The Clerk's Guide: Or, Commercial Correspondence; Comprising Letters of Business, Forms of Bills, Invoices, Account-Sales, and an Appendix, Containing Advice to Young Tradesmen and Shopkeepers,

The Clerk’s Guide: Or, Commercial Correspondence by Benjamin Franklin Foster is a 19th-century instructional manual reprinted from the 1837 edition. This comprehensive resource compiles genuine mercantile letters, practical guidance, and model documents for clerks, merchants, and students. It begins with a Preface and Introduction that promote a clear, concise, and orderly commercial style, followed by sections on Letters of Introduction and Credit, Circular Letters, General Mercantile Correspondence, and Explanatory Remarks on Bills, Invoices, Account-Sales, and Insurance, including Lloyd’s Exchange. The Appendix offers insights for Young Tradesmen and Shopkeepers, Dr. Franklin’s advice, Equation of Payments, explanations of commercial terms, and a Table of Time. Additionally, the volume includes a Prospectus for Foster’s Commercial Academy, showcasing its educational objectives. This book serves as a foundational manual for mercantile correspondence, bookkeeping, and professional writing in early American and British commerce.