[Manuscript] "Potash" Receipt Day Book from Pepperell, Massachusetts, 1764-66

(Pepperell, Massachusetts, 1764. Very Good. Manuscript day book. 12mo. One stitched gathering of eight leaves or 16 manuscript pages, measuring 3 ¾" x 6 ¼". Very good. Records transactions relating to the production and sale of potash at Pepperell, Massachusetts. Among the names recorded are several members of the Shattuck family, including Capt. Jeremiah Shattuck and his son Solomon, and Jonas Varnum: "July 16th, 1765 the owners of the Potash in Pepperell met at Jonas Varnum's house and settled accounts [a tally of costs follows] and there is now in the Potash 112 bushels of ashes ..."

Several potash works operated in Massachusetts during the colonial period, where the primary source for its production was wood ash. In the 18th century it was an important element in the manufacture of glass, soap, gunpowder, paper, cotton textiles, and woolen goods; and it became an essential ingredient in Massachusetts rising textile industry. A scarce surviving day book, providing a glimpse into the growth of the potash industry at Pepperell.