Biography/History:

Alfred Elisée Alexander Bourgeois, son of François Evariste and Elvina Lucie Marie Bourgeois, was born in Châtel Blanc in the department of Doubs, France, on December 7, 1865. After completing his formal education at the College de L’Arc, Dole-de-Jura, France, Bourgeois moved to New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1882. Bourgeois soon became an apprentice in a New Orleans jewelry store, and he remained in that position for over a year. He opened a jewelry store in the St. Louis Hotel in New Orleans in 1884. Two years later, Bourgeois sold the store and moved to Jackson, Hinds County, Mississippi, where he became the manager of a jewelry store on South State Street. In October of that year, Bourgeois married Julie Bertha Aynaud of New Orleans. The couple settled in Jackson and raised a family of eight children: Etienne Alfred, Leopold Martial, Adrienne Bertha, Jeanette Alice, Ernest Alexander, Louise Margaret, Blanche Aileen, and George Washington Bourgeois. In 1892, Bourgeois bought the jewelry store he formerly managed, and he continued operating it for eight years. He moved the business into a new building in 1900. Bourgeois ran the jewelry store until his death in March of 1947. His children ran the business until 1986.

This collection consists of two account ledgers of the Alfred Bourgeois jewelry store dating from 1897 to 1900. The ledgers are indexed by customers’ names, and they contain entries for goods sold and services rendered. Of interest are the variety of items sold, such as vinaigrettes, silverware, pocketbooks, umbrellas, and eyeglasses. Bourgeois also offered a wide range of services, including eyeglass and watch repair, engraving, and stone setting. Also included in the ledgers are lists of items purchased from various manufacturers and salesmen, entries of deposits to bank accounts, and records of expenditures.

1. Account Ledger. 1897-1899. 1 bound volume.
2. Account Ledger. 1899-1900. 1 bound volume.