Hamnett Kirkes Pinhey Accounts Page 1 - The Pinhey's Point Foundation

Hamnett Pinhey kept diaries from 1821, the year following his arrival in Canada, until shortly before his death in 1857. The daily entries are very brief, but note fairly consistently the weather, expenditures, monies received, construction activity at Horaceville, letters received or sent, the hiring of new employees, and the farm and other work done by employees. Visits, arrivals in the township, birthdays, public meetings, and other assorted details turn up sporadically.

At the end of each book is a section of accounts, recording Pinhey's dealings with several hundred individuals, mostly residents of March, Huntley, Torbolton, Nepean, and Bytown, as well as Hull and Eardley across the Ottawa River. The entries include Pinhey's accounts with his labourers and servants, and sales and purchases of various commodities on credit. The accounts with the employees record the wages paid them and the various deductions made for advances of necessaries, loans, and days absent because of illness or insobriety.

The following index to the accounts, which will be of interest to local historians and genealogists, is arranged alphabetically by the name of the individual, recorded as stated in the original record, followed by the page references where each individual's account may be located. The four diaries are indicated by a letter A to D. The locations of the diaries are as follows:

A. Pinhey diary 1821-28 - Accounts at rear
National Archives, MG 24, I 14, file 6

B. Pinhey diary 1829-40 - Accounts at rear
Archives of Ontario, MS 199, reel 3
Copy at National Archives, reel M-5567

C. Pinhey diary 1840-46 - Accounts at rear
National Archives, MG 28, III 46, Vol. 36 (Hill & Hill)

D. Pinhey diary 1847-57 - Accounts at rear
National Archives, MG 28, III 46, Vol. 36 (Hill & Hill)

A little memoranda book covers the year 1820 but it contains no detailed accounts: National Archives, MG 24, I 9, Vol. 10, pp. 3101-74 (Hill Collection). Together these five volumes cover Pinhey's entire residence in Canada from shortly after his arrival to just before his death.

It is unfortunate that Pinhey referred to many of his employees only by Christian name or nickname. Sometimes it is possible to discover who is meant (for example, Joe Sligo's account is referred onward to that of Joseph Davis, who was a native of Co. Sligo, Ireland), but more often their identities remain a mystery. Unidentified people are listed at the beginning of the index.

Many names appear in the diary sections of the books, but no attempt has been made to index these. Those interested in Pinhey's employees may, however, locate the dates of their accounts by checking the references listed below, and then turn to the relevant time period in the diaries to discover what information was recorded about them there. Omission of surnames in the diaries is even more common than in the accounts, so cross-checking between the two sections of the books is in any case essential.

Diaries A and B were indexed by Bruce Elliott. Diary C was indexed by Bruce Elliott and alphabetized by Jennifer Mori, a summer student employed by the Pinhey's Point Foundation some years ago. Jennifer also indexed Diary D. She later went on to studies at Oxford University.

Farm accounts

Home Consumption from Store & for labourers

        1821 A99
        1822 A100

House Consumption

      1822 A93,94
      1823 A64

The Farm

       1827 A195,194
       1828 A189-190,193

Cash received for Farm account from March 1837 and expenditure

        B106

Crops

       1824, 1826 A59
     1826 A56

Disbursement for Crops

       1829 B16-17,28
       1830 B32,34,42
       1831 B58-59,67

Mill Toll

       1824-27 A56-58

Chopping

       1828 A189

Expenditure & Receipts, House and Farm

       1836 B104-5