Caspar Wistar February 3, 1696 – March 21, 1752

[Steve/sewell]

RE: Caspar Wistar February 3, 1696 – March 21, 1752

Page 20 again mentions the term by his wifes legacy.
I will post more in a couple of days as handling these documents is tedious work.
Some of them crumble on the edges when handled.
There are about 20 more pages with one of them mentioning the Wistars friend Ben Franklin!

I am taking a break this morning I have to
be up at 6:30 4 hrs.

 

[cordilleran]

RE: Caspar Wistar February 3, 1696 – March 21, 1752

Note the "d" enscribed following "Rich". Not an uncommon shorthand for the time, such as "Jas" for "James", "Jos" for "Joseph", etc. Again, tell us how you came into these important historical documents. What a wonderful research adventure. Do I smell a book in the making?

 

[earlyglass]

RE: Caspar Wistar February 3, 1696 – March 21, 1752

That is REALLY incredible stuff Steve. You must have spent more time in this ledger than Catherine! I am amazed that something like this has existed over the years, and so well cared for. Now it is in your hands, almost as though it was destined to reach you... to tell the tale... you are the new caretaker!!

 

[Steve/sewell]

RE: Caspar Wistar February 3, 1696 – March 21, 1752

Thanks Cord, thanks Mike,the ledger was purchased from a book collector in England.
Casper Wistar the Dr.spent tweleve years of his life in Edinburg.
The possibilty also exists that a family member sympathetic to the crown
took these papers to England during the Revolutionary war.Richard Wistar was
suspected of Toryism during the war those charges were never proved.Plus add to the fact
that Richard hid from the British Crown the wealth attained from the glass house.
My gut feeling tells me the ledger made it to England via Dr. Wistar.I am in constant contact with the dealer
who sold me the ledger and he has assured me there are more papers from the Wistars.
The tough part about filming these is some but not all the pages crack on the edges
when they are handled.For papers that are over 250 years old they are in remarkable condition.
I am torn as a collector as to wether I keep them or give them to a museum.
A museum would be able to better house them and keep them from atmospheric damage.
There are more to come with the names Ben Franklin,Charles Wiling the first mayor of Philadelphia
and John Wistar Caspars brother who made a fortune as a wine and liquor dealer.
There are bottles I am sure that Caspar made for his brothers business.

 

[Steve/sewell]

RE: Caspar Wistar February 3, 1696 – March 21, 1752

Another interesting fact about the ledger is that all of Caspars important family documents seem to have
been put on this same type of paper.The borders and columns are hand made without the use of a printing press.
Caspars last testament and will and his glass house account books are all on the same paper.
They can be seen at the Pennsylvania Historical Society in Philadelphia.
Another fact is the hand writing on all of the ledgers is the same person.Maybe Catherine his daughter was
also the book keeper for her fathers and then her brother Richards business.

 

[Steve/sewell]

RE: Caspar Wistar February 3, 1696 – March 21, 1752

Daniel Wistar was a very important and influential citizen of the early United States.
He signed over 7,000,000 in paper notes for the new United States of America.
Here is a 45 dollar note printed at Hall and Sellers in 1779.Hall and Sellers purchased the printing bindery shop from
Benjamin Franklin.Hall and Sellers printed 90 percent of the continental currency in the mid to late 1700s.
Daniel Wistar was the son of John Wister Caspers brother.When John followed his brothers footsteps into
America he to moved to Philadelphia but when he arrived the person or agency in charge of tracking immagrants
spelled his name Wister instead of Wistar.John had a very sucessfull Wine and Liquor business.
His son Daniel Wistar (he spelled it both ways apparently) was a signer on all 45 dollar notes over 8000 of them
in over 300 series he along with Robert Cather signed more of the bills 45$s and over then any other citizen.
Here is a 45$ dollar note signed by Daniel Wistar in Red and Robert Cather in black.
The note is 4x2 inches in size
The red rectangle area on the left front Says in large letters THE UNITED STATES, across the top with the black back ground it says Of NORTH AMERICA,
on the right hand border with black back ground again it says THE UNITED STATES and last the bottom border reads OF NORTH AMERICA.,The bill number is 182020

The bill reads as follows:

Forty-five Dollars
The bearer is enti
led to receive Forty
five Dollars or an equal
Sum in Gold or Sil
ver,according to a Re
solution Congress
of the 14th January
1779

45 DOLLARS

The bill is signed by

D Wistar R Cather

 

[Steve/sewell]

RE: Caspar Wistar February 3, 1696 – March 21, 1752

The reverse side of the bill is plain in look and text.



The back side reads

Forty-five Dollars
Printed by HALL and
SELLERS 1779

 

[Steve/sewell]

RE: Caspar Wistar February 3, 1696 – March 21, 1752

Here is a nice link showing and describing the amount of notes printed in 1779 on January 14.


http://www.coins.nd.edu/ColCurrency/CurrencyText/CC-01-14-79.html