William Blair Townsend letter and receipt books, 1743-1805, bulk 1744-1777

The collection consists of two volumes, which date from 1743 to 1805, spanning his whole career as a merchant. Volume one is a letter book containing Townsend's business correspondence from November 23, 1743 to December 12, 1774. Most of the letters were written to American (many in North Carolina) and British (predominately in London) merchants. His earliest letters document his efforts to establish himself as a trader. Over time his letters turn to illustrate the common problems faced by many merchants: damaged goods, overpriced goods, embargos, and high freight costs. Particularly enlightening are his comments on the challenges of doing business throughout the French and Indian War and the years leading up to the American Revolution. He most frequently corresponded with London merchants Champion & Hayley, Lane & Booth, Lane Son & Fraser, Harrison & Ansley, and Leeds merchant Samuel Elam. In addition he frequently corresponded with Eliakim Palmer, colonial agent and merchant in London, as well as Dr. Walley Chauncy of North Carolina. He dealt in a wide variety of goods including molasses, rum, tar, medicines, pitch, saddles, tallow, hides, skins, pickled beef and pork, and wine. The letters also document Townsend's involvement in the slave trade through his occasional purchases of slaves.

London, England, 1890 (Raster Image)

This layer is a georeferenced raster image of the historic paper map entitled: Central London. It was published by G.W. Bacon & Co. in 1890. Scale [ca. 1:15,840]. The image inside the map neatline is georeferenced to the surface of the earth and fit to British National Grid coordinate system (British National Grid, Airy Spheroid OSGB (1936) Datum). All map collar and inset information is also available as part of the raster image, including any inset maps, profiles, statistical tables, directories, text, illustrations, index maps, legends, or other information associated with the principal map. This map shows features such as roads, railroads, drainage, built-up areas and selected buildings, industry locations (e.g. mills, factories, etc.), docks, parks, cemeteries, city district boundaries, and more. This layer is part of a selection of digitally scanned and georeferenced historic maps from The Harvard Map Collection as part of the Imaging the Urban Environment project. Maps selected for this project represent major urban areas and cities of the world, at various time periods. These maps typically portray both natural and manmade features at a large scale. The selection represents a range of regions, originators, ground condition dates, scales, and purposes.

London, England, 1847 (Raster Image)

This layer is a georeferenced raster image of the historic paper map entitled: London and its environs : containing the boundaries of the metropolitan boroughs, the different railroads & stations, the new cemeteries, roads, docks, canals, and all the modern improvements : this map is chiefly from the Ordinance Survey, the railroads and other improvements are from the official copies, the boroughs of Marylebone from the survey published by M.r Britton, the whole corrected from personal observation & measurement, drawn and engraved by B. R. Davies. It was published by C. F. Cheffins, lithog : Wm. S. Orr & Co., Dec. 1, 1847. Scale [ca. 1:42,000]. Covers a portion of Greater London. The image inside the map neatline is georeferenced to the surface of the earth and fit to the British National Grid coordinate system (British National Grid, Airy Spheroid OSGB (1936) Datum). All map collar and inset information is also available as part of the raster image, including any inset maps, profiles, statistical tables, directories, text, illustrations, index maps, legends, or other information associated with the principal map. This map shows features such as roads, railroads, drainage, selected buildings, built-up areas, cemeteries, parks, Borough boundaries, and more. Relief is shown by hachures. Includes legend below lower margin. This layer is part of a selection of digitally scanned and georeferenced historic maps from The Harvard Map Collection as part of the Imaging the Urban Environment project. Maps selected for this project represent major urban areas and cities of the world, at various time periods. These maps typically portray both natural and manmade features at a large scale. The selection represents a range of regions, originators, ground condition dates, scales, and purposes.

London, England : parishes, districts, and extra parochial places, 1884 (Raster Image)

This layer is a georeferenced raster image of the historic paper map entitled: Map of London and its environs : shewing the boundary of the jurisdiction of the metropolitan board of work, also the boundaries of the city of London, the Parishes, the Districts & Extra Parochial Places. It was published by Edward Standford, April 21, 1884. Scale [ca. 1:31,680]. This map is part of a 5 map set showing various thematic districts and boundaries of the London region. The image inside the map neatline is georeferenced to the surface of the earth and fit to the British National Grid coordinate system (British National Grid, Airy Spheroid OSGB (1936) Datum). All map collar and inset information is also available as part of the raster image, including any inset maps, profiles, statistical tables, directories, text, illustrations, index maps, legends, or other information associated with the principal map. This map shows features such as roads, railroads, drainage, selected private and public buildings, towns and villages, cemeteries, parks, farms, parish, district, and extra parochial place boundaries, and more. Relief is shown by hachures. Includes notes and indices. This layer is part of a selection of digitally scanned and georeferenced historic maps from The Harvard Map Collection as part of the Imaging the Urban Environment project. Maps selected for this project represent major urban areas and cities of the world, at various time periods. These maps typically portray both natural and manmade features at a large scale. The selection represents a range of regions, originators, ground condition dates, scales, and purposes.

London, England, 1894 (Raster Image)

This layer is a georeferenced raster image of the historic paper map entitled: London : drawn and engraved expressly for the post office directory. It was published by Kelly & Co. Ltd., Post Office Directory Office in 1894. Scale [1:15,840]. The image inside the map neatline is georeferenced to the surface of the earth and fit to the British National Grid coordinate system (British National Grid, Airy Spheroid OSGB (1936) Datum). All map collar and inset information is also available as part of the raster image, including any inset maps, profiles, statistical tables, directories, text, illustrations, index maps, legends, or other information associated with the principal map. This map shows features such as roads, railroads, drainage, built-up areas, selected buildings, parks, cemeteries, docks, and more. This layer is part of a selection of digitally scanned and georeferenced historic maps from The Harvard Map Collection as part of the Imaging the Urban Environment project. Maps selected for this project represent major urban areas and cities of the world, at various time periods. These maps typically portray both natural and manmade features at a large scale. The selection represents a range of regions, originators, ground condition dates, scales, and purposes.

London, England and vicinity, 1890 (Raster Image)

This layer is a georeferenced raster image of the historic paper map entitled: Environs of London. It was published by W.H. Smith & Son ca. 1890. Scale [1:63,360]. Covers London and portions of the counties of Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Hertfordshire, Essex, Kent, Surrey, and Berkshire. The image inside the map neatline is georeferenced to the surface of the earth and fit to the British National Grid coordinate system (British National Grid, Airy Spheroid OSGB (1936) Datum). All map collar and inset information is also available as part of the raster image, including any inset maps, profiles, statistical tables, directories, text, illustrations, index maps, legends, or other information associated with the principal map. This map shows features such as roads, railroads, drainage, ground cover, built-up areas, selected buildings, parks, cemeteries, towns, villlages, union and county boundaries, and more. Relief is shown by hachures. Includes legend. This layer is part of a selection of digitally scanned and georeferenced historic maps from The Harvard Map Collection as part of the Imaging the Urban Environment project. Maps selected for this project represent major urban areas and cities of the world, at various time periods. These maps typically portray both natural and manmade features at a large scale. The selection represents a range of regions, originators, ground condition dates, scales, and purposes.

London, England, 1868 (Raster Image)

This layer is a georeferenced raster image of the historic paper map entitled: Bacon's map of London : with railways in operation and constructing corrected to date. It was published by Bacon & Co. ca. 1868. Scale [ca. 1:15,900]. The image inside the map neatline is georeferenced to the surface of the earth and fit to the British National Grid coordinate system (British National Grid, Airy Spheroid OSGB (1936) Datum). All map collar and inset information is also available as part of the raster image, including any inset maps, profiles, statistical tables, directories, text, illustrations, index maps, legends, or other information associated with the principal map. This map shows features such as roads, railroads, drainage, built-up areas, selected buildings, parks, city district boundaries, docks, and more. This layer is part of a selection of digitally scanned and georeferenced historic maps from The Harvard Map Collection as part of the Imaging the Urban Environment project. Maps selected for this project represent major urban areas and cities of the world, at various time periods. These maps typically portray both natural and manmade features at a large scale. The selection represents a range of regions, originators, ground condition dates, scales, and purposes.

London, England, ca. 1676 (Raster Image)

This layer is a georeferenced raster image of the historic paper map entitled: Englands glory, or, the glory of England being a new mapp of the city of London : shewing the remarkable streets, lanes, alleyes, churches, halls courts, and other places as they are now rebuilt, the which will therefore be a guide to strangers, and such as are not well acquainted herein to direct them from place to place : diverse faults y[t] are in y[e] former are in this amended, allsoe the severall figures y[t] stand up and downe in the mapp are explained in y[e] 2 tables at y[e] upper corners hereof. It was published by Robert Walton ca. 1676. Scale [ca. 1:60,000]. The image inside the map neatline is georeferenced to the surface of the earth and fit to British National Grid coordinate system (British National Grid, Airy Spheroid OSGB (1936) Datum). All map collar and inset information is also available as part of the raster image, including any inset maps, profiles, statistical tables, directories, text, illustrations, index maps, legends, or other information associated with the principal map. This map shows features such as roads, drainage, built-up areas, selected buildings pictorially, fortification, docks, parks, ground cover, and more. Includes also indexes. This layer is part of a selection of digitally scanned and georeferenced historic maps from The Harvard Map Collection as part of the Imaging the Urban Environment project. Maps selected for this project represent major urban areas and cities of the world, at various time periods. These maps typically portray both natural and manmade features at a large scale. The selection represents a range of regions, originators, ground condition dates, scales, and purposes.

Thames Tunnel, London, England, 1827 (Raster Image)

This layer is a georeferenced raster image of the historic paper map entitled: Plan of the roads and main objects on the eastern part of London : as connected with the tunnel excavating under the Thames from Rotherhithe to Wapping, projected by M.I. Brunel, C.E. F.R.S., 1827. It was published by H. Teape & Son in 1827. Scale [ca. 1:48,000]. The image inside the map neatline is georeferenced to the surface of the earth and fit to the British National Grid coordinate system (British National Grid, Airy Spheroid OSGB (1936) Datum). All map collar and inset information is also available as part of the raster image, including any inset maps, profiles, statistical tables, directories, text, illustrations, index maps, legends, or other information associated with the principal map. This map shows features such as roads, docks, drainage, canals, selected buildings, and more. Includes text, advertisement, and engravings: View of the Thames River -- View of the Interior of the Thames Tunnel -- View of the iron shield compartments for workers. This layer is part of a selection of digitally scanned and georeferenced historic maps from The Harvard Map Collection as part of the Imaging the Urban Environment project. Maps selected for this project represent major urban areas and cities of the world, at various time periods. These maps typically portray both natural and manmade features at a large scale. The selection represents a range of regions, originators, ground condition dates, scales, and purposes.

London, England, 1723 (Raster Image)

This layer is a georeferenced raster image of the historic paper map entitled: A new mapp of the city of London &c. : with the many additionall buildings and new streets anno 1723 in a playne. It was printed and sold by Thomas Taylor at the Golden Lyon in Fleet Street, 1723. Scale [ca. 1:7,300]. The image inside the map neatline is georeferenced to the surface of the earth and fit to the British National Grid coordinate system (British National Grid, Airy Spheroid OSGB (1936) Datum). All map collar and inset information is also available as part of the raster image, including any inset maps, profiles, statistical tables, directories, text, illustrations, index maps, legends, or other information associated with the principal map. This map shows features such as roads, drainage, selected buildings (some shown pictorially), churches, built-up areas, docks, city district boundaries, and more. Includes illustrations and 5 indices or tables: The names of the severall wards into which this city is divided -- The rates for watermen as they are set forth by the Lord Mayer and court of Aldermen -- The rates of hackney-coaches and chairs, according to Act of Parliament -- Refferences to letters to find the most publick buildings -- References by figures to the severall churches in and about this city. This layer is part of a selection of digitally scanned and georeferenced historic maps from The Harvard Map Collection as part of the Imaging the Urban Environment project. Maps selected for this project represent major urban areas and cities of the world, at various time periods. These maps typically portray both natural and manmade features at a large scale. The selection represents a range of regions, originators, ground condition dates, scales, and purposes.

London, England, 1736 (Image 1 of 2) (Raster Image)

This layer is a georeferenced raster image of the historic paper map entitled: Urbium Londini et West-Monasterii nec non suburbii Southwark accurata ichnographia : in qua viae publicae omnes et singulae, plateae majores et minores, vici, angiporti, porticulae etc. una cum accessionibus aedificiorum, quibus urbs usque ad a. 1736, novissime locupletata est, reprasentantur : ad norman prototypi Londinensis edita curris Hommannianorum Heredum C.P.S.C.M. It was published by Homaennischen Erben in 1736. Scale [ca. 1:5,280]. Covers central London, England area. This layer is image 1 of 2 total images of the two sheet source map, representing the western portion of the map. The image inside the map neatline is georeferenced to the surface of the earth and fit to the British National Grid coordinate system (British National Grid, Airy Spheroid OSGB (1936) Datum). All map collar and inset information is also available as part of the raster image, including any inset maps, profiles, statistical tables, directories, text, illustrations, index maps, legends, or other information associated with the principal map. This map shows features such as roads, drainage, built-up areas, selected buildings, schools, churches, industry locations (e.g. mills, factories, etc.), city district boundaries, parks, cemeteries, ground cover, and more. Some buildings shown pictorially. Includes notes and text in Latin. Place names in English. This layer is part of a selection of digitally scanned and georeferenced historic maps from The Harvard Map Collection as part of the Imaging the Urban Environment project. Maps selected for this project represent major urban areas and cities of the world, at various time periods. These maps typically portray both natural and manmade features at a large scale. The selection represents a range of regions, originators, ground condition dates, scales, and purposes.

London, England, 1736 (Image 2 of 2) (Raster Image)

This layer is a georeferenced raster image of the historic paper map entitled: Urbium Londini et West-Monasterii nec non suburbii Southwark accurata ichnographia : in qua viae publicae omnes et singulae, plateae majores et minores, vici, angiporti, porticulae etc. una cum accessionibus aedificiorum, quibus urbs usque ad a. 1736, novissime locupletata est, reprasentantur : ad norman prototypi Londinensis edita curris Hommannianorum Heredum C.P.S.C.M. It was published by Homaennischen Erben in 1736. Scale [ca. 1:5,280]. Covers central London, England area. This layer is image 2 of 2 total images of the two sheet source map, representing the eastern portion of the map. The image inside the map neatline is georeferenced to the surface of the earth and fit to the British National Grid coordinate system (British National Grid, Airy Spheroid OSGB (1936) Datum). All map collar and inset information is also available as part of the raster image, including any inset maps, profiles, statistical tables, directories, text, illustrations, index maps, legends, or other information associated with the principal map. This map shows features such as roads, drainage, built-up areas, selected buildings, schools, churches, industry locations (e.g. mills, factories, etc.), city district boundaries, parks, cemeteries, ground cover, and more. Some buildings shown pictorially. Includes notes and text in Latin. Place names in English. This layer is part of a selection of digitally scanned and georeferenced historic maps from The Harvard Map Collection as part of the Imaging the Urban Environment project. Maps selected for this project represent major urban areas and cities of the world, at various time periods. These maps typically portray both natural and manmade features at a large scale. The selection represents a range of regions, originators, ground condition dates, scales, and purposes.

London, England, 1742 (Raster Image)

This layer is a georeferenced raster image of the historic paper map entitled: London surveyed, or, a new map of the cities of London and Westminster and the borough of Southwark : shewing the several streets and lanes with the most of the alleys & thorough fairs with the additional new buildings to this present year 1742. It was printed for John Bowles at the Black Horse in Cornhill in 1742. Scale [ca. 1:5,280]. The image inside the map neatline is georeferenced to the surface of the earth and fit to the British National Grid coordinate system (British National Grid, Airy Spheroid OSGB (1936) Datum). All map collar and inset information is also available as part of the raster image, including any inset maps, profiles, statistical tables, directories, text, illustrations, index maps, legends, or other information associated with the principal map. This map shows features such as roads, drainage, selected buildings (some shown pictorially), built-up areas, docks, city district boundaries, and more. Relief is shown pictorially. Includes illustrations, tables of fares, and views: South prospect of London -- North prospect of St. Paul's Cathedral -- Bank of England -- Front of the Royal Exchange -- Banqueting House -- Treasury. This layer is part of a selection of digitally scanned and georeferenced historic maps from The Harvard Map Collection as part of the Imaging the Urban Environment project. Maps selected for this project represent major urban areas and cities of the world, at various time periods. These maps typically portray both natural and manmade features at a large scale. The selection represents a range of regions, originators, ground condition dates, scales, and purposes.