59 School Street, Box 1310, Edgartown MA 02539 - 508.627.4441
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A Finding Aid to the Maritime Related Collection, 1638, 1770-1942, undated

Descriptive Summary

Repository Martha's Vineyard Museum Gale Huntington Research Library
59 School Street
P.O. Box 1310
Edgartown, MA 02539
(508) 627-4441
Call Number RU 540
Title Maritime Related Collection
Date [inclusive] 1638, 1770-1942, undated
Extent 2 boxes (1.008 cubic feet)
Language The materials are predominately in English. Some materials are in French, Spanish, or Dutch and are indicated at the file level.
Abstract The artificial collection contains materials pertaining to maritime life and activities on Martha's Vineyard, predominately in the 19th century.

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Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Use and Reproduction Restrictions

Requests to reproduce material from this collection should be directed to the library's staff. Reproduction fees may apply.

Preferred Citation

Martha's Vineyard Museum, RU 540, Maritime Related Collection

Acquisition Information

  • Gift of Alexander Orr in 1972 (Accession no. 1972.046).
  • Gift of Virginia Jones in 1986 (Accession no. 1986.024).
  • Gift of Priscilla P. Fisher (Accession no. 1999.015).

Individual folders are labeled with accession numbers when known. The immediate source of acquisition and date of accession for the rest of the material is unknown.

Publication Information

Martha's Vineyard Museum

Gale Huntington Research Library
59 School Street
P.O. Box 1310
Edgartown, MA 02539
(508) 627-4441

Processing Information

Finding aid prepared and machine-encoded by Clint Johnson in July 2015. Collection inventory and survey prepared by Lara J. Ullman in 2015.

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Related Materials

Related Materials

  • See also, RU 179, Manter, Captain Henry Papers, 1841-1913
  • See also, RU 207, Whaling and the Vineyard
  • See also, RU 246, Seaman's Bethel
  • See also, RU 459, Whalemen's Shipping List and Merchants' Transcript Newspapers, 1843-1908
  • See also, RU 504, Fisheries of Martha's Vineyard

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Controlled Access Headings

Genre(s)

  • Accounts
  • Account books
  • Bills of sale
  • Biographies (documents)
  • Certification
  • Contracts
  • Correspondence
  • Crew lists
  • Flags
  • Legislation (legal concepts)
  • Notes
  • Official reports
  • Receipts (financial records)
  • Registers (lists)
  • Ships' logs
  • Ships' papers
  • Ships' passenger lists

Geographic Name(s)

  • Dukes County (Mass.)
  • Edgartown (Mass.)
  • Martha's Vineyard (Mass.)

Personal Name(s)

  • Claghorn, Will
  • Colvocoresses, George P. (George Partridge), 1847-1932
  • Fanning, Edmund, 1769-1841
  • Luce, John A.
  • Slocum, John H.

Subject(s)

  • Dukes County (Mass.)--History
  • Martha's Vineyard (Mass.)--History
  • Merchant ships
  • Seafaring life
  • Ship captains
  • Whalers (Persons)
  • Whaling--Massachusetts--Martha's Vineyard
  • Whaling ships
  • Whaling ships--Flags, insignia, etc.

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Scope and Content of Collection

The artificial collection contains accounts, account books, bills, biographies, certifications, contracts, correspondence, crew lists, flags, legislation, notes, official reports, receipts, registers, ships' logs, ships' paper, and ships' passenger lists from maritime activities and life on Martha's Vineyard. The collection is predominately from whaling and merchant shipping in the 19th century but also includes some fishing and commercial maritime materials.

Arrangement

The collection is arranged chronologically and then alphabetically by title when date is unknown.

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Contents of Collection

Box Folder

Ship Confidence passenger list, 1638 
 1986.024.003

 1 1

Peter Pease Captained Whaleship shipping paper, 1770 

 OS Box 5 26

Thomas Smith privateering record, 1778 December 23 

 1 2

Schooner Peggy contract, 1796 

 OS Box 5 25

Ship Diana log, 1802 

 1 3

Report of the Committee to whom were Referred on the 17th Ultimo and 8th Instant, the memorials of Sundry Merchants, of the City and State of New York, 1804 March 12 

 1 4

Captain John A. Luce correspondence, 1807 January 30 
 1999.015

Note

Found in charts originally owned by Captain John A. Luce.

 1 5

Ship Nancy contracts, 1807-1809 

 1 6

Benjamin Coffin logbook pages, 1807-1810 

 1 7

Ship Nancy accounts, 1808 February 17 

 1 8

Maritime death notes, 1818, undated 

 1 9

Schooner Woolf announcement of sale, 1818 March 27 

 1 10

Schooner Lydia receipt, 1819 March 31 

 1 11

Schooner Mercury certifications, 1823, undated 

 1 12

Ship Loan Shipping paper and contract, 1824 

 OS Box 5 24

Schooner Mercury accounts, 1823-1824 

 1 13

Ship Elmira debenture, 1827 

 1 14

Ship account book, 1829-1830 

 1 15

Edgartown register bonds, 1830-1840 
 1972.046

 1 16

From Voyages Round the World excerpt, 1833 
 1986.024.002
Author/Creator:  Fanning, Edmund, 1769-1841

 1 17

Ship William accounts, 1838, 1853 

 1 18

Peruvian maritime certification, 1842 

 The materials are in Spanish.

 1 19

Whaling Vessel Flags, 1844 
 Z1636

Note

Printed in booklet.

 1 20

Ship York certifications, 1845-1846 

 1 21

Schooner Monterey accounts, 1849-1850, undated 

 1 22

Schooner Monterey correspondence, 1849-1850 

 1 23

Schooner Monterey shipping receipts and bills, 1849-1851 

 1 24

Slave Ship Adventure, circa 1853 

 2 1

Private Signals of the Whaling Vessels of New Bedford, 1857 

 2 2

Ship Ellen certifications, 1859 

 The materials are in Dutch.

Note

Ship captained by John H. Slocum.

 2 3

John A. Luce food and supply accounts, 1863 or after 

 2 4

Captain John A. Luce receipts, 1864, undated 
 1999.015

 Some of the materials are in French.

Note

Found in charts originally owned by Captain John A. Luce. One receipt in French.

 2 5

Ship Saratoga report of the Commander, 1864 August 6 
Author/Creator:  Colvocoresses, George P. (George Partridge), 1847-1932

 2 6

Captain J.T. Daggett voyage summary and list, 1865-1893 

 2 7

Schooner Harper damage report, 1869 October 14 

 2 8

Charles C. Smith logbook, 1870-1871 

 2 9

U.S. Shipping Board Night Order book, 1919 

Note

Includes "Standing Rules for Officers on Watch".

 2 10

Vessels Built on Beach Road and  Vineyard Pilots and Masters lists, 1942, undated 
Author/Creator:  Claghorn, Will

Note

Includes original and transcription

 2 11

Charles C. Smith logbook, undated 

 2 12

Edgartown Maritime receipts, undated 

 2 13

Ship Ethan Allen regulations, undated 

 2 14

Ship Coggeshall notes, undated 

 2 15

Maritime certifications, undated 

 Materials are also in French, Spanish, and Dutch.

Note

Identical certifications in English, French Spanish, and Dutch.

 2 16

Maritime shippings receipts, undated 

 2 17

Thomas Dunham maritime biography, undated 

 2 18

United States Maritime legislation, undated 

 2 19

Vessels list, undated 

 2 20

Whaling Captains and their Voyages, undated 
 1986.024.001

 2 21