Receiving Tomb Retentions (Billing Logs), 1867-1907 | The Green-Wood Cemetery

By Vanessa Carney, Archival Intern

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Collection Overview

Title: Receiving Tomb Retentions (Billing Logs), 1867-1907

Predominant Dates:1880s-1890s

Extent: 3.0 Boxes

Arrangement:

Each book features an alphabetical tabbed index followed by numbered pages. To use this book, first look up a name to find its page number, then flip to that page in the numbered section.

The format of the numbered section slightly changes from Book No. 2 to 3, with the latter designed to fit more entries on a single page. Some names are marked with a handwritten number in blue crayon; it’s unclear what this means.

Subjects: Business--Records, Conveyancing, Lawyers--Accounting--History--20th Century

Abstract

Several notes inquiring about which interments to remove are found among the pages.

Scope and Contents of the Materials

This collection encompasses three books of Receiving Tomb Retentions for The Green-Wood Cemetery spanning 1867 to 1907, though the whereabouts of Book No. 1 are unknown.

Each entry indicates when the interred person was placed in and removed from the Receiving Tomb, as well as a detailed log of billing and payment throughout the retention period. In both books, payer information typically appears at the top center of each entry, followed by marginal notes documenting name and address changes.

CONDITION

Overall condition of the covers is poor, particularly in Book No. 3, where the spine is nearly detached. The condition of the interior pages is fair.

Subject/Index Terms

Business--Records
Conveyancing
Lawyers--Accounting--History--20th Century

Box and Folder Listing

Browse by Box:

[Box 1: No. 1 (MISSING)],
[Box 2: No. 2, 1867-1900],
[Box 3: No. 3, 1876-1907],
[All]

Box 1: No. 1 (MISSING)

This item is missing from this series.

Box 2: No. 2, 1867-1900

Spans 1867-1900, with the majority of dates ranging 1880s-1890s. Some names feature notes referring to Book No. 3, where their billing history is continued. There is a gap from page 275-283. In the numbered section, names generally follow alphabetical (first letter) and chronological order by year of reception with several exceptions, which could be carryovers from Book 1.

Box 3: No. 3, 1876-1907

Spans 1876-1907, with the majority of dates ranging 1899-1904. Earlier dates are probably carryovers from Book 2. Unlike Book 2, the numbered section does not appear to follow alphabetical order. Entries appear chronological for the first 105 pages, ascending from 1899 to 1904 with only two exceptions (1900 on p. 93 and 1885 on p. 103). However, chronology seems to disappear at page 106.

A clipping from The Brooklyn Eagle involving Corwin Halsey is affixed to his entry on page 124 for unknown reasons. It details an incident in which he stole his wife’s jewelry at a dinner party and went missing under a pseudonym, but was later found at a hotel in Manhattan.