The ledger of Michael William Divine, which contains transactions between 1864 and 1884, features a variety of types of transactions, including sales and leases of apartment buildings throughout Manhattan. Explore this collection.
Watch a free Collection Close-Ups webinar recording for this collection, in which the NYG&B team explains what you can find and how you can search it.
Michael William Divine was born in Tallow, County Waterford, Ireland in December of 1828. He immigrated as a young boy and is found in New York City as early as 1850. By 1864, he was working as an attorney at a firm located at 52 Exchange Place; it was during his time at this firm that he created the transactions included in the ledger.
The record begins in 1864 with transactions for bales of corn and cotton with a gentleman in Liverpool, England, which were funded by gold. From about midway through to the end are transactions for sales and leases of apartment buildings throughout Manhattan, all of which are signed by Michael W. Divine, and include names of building owners.
The ledger paper is made of fragile onion skin, however, most of the transactions remain legible. Images may be browsed, but are not yet searchable.
This collection was preserved and made available online through the NYG&B's Digitize New York initiative.