Cesar Lyndon's Financial Transactions and Daily Records from Newport, 1761-1771

Financial transactions, activities, locations, and the names of approximately 100 persons from the account book of Cesar Lyndon, an enslaved man in Newport, Rhode Island. It is derived from a 35-page, string-bound book covering the period from 1761 to 1771. The data was compiled by author Tara Bynum from the original document housed at the Rhode Island Historical Society.

Use Cases

• Analyze the frequency and nature of financial transactions recorded by Cesar Lyndon to understand economic activities.
• Map the locations mentioned in the account book to study the geographic network of Lyndon's business and social interactions.
• Identify and study the approximately 100 named persons to reconstruct social and commercial relationships in 18th-century Newport.
• Examine the recorded quotidian happenings alongside financial entries to gain a holistic view of daily life for an enslaved businessman.

Strengths

• Data is sourced from a primary historical document: a 35-page, string-bound account book.
• Provides a named record of approximately 100 individuals involved with Cesar Lyndon.
• Has a clearly defined temporal coverage of 10 years, from 1761 to 1771.
• Focuses on a specific and documented historical figure and location (Newport, Rhode Island).

Limitations

• The dataset's structure (e.g., row count, column names) is unknown, complicating automated analysis.
• As a transcription of a single historical manuscript, the sample size is inherently limited and not statistically representative.
• Potential for gaps, inconsistencies, or transcription errors inherent in working with 18th-century handwritten records.

Provenance

Source

Cesar Lyndon's original Sundry Account Book, housed at the Rhode Island Historical Society in Providence, Rhode Island.

Collection Method

Derived and transcribed from the dated financial and daily records in the 35-page manuscript.

Time Range

1761 to 1771

Freshness

The dataset record was last updated on 2026-02-12.

Geography

Newport, Rhode Island, United States