Scope and Contents
Account book of business agent and merchant William Bant, of Boston, Massachusetts, recording transactions related to his management of the properties and affairs of John Hancock (1737-1793), dated from 1776 to 1779. Bant includes a note explaining why he charged a five-cent commission in 1779, writing, it is a "small commission for the business done as it includes a recompence for the time trouble and attention that I have given to General Hancock's affairs which were multifarious from Jany. 1776 to this time - see his letters to me from Phila[delphia], York Town, & especially when I returned to Boston after the siege of 1776." A number of pages have been torn out, and the bulk of volume contains accounts, records of stock purchases, and writings of Aaron Perkins, dated from 1833 to 1870. One includes expenses related to the construction of Shawmut House Estate in 1836. There are several modern news clippings laid in. Also included is an index, which Aaron Perkins used as a notebook to record his sources of income, some accounts, and writings. His connection to William Bant is unclear.
Dates
- Creation: 1776-1922
- Creation: Majority of material found within 1833-1870
Creator
- Bant, William (Person)
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open for research. Materials stored onsite. Please contact specialcollectionsref@hbs.edu for more information regarding access procedures.
Extent
.25 linear feet (1 volume)Biographical / Historical
William Bant (1738-1780) was a merchant in Boston, Massachusetts. He clerked for John Hancock and acted as Hancock's business agent during the American Revolutionary War.
Physical Location
MANU
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Katherine Livermore, 1946.
Digitization Funding
Collections and items have been digitized with the generous support of The Polonsky Foundation.
Processing Information
Processed: 2019 By: Brooke McManus
- Author
- Baker Library
- Description rules
- dacs
- Language of description
- und
- EAD ID
- bak01314
Repository Details
Part of the Baker Library Special Collections and Archives, Harvard Business School Repository
Baker Library Special Collections and Archives holds unique resources that focus on the evolution of business and industry, as well as the records of the Harvard Business School, documenting the institution's development over the last century. These rich and varied collections support research in a diverse range of fields such as business, economic, social and cultural history as well as the history of science and technology.
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