1848. Volume includes an index that lists customers and accounts in alphabetical order.

The daybook recorded transactions related to the iron works as they occurred daily. Transactions relate to debts incurred by the iron works, customers of the iron works, and individuals or companies who acted as agents for the iron works. Information found in entries include date of transaction, names of individuals or companies involved in transaction, style of transaction, and amount owed or paid. Transactions involved payment for labor, payment to accounts, and payment of expenses. Page numbers found in entries correspond with page numbers found in Ledger of the Manakin Iron Works, 1849-1850. Numerous pages are missing because they were torn from volume.

The ledger recorded the accounts of individual customers and the company's controlling accounts. Each account lists transactions in chronological order. Information found in each entry includes date of transaction, style of transaction, form of payment, and the amount owed and paid. The ledger lists the names of individuals or companies the customer transacted with or a general term such as "Merchandise" or "Sundries." Page numbers found in entries correspond with page numbers found in the Daybook of the Manakin Iron Works, 1849-1850. Volume includes an index that lists customers and accounts in alphabetical order.

The account book recorded accounts of companies and individuals that the iron works purchased coal from and the accounts of companies and individuals the iron works sold iron and nails to. Each account lists transactions in chronological order. Information found in entries related to coal received includes date of transaction, number of loads, and amount of coal received. Information found in entries related to nails and iron delivered includes date of transaction, to whom sold, to whom delivered, name of person or ship that delivered items, and number of kegs of nails or bars of iron delivered.

The last few pages of the volume included copies of three letters written in 1846 by the owner of the iron works, Stephen O. DuVal. In the first letter, DuVal informs a customer of his purchase of the Manakin Iron Works. In the second, he encourages a prospective partner to inspect the iron works. In the third, DuVal explains to a customer that the amount of debt the customer claimed the previous owners of the iron works owed him was incorrect and that Duval was not liable for it.

Three daybooks, from between the years 1851-1859, recorded the daily transactions of Crutchfield's store in Rocketts. Information found in entries includes name of customer, date of transaction, items purchased, quantity of items purchased, cost of each item, form of payment, and total amount owed and paid. Entries correspond to similar entries from an account book, a journal, and a ledger which fall in those same years.

Another three daybooks, from between the years 1866-1870, recorded the daily transactions of Crutchfield's store in Cedar Point. Information found in entries includes name of customer, date of transaction, items purchased, quantity of items purchased, cost of each item, form of payment, and total amount owed and paid. Payments made by cash, credit, labor, and barter of items such as corn, eggs, and meal. Entries from the daybooks correspond to entries from the ledgers dated for the same time period.

The journal recorded the accounts of individual customers of Crutchfield's store in Rocketts. Information found in each entry includes date of transaction, items purchased, quantity of items purchased, cost of each item, and form of payment. Payments were made by cash, credit, or barter of items such as eggs and leather. Entries in the journal correspond with entries found in daybooks dated between 1849 and 1859.

The ledger dated 1853-1858 recorded the accounts of individual customers of Crutchfield's store in Rocketts. Information found in each entry includes date of transaction, items purchased, quantity of items purchased, cost of each item, and form of payment. Payments were made by cash, credit, or barter of items such as eggs and leather. Entries in the journal and ledger correspond with entries found in daybooks from the same years.

The ledger dated 1861-1868 was used as a freight record book and a blacksmith account book. The freight record portion recorded the expenses and cash received from transportation of merchandise via the river for January-July 1861. The expenses include labor costs, tolls, and quantity of merchandise transported. The cash received accounts record payments received from customers to cover transportation costs of merchandise incurred by store. The blacksmith portion of the volume recorded the accounts of individual customers of a blacksmith shop from 1862 to 1868, perhaps located in Cedar Point. Information found in each entry includes date of transaction, items purchased or services rendered, quantity of items purchased, cost of item or service, form of payment, and total amount owed and paid. Services rendered include shoeing horses and mules, sharpening farm tools, repairing saddles and wagons, and drilling holes in saws. Items sold include horseshoes, keys for yokes, chain links, bolts, and screws.

Two ledgers, from 1865-1870, recorded the accounts of individual customers of Crutchfield's store in Cedar Point. Information found in each entry includes date of transaction, items purchased, quantity of items purchased, cost of each item, and form of payment. Payments were made by cash, credit, or barter of items such as oats, onion cloves, butter, and bacon. Entries in ledgers correspond with entries found in daybooks from the same years.

The volume recorded varying accounts of Crutchfield's store in Rocketts. One set of accounts include bond accounts of customers. It lists the name of individual, amount of bond, and whether individual paid or not. A separate listing for "Negro" accounts is included with an additional category for how well or how poorly the individual was in repaying his or her bond. A second set of accounts recorded the accounts of individual customers. Information found in each entry includes date of transaction, items purchased, quantity of items purchased, cost of each item, and form of payment. Payments made by cash, credit, or barter of items such as eggs and hogs. Entries for the years 1853-1855 correspond to entries found in the daybook from the same time period.

The loose records include accounts, notes, receipts, correspondence, official business documents, and advertisements for local businesses.