Account of Johannes De Groff (aka John DeGroff) in the Tannery Ledger of Jacob Post, Sr.

Johannes De Groff (aka John DeGroff)

Willem Swart De Groff (aka William Swart DeGroff), husband of Willemptje Nevius (aka Willemphe Nevius), was an early settler of the Town of Aurelius, Cayuga Co., New York, appearing there in the 1800 federal census after coming in from the Conewago Colony of York Co. (now Adams Co.), Pennsylvania. His exact location in 1800 is not known because the towns of Owasco and Fleming, both Cayuga Co., New York, were taken off Aurelius in 1802 and 1823, respectively. Willem had owned land in Aurelius, Owasco, and the Town of Sempronius, Cayuga Co., New York at or before his death in 1824 but was censused in Owasco in 1810 and 1820 and died there as well.

Among Willem and Willemptje's sons was Johannes (aka John) De Groff. He was born 10 July 1776 in the Conewago Colony and baptized there on 28 July 1776. Johannes married Maria (aka Mariah) Burnet, perhaps ca. 1805, because their first known child was born in 1807. At the time of the 1800 federal census, Johannes is not listed so probably was still in his father's household at Aurelius. The 1810 census shows Johannes at Sempronius, possibly occupying the 50 acres in Lot No. 35 that his father owned there. By 1820 Johannes is censused at Aurelius and thereafter at Fleming, that part of Aurelius having been taken off to form the new Town.

Johannes and Maria had nine known children. Johannes lived until 1848 and Maria until 1855. Both died in Fleming but were buried in the Parsell Cemetery #156 in Owasco where Willem (aka William) Swart De Groff was buried.

The De Groff property in Fleming occupied by Johannes and Willemptje presumably was located in Lot 90 or Lot 91 on present-day Silver Street Road where several J. DeGroffs (various spellings) are shown on the 1853 and 1859 maps, an area where members of the family yet reside. This area is within about 2.5 miles by road of the tannery of Jacob Post, Sr. on present-day Stone School Road in Lot 91; thus, the distance was not prohibitive for Johannes to trade with Jacob at his tannery. Nevertheless, Jacob's Tannery Ledger shows only a few transactions by Johannes. We should note that Johannes was a 1st cousin of Jacob's wife, Jannetje (Jane) Nevius Post, her father, Martynes Nevius, being a brother of Willemptje Nevius De Groff. The families presumably would have been well known to each other.

Images of Johannes De Groff's (aka John DeGroff's) Account in Jacob Post, Sr.'s Tannery Ledger

Debit Page for John DeGroff's Account at the Tannery of Jacob Post, Sr. - Fleming, Cayuga Co., New York

Credit Page for John DeGroff's Account at the Tannery of Jacob Post, Sr. - Fleming, Cayuga Co., New York

Debit Page Two for John DeGroff's Account at the Tannery of Jacob Post, Sr. - Fleming, Cayuga Co., New York

Johannes, here entered as John D'Grof, only made several transactions at the tannery. These were entered on two different pages of the Tannery Ledger where the first two images are on pages 1A (debit) and 1B (credit) and the third image on page 4A (debit). No credit column was made on page 4B.

Transcription of Johannes De Groff's (aka John DeGroff's) Account

John D'Groff [DeGroff]		Debit			John D'Groff [DeGroff]		Credit
Date	Description	₤	S	d	Date	Description	₤	S	d
May 7, 1827	To tanning one skin	0	6	0	May 7, 1827	Credit by one -	0	16	0
	To tanning 2 skins	1	10	0		Credit - -	0	7	0
	Subtotal=	2	6	0		Total=	1	3	0
December 1828	To Leather	0	6	0
July 1, 1829	To tanning one skin	0	10	0
	Total [not recorded in ledger]=	3	2	0
Note: 1827 entries on pages 1A (debit) and 1B (credit), 1828 and 1829 entries (debit only) on page 4A - Account descriptions struck through on both the debit and credit sides despite not showing equal balances

Johannes De Groff's (aka John DeGroff's) Purchases and Credits

Jacob Post, Sr. kept most of his Tannery Ledger using the system of pounds, shillings and pence. This was true for the account of Johannes De Groff (noted as John D'Grof therein). We see that Johannes had four skins tanned over an approximately 2-year period from 1827 to 1829. He also purchased a piece of leather during that time. In 1827, Johannes had three skins tanned by Jacob. His debit subtotal for 1827 was ₤2.6s.0d.

On the credit side of the ledger, Johannes received 16 shillings "credit by one" for an unspecified object and another credit of 7 shillings entered on the same date in 1827. Most likely the "credit by one" was for a green skin or hide. The other credit might have been another skin or cash paid to Jacob. Johannes thus had a credit subtotal of ₤1.3s.0d. in 1827, partially offsetting his purchases.

Johannes purchased leather in December 1828 and had another skin tanned in 1829, which was debited on 1 July, but Jacob recorded no further credits to offset the two purchases in these years. Thus, as of 1 July 1829, Johannes had debits totaling  ₤3.2s.0d. Thus, given his previous credit subtotal, Johannes would have owed ₤1.19s.0d, as far the ledger entries show.

We can't know how Johannes settled his small debt to Jacob because Jacob at some point struck through the entire account of Johannes De Groff, indicating that it had been settled despite not showing zero balance. It is possible that an unrecorded settlement transaction occurred or that Jacob simply forgave the amount owed.