MS 249: Business Accounts of John Cay.

Archive Unit
  • This material is held at
  • Reference
      GB 473 MS249
  • Dates of Creation
      England, 18th c.; 1734-1756
  • Name of Creator
  • Language of Material
      English
  • Physical Description
      Support (paper) 370 x 222 mm. Text area: typically 354 x 220 mm. Fol. i + 128 + ii leaves + 3 inserted leaves (integral foliation from fol. 8r: 3-123 leaves). Between fols 8 and 9 there are the torn remnants of the three opening leaves of the accounts. Binding: 18th c? reversed calf over pasteboard, with double blind fillet border and blind-ornamented panel, with exterior corner ornaments. Later repairs to spine and corner in tan leather. 6 raised bands to spine, defined by double blind fillets. Shelfmark stamped in gilt at top of spine. Binding dimensions: 378 x 240 mm.

Scope and Content

Business account book of John Cay (1700-1757) author of Abridgement of the Publick Statutes printed in 1739, covering the period 1734-1756.

1. Fols 1r-128v: Cay, John, Business account book for 1734-1756. English. Single 18th c. hand in black ink. Accounts with ca. 28-32 lines to a page. Double-entered, with debtors on versos and credits on rectos. Divided into six unequal vertical columns with red-inked rules, horizontal divisions ruled in black ink.

  • a. Fols 1-7: Tabbed index of names from A-O. Two capitals to a tab, first in black ink, second in red. Names beginning with first capital on recto, and second capital on verso.
  • b. Fols 8r-128r: Accounts from 1734-1756. [fol. 128v blank.]

Inserted leaves (loose)
1. Between fols 51 & 52 (46 & 47), 1 leaf (189 x 310 mm): additions to account of Mrs Sarah Mitchell.
2. Inside front cover, 2 leaves (306 x 186 mm), with later descriptive captions: a. "This appears to be a list of Dividends received by the late John Cay Esq. soon after Midsummer 1754"; b. "This appears to be a list of Dividends received by the late John Cay Esq. soon after Midsr 1755."

Access Information

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Acquisition Information

Front pastedown has 20th c? armorial bookplate of St John's College, together with "Accounts of John Cay (1700-1757)", previous shelf mark (W.1.37), and current shelfmark, all in 20th c. pencil.

Other Finding Aids

This catalogue entry derives from Stewart Tiley's unpublished descriptive catalogue of the post-1500 western manuscripts at St John's College, Oxford (2018). This entry was uploaded to ArchivesHub in April 2023 as part of the St John's College Library digitization project. To learn more about the project and to find digital resources, please visit the Digital Library

Geographical Names

England