Two Childhoods
Mary Clannahan minor [paid] to William Skinner her guardian:
To passing a count for the year of 1821 - - - $
To seven yards of domestic [fabric] at 25 cents per yard: $1.75
To two yards and a half of check [fabric] at 25 cents per yard: $1.62 ½
To four yds and a half of muslin @ 25 cents per yard: $1.12 ½
To one pair of shoes: $1.25
To one quire of writing paper: 25 cents
To one English Reader: 66 2/3 cents
To seven yards of strip domestic [fabric] at 20 cents per yard: $1.40
To County taxes: $2.43
To Six Months Schooling: $4.38
to Board for one year @ - --- ------ ----
Credits
By one year’s rent for land: $25.00
By one half of hire of Negro Henney: $7.00
By one half of hire of Negro Sophy: $6.00
By one half of hire of Negro Boy Bengemon: $5.00
[spelling and punctuation have been modernized]
There are very few documents that illustrate the inequities of slavery and white supremacy more starkly than this one in the Commodore Collection. It is a statement of the expenses and income of Mary Clannahan, a white child, in 1822.
Mary had inherited land and enslaved people from her late grandfather. Her everyday expenses included purchases of fabric for dresses, writing paper, shoes, a schoolbook (“Inglish Reader”) and tuition/board.
Mary’s income came from land rental and from the forcible “hire” of three enslaved workers: Henney, Sophy, and Benjamin (“Bengemon”). Benjamin was — like Mary herself — a child.
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