The Pearson Papers cover the period from 1832-1854;the bulk of the materials date from 1844 to 1854. The collection consists of two oversized books detailing the daily workings on a farm, the items planted, harvested, and sold and who did the work and what they were paid. Entries occur for rent collected from properties they owned. Also included are daily entries for weather conditions, labor performed on the farm by hired men and the wages paid to each. The diary entries are recorded daily; however the account entries are haphazard, jumping back and forth with some entries for 1830s appearing in the middle of the 1840s.
This collection is open to the public and must be used in the Special Collections reading room. Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection.
Photocopies or digital surrogates may be provided in accordance with Special Collections and University Archives duplication policy.
Copyright resides with the creators of the documents or their heirs unless otherwise specified. It is the researcher's responsibility to secure permission to publish materials from the appropriate copyright holder.
Archival materials may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal and/or state right to privacy laws or other regulations. While we make a good faith effort to identify and remove such materials, some may be missed during our processing. If a researcher finds sensitive personal information in a collection, please bring it to the attention of the reading room staff.
1.5 Linear Feet (1 Clam-shell box) ; 18.5in x 12in
The Pearson brothers were business owners in Baltimore. Their father, Joseph Senior (1785-1860), was a furrier in the early 1800s. The family may have also owned a farm. The two daybooks in this collection record items bought and sold for a farm as well as daily recording of the weather and work done by farmhands. Entries include manure bought from the Maypole Tavern and business conducted with Chestons Mill.
The University of Maryland Libraries purchased the Pearson papers from a rare book dealer, Dan Cavasant, in March 2017.
The Pearson papers were originally processed in May and November of 2018. The diary and day books were placed in an acid-free box.
Part of the Special Collections and University Archives