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Steward and Refectory Records

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Held at: Princeton University Library: University Archives [Contact Us]

This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Princeton University Library: University Archives. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.

Overview and metadata sections

Consists of records relating to various expenses incurred by 18th- and 19th-century students while at Princeton. They are divided into two groups: 1) Refectory accounts, which are predominantly lists of students and the amounts due from each for itemized expenses, including room and board, tuition, library, servant wages, washing, damages and fuel. Other materials include bills, various accounts and reports, an inventory of furniture belonging to the kitchen in 1816, and bills, accounts and reports relating to the building of a new refectory in 1834-35. 2) The second part consists of accounts, vouchers, correspondence, receipts and statements of expenses relating to the University Steward. The 1869 Steward's file consists of a list of local boarding houses and the owners, student residents, and payments.

These records are divided into two series, with each arranged chronologically by year.

The Pyne-Henry Collection of manuscripts relating to Princeton and its alumni was formed in 1894. While some documents related to the history of the University, many related to the careers of significant alumni and this remains a part of the manuscript collection at the Manuscripts Division of Firestone Library. The Library assigned PH numbers to each document, and continued to so until 1909 (PH2082) when the Librarian changed the numbering of manuscripts to AM (for autograph manuscript). At some point other documents relating to Princeton's early history from other sources were added to what came to be known in the University Archives as the Pyne-Henry Collection.

These papers were originally part of the Pyne-Henry Collection, much of which is housed in the Manuscripts Division of the Special Collections section of Firestone Library. Moses Taylor Pyne was one of the most prolific benefactors to Princeton. His gifts of a vast collection of alumni papers, institution records and rare books, many collected in conjunction with his fellow Trustee Bayard Henry, became the origins of the University's Special Collections, University Archives.

For preservation reasons, original analog and digital media may not be read or played back in the reading room. Users may visually inspect physical media but may not remove it from its enclosure. All analog audiovisual media must be digitized to preservation-quality standards prior to use. Audiovisual digitization requests are processed by an approved third-party vendor. Please note, the transfer time required can be as little as several weeks to as long as several months and there may be financial costs associated with the process. Requests should be directed through the Ask Us Form.

This collection was processed by John S. Riddle in Winter 1994-95. Finding aid written by John S. Riddle in Winter 1994-95.

No appraisal information is available.

Publisher
University Archives
Finding Aid Author
John S. Riddle
Finding Aid Date
1998
Access Restrictions

Collection is open for research use.

Use Restrictions

Single copies may be made for research purposes. To cite or publish quotations that fall within Fair Use, as defined under U. S. Copyright Law, no permission is required. The Trustees of Princeton University hold copyright to all materials generated by Princeton University employees in the course of their work. For instances beyond Fair Use, if copyright is held by Princeton University, researchers do not need to obtain permission, complete any forms, or receive a letter to move forward with use of materials from the Princeton University Archives.

For instances beyond Fair Use where the copyright is not held by the University, while permission from the Library is not required, it is the responsibility of the researcher to determine whether any permissions related to copyright, privacy, publicity, or any other rights are necessary for their intended use of the Library's materials, and to obtain all required permissions from any existing rights holders, if they have not already done so. Princeton University Library's Special Collections does not charge any permission or use fees for the publication of images of materials from our collections, nor does it require researchers to obtain its permission for said use. The department does request that its collections be properly cited and images credited. More detailed information can be found on the Copyright, Credit and Citations Guidelines page on our website. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us through the Ask Us! form.

Collection Inventory

Arrangement

No arrangement action taken or arrangement information not recorded at the time of processing.

Scope and Contents

Series 1, Refectory Accounts, 1810-1869, indicates, by year, class and student name, the amounts paid for various expenses including room and board, tuition, library, servant wages, washing, damages and fuel. There are significant records for the years 1829-1842, 1849, and 1851. Records for the other years in this series include bills, various accounts and reports, and an inventory of furniture belonging to the kitchen in 1816. The file for 1834-1835 also contains records relating to the building of the new refectory.

Physical Description

1 box

1810-1816, 1810-1816. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

1829-1830, 1829-1830. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

1830-1831, 1830-1831. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

1831-1832, 1831-1832. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

1832-1833, 1832-1833. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

1833-1834, 1833-1834. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

1834-1835, 1834-1835. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

1834-1835, 1834-1835. 1 folder.
Scope and Contents

(Building of New Refectory)

Physical Description

1 folder

1835-1836, 1835-1836. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

1836-1837, 1836-1837. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

1838-1839, 1838-1839. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

1839-1840, 1839-1840. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

1841-1842, 1841-1842. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

1849-1857, 1849-1857. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

1869, 1869. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Arrangement

No arrangement action taken or arrangement information not recorded at the time of processing.

Scope and Contents

Series 2, Steward's Accounts, 1782-1869, includes accounts, vouchers, correspondence, receipts and statements of expenses relating to the refectory and steward's duties. The 1869 file consists of a list of boarding houses and owners, resident students, and payments. Some interesting steward records include an agreement by the Board of Trustees to pay Elis Woodruff for a lean-to he had built in the refectory kitchen (1787); a letter from Henry Clow (1843), presumably to the College President, expressing his concern over the yearly lack of funds to adequately operate the steward's office; and various lists of foods and supplies purchased for the refectory (1854-1855).

Physical Description

1 box

1782-1796, 1782-1796. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

1805, 1805. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

1814-1816, 1814-1816. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

1837-1839, 1837-1839. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

1841-1844, 1841-1844. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

1849-1853, 1849-1853. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

1854-1855, 1854-1855. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

1869, 1869. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

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