Manuscript Inheritance Receipt of a Colonial Businesswoman

South Kingstown, Rhode Island: By the author, 1773. Very good. Manuscript document; 5 1/2 x 7; single sheet of laid paper, filled in brown ink; red wax seal to lower right corner (a bit dry and crumbly); old crease lines and a few minor spots; in very good condition.A receipt, written and signed by one Deborah Fowler, attesting to receiving forty five mild [sic.] dollars, "it being in full of a legasee which my Honoured Father gave unto mee it being for one Cow and twenty five Silver mild dollars which was Given me by will I say Received..." Interestingly enough, research has shown that Deborah and many other female citizens of the region did not conform to the women’s roles in the 18th and 19th centuries, which were centered around home and childrearing. In this case, most of their men were involved in maritime-related trades - off to sea, building sailing vessels, etc. - and as a matter of practicality, women, who had the desire, could take on societal responsibilities, which would not be normally tolerated in most communities in the country. After the onset of the Revolution, Deborah Fowler would open and operate a highly-successful bakery, which would be adjacent to a house, which she also single-handedly owned. There is little doubt where the initial investment for the business had come from.