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This is an early 19th Century antique vellum - cow-hide covered notebook which has been hand titled in dip ink on the top:

Inspecting Field Officer's Stationary Account February 25th 1816.

So the outside cover is made from vellum which of course is dried animal skin and it has been slightly decorated with pressed lines - tooled on both sides. You will see one side has a FLAP which makes it look like a purse but this is a common feature on a pocket book of the period.

Open the flap and you will see the " marbled " paper on the inside of the flap and a single pouch on the under side of the cover. There is nothing in here.

The paper pages are held in place with string and this can be seen on the spine. This type of book covering is stiff and fairly rigid and is quite difficult to open and read the pages inside.

Inside on the paper of the inner pouch it has been written at a later date in pencil " My great grandfathers a/c book " ( P. Thompson R.N. )

The paper pages are period as well so be assured of that... they have the tiny margin lines running up and down as well as watermarks within the paper when held up to a bright light.

I can see the name KING and 3 initials A L J the L is backwards though.

There are ONLY 11 pages with hand manuscript writing of accounts on followed by 36 pages which have no writing on.

The hand written wording inside makes rather interesting reading actually even to me that does not fully appreciate what the accounts are from. Anyone with knowledge or the time to research this chap P. Thompson, Royal Navy may well be able to find out which ship he was on and that would make it a little more exciting to the reader.

The accounts are quite easy to read with the month and date on the left hand side then a line of what the item is and quantity and then the price in £ shilling and pence, with a total at the bottom of the pages marked paid.

So I have seen such wording as this....

Extra receipts for passage money left in table drawer amount to £352 - soldiers wives other papers in the office - new books 5/0 - letter paper 10/10 - army list 3/3 - ounce wafers 8 pence - 4 pencils 5/0 - printing 200 embarkation returns 5-8-4 - 1/2 dozen pencils 7/6 - printing 200 papers for discharge soldiers 2-12-0 - 100 quills 13/0 - blotting paper 1/4 - box of wafers 4/4 - wax 1/1 - bottle of red ink 1/1 - printing 200 certificates of passage from Ireland 1-16-0 - india rubber 3/10 - ready reckoner 5/11 - printing 200 billet orders 2-12-0 - memorandum book 6/6 - printing 50 staff returns 2-14-2 ...and lots of other wording.

The mention of " wafers " I thought what are those... well they were embossed and decorated gummed labels and you put them on the back of the envelopes to seal them... instead of sealing wax.

In collectable condition with normal signs of age and use wear.

The vellum/hide is dry and well worn but doesn't seem to be cracked anywhere. It does not lay flat at the flap when its pushed in. First page inside at the bottom has a small tear. There are no real issues to the item.

Please see all pictures provided for more details and visual confirmation of condition.

It measures approx. 6 and 1/8 inches x 4 inches when closed.

Serious collector - museum item from the English Georgian period of the Royal Navy.