Historical note:

            Gideon Mumford was born December 17, 1741 in South Kingstown, R.I. He was the son of William (1693-1765) and Ann Ray Mumford (c.1700-). He married widow Elizabeth Tibbetts (1739-1811) on September 19, 1766 in East Greenwich, R.I. The couple had three children: William (1767-1785), John Fry (1768-), and Augustus Henry (1777-1777). Mumford worked as a silversmith and a merchant in East Greenwich during the American Revolution (1775-1783) and performed many business transactions with members from the Providence mercantile and maritime communities. Mumford died in 1805 and left his estate to his wife and son, John Fry Mumford.

Bibliography:

Mumford, James Gregory. Mumford Memoirs. Boston: The Merrymount Press, 1900.

Rhode Island Cemetery Database

Rhode Island Genealogical Register

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Scope and content:

            This collection contains account books from Gideon Mumford, a merchant from East Greenwich, R.I. These account books record his business transactions throughout the Revolutionary War period (1775-1789), showing the impact the war had on commerce. Many entries within these account books also show the involvement of African Americans in business transactions during this time.

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Provenance:

            The account books were part of a donation from Col. Allen, Varnum House (#1973. 295. 16. 1-5).

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Processing note:

            This collection was reprocessed in October 2005, but needs to be rehoused into an archival box that best fits the collection without having to separate any of the items.

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Inventory:

Box 1, Folder 1.                      Receipt.                                  1779

Accounts:

Box 1, Folder 3.                      Account Book.                        1774-1775

Box 1, Folder 4.                      Account Book.                        1783

Box 1, Folder 2.                      Account Book.                        1783-1787

Box 1, Folder 5.                      Account Book.                        1784-1785

Box 1, Folder 6.                      Account Book.                        1789

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Subjects:

African Americans - Rhode Island.

East Greenwich, R.I. - Commerce.

Merchants - Rhode Island - East Greenwich.

Minerva (brig)

Mumford, Gideon, 1741-1805.

United States - History - Revolution, 1775-1783.

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RIHS1822