Receipt for Spermaceti Oil Candles, Newport, Rhode Island, February 23, 1764

Receipt for two boxes of spermaceti oil candles, dated February 23, 1764, from Jacob Rodriguez Rivera to Thomas Vernon in Newport, Rhode Island. The receipt provides details about a transaction for spermaceti candles between two prominent figures in Newport's 18th-century mercantile community. Jacob Rodriguez Rivera (1717-1789), a Sephardic Jew who fled the Inquisition and became a successful entrepreneur in Newport, is known for introducing the manufacture of spermaceti candles to the colonies. Thomas Vernon was part of the Vernon brothers, prominent Newport merchants involved in the transatlantic slave trade. The receipt offers insights into the business dealings of these individuals and provides a glimpse into the economic activities of Newport during the mid-18th century.

Associated People/Businesses

• Rivera, Jacob Rodriguez
• Vernon, M. Thomas
• Vernon, Thomas
• RIVERA, JACOB RODRIGUEZ (1717-1789)

Geography

• Newport

Subjects

• Transatlantic slave trade

Physical Location

Arc.MS.56, Box 8, Folder 5