Charging for Domestic Labor

Women's domestic work, paid or unpaid, contracted or assumed, has been the backbone of Western communities for millennia. Very often there aren't many records left for us to explore, because the work just needed to happen, and any notes that may have been scribbled on scraps here and there weren't seen as important enough to keep. In the grand scheme of things, women's work just didn't amount to the same monetary level as men's work (this is, of course, a hugely generic statement, but that's the topic of another discussion, so for now just stick with me).

These two images are the accounts of E. Nelson. She is charging S. Copenhaver for sewing, mending, and cleaning work one for a variety of clothing garments. What is fantastic about this account are the seemingly standardized prices for specific work completed. Cutting a wrapper cost $0.30, a blue dress cost $3.75, etc.

From these two images, it is impossible to tell if E. Nelson had a shop, worked in a shop, or was simply taking on extra work to help with finances. Her identity is also uncertain. In the 1880 census, an Elizabeth Nelson, aged 50, appears in Battletown. Was this her? She's listed as "mulatto," living with her husband and children. Her occupation is "keeping house," which rules out formal, recorded employment.

S. Copenhaver's identity is easier to discern. At the bottom of the first page is written "Susan Copenhaver." In the 1880 census she is listed aged 38 with her mother and siblings living in the Chapel district. What was Susan doing that made her contract someone else to do the sewing and mending? There are many garments listed on the two accounts, so it is unlikely they were all Susan's.

These papers are just a small glimpse into a much more complex world of working relations. Did the two women know each other socially? Were they strictly business acquaintances? Was E. Nelson recommended to Susan? There are so many questions we may never be able to answer.