Conditions Governing Use:

Before reproducing or quoting from any materials, in whole or in part, permission must be obtained from the Special Collections Research Center, 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.

Preferred Citation:

Robert Pleasants Account Book, Special Collections Research Center, Swem Library, College of William and Mary.

Biographical Information:

Robert Pleasants was born at "Curles," Henrico County, Virginia and lived his entire life there. He was an active member of the Society of Friends. His brother Samuel Pleasants (1737-1807) was a successful merchant in Philadelphia. Sometime after 1771, he entered into a mercantile company (Robert Pleasants & Co.) which did business as a consignment tobacco exporter. He organized an abolition society in 1790. Further information about this individual or organization may be available in the Special Collections Research Center Wiki: .

Scope and Contents

Pleasants' account book kept in Henrico County, Va. covers the years, 1771-1778, and concerns the export and shipping of tobacco and other crops. It includes the religious diary, 1821-1824, of Mary W. (Pleasants) Mosby. 157 p. : bound volume ; 25 cm.

Related Material

See also Robert Pleasants Letterbook (Mss. MsV Cp9) and Robert Pleasants Ledger (Mss. MsV Ame101), Special Collections Research Center, Swem Library, College of William and Mary. Correspondence, 1746-1797, of Robert Pleasants is at the Haverford College Library, Haverford, Pa.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• Account books
• Diaries
• Henrico County (Va.)--History--18th century
• Merchants--Virginia--History--18th century