Daily AncestorDr.
In account books Dr. means debtor or debit, the money a person owes; Dr. before a name can also mean Doctor.
In old ledgers, store books and estate accounts, Dr. heads the side of the account showing what a person owed: Jno. Hart Dr. to the estate means John Hart owed the estate. Its partner is Cr. for credit.
The same letters are the title Doctor before a name. Position tells you which: Dr. Jas. Bell is a physician, but Jas. Bell Dr. at the head of a ledger page is a debtor.
As seen in a recordStore ledger kept with an estate inventory
Wm. Ross Dr. To 1 bbl. flour, $6.00
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Daily Ancestor. "Dr.." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/abbreviations/dr-debtor. Last checked 2026-10-01.