Massachusetts -- Business, industries, and trades -- Whaling

Scope and Contents

This collection contains fairly complete documentation, excluding correspondence,for the four voyages between 1865-1876 under the management of Charles Tucker of New Bedford. There are scant papers remaining for the voyages managed by Samuel Osborn, other than the account books in the PPL collection.

Scope and Contents This collection consists of records of seven completed whaling voyages of the Mattapoisett from 1841-1888 and one whaling voyage which was planned for 1889 but never undertaken. This collection contains a few miscellaneous papers from the early voyages, mostly odd papers that were found in the corresponding logbooks and journals and in the collection of the papers of Leonard Hammond of Mattapoisett. The bulk of the records are for the last whaling voyage of the vessel from 1886-1888 under...

Scope and Contents The collection contains correspondence between Master Charles S. Downs and agent Samuel Osborn, Jr. relating to the business of whaling and the condemnation and sale of the vessel. Also included are permissions for crew members to go whaling, signed crew agreements, outfitting notes, and a crew list. Bills and receipts are included from the time of outfitting until the sale of the vessel and return of its oil. Documents and consular copies of the transactions relating to survey, maintenance,...

Scope and Contents

This collection consists primarily of correspondence, mostly from Daniel D. Mowry to his family, but also from Captains James and Charles Nichols and Charles Nichols’ wife Carrie to the Mowry Family (Carrie Nichols was Ellen Mowry’s sister). Much of this correspondence was written at sea. The collection also includes a day book and hand-written poetry.

Scope and Contents

The collection includes nearly 800 logbooks, documenting over 1,000 voyages and ranges from the 18th to the 20th century.

Scope and Contents

This collection contains correspondence to and from Samuel Osborn, Jr., business records including notes on whales and lots of sperm oil, bills and insurance documents, and a small number of miscellaneous personal papers.

Of particular note are correspondences related to the Arctic whaling disaster of 1871 requesting compensation for the owners of the lost vessels.

Scope and Contents

This collection contains a small number of Penniman’s personal papers and ephemera, mostly unrelated to his whaling career, including a receipt for homebuilding materials, a menu, and a visiting card.

Scope and Contents

This collection includes the records of the second and third whaling voyages of the Perry including shipping papers, correspondences, protests, bills and receipts, and crew accounts. The bulk of the records reflect the voyage of 1877-1880. Of particular note are details about the death of Master George Nickerson and crew dissatisfaction between his replacement, Master Benjamin F. Nickerson, and the First Mate, Horace Sherman.

Scope and Contents This collection contains papers from two of the President’s whaling voyages: 1865-1869 under master Edmund Kelley, and 1869-1872 under master Eber C. Almy. The papers for the second of these voyages are scant. The collection also includes papers regarding the ship’s building and maintenance history which are unrelated to any specific voyage. Of additional note in this collection is a volume of sailing directions for Buzzards Bay published in New Bedford in 1821, which has since been...

Scope and Contents This collection contains captain Andrew J. Mosher’s correspondence from a voyage of the Robert Morrison from 1880 to 1884, along with agent’s and owner’s memoranda and information about shipments of oil from this same time period. It also contains crew papers including accounts and permissions, government documents, a significant number of bills and receipts, and documents related to the condemnation and sale of the Robert Morrison. Researchers will also note diagrams of the bark’s cask...