I’m taking a break from the Tabor
Bankruptcy files to share what a custom house blotter may look like. The
following information is from NARA (Boston) New London custom House blotter for
two weeks in 1795. The first number I need to verify but may be the ship size/weight.
The “S” is an abbreviation for sloop. The name of the ship is given followed by
the captain’s name. Places in the
document where I wasn’t certain of the symbol/writing I used this: (?) There were times when a number was written followed by the letter c
with a line through it. I transcribed it with the letter c. To see what the size of the ships, visit Rob
Ossian’s “Pirate King” website. (I love
his site for the information he gives!) http://www.thepirateking.com/ships/ship_types.htm
New London
Customs House Blotter
Wednesday 17
June 1795
20
Certificate for goods Coastwise S. Phebe-Leeds,
S. Betsey , Dart150 Entered from Middletown Brig William & George Josiah Benton
(?) Cleared from the same for
Lusinam (?) 1771/2 beef (?) 196 1/2 pork, 10 fish, 21 lard, 38 horses, 150
pairs of nankeens, 3 hhd. (hogsheads) hams, 4 of shoes, 10 of books, 6 hogs, 10
poultry, 7 candles, 4 butter, 9 ton of hay, 500 oats, 58 hhd. 6 c bread
Thursday 18
50 Cleared for New York S. Juno Rob. Niles
Certif. goods coastwise Peabody
& Huntington
25 Entered from New York, S. Sally Daniel Harris
Friday 19
150 Entered from N York S. Hiram James Peters
Cleared from Hispaniola Brig Betsy Ezra Caulkins 43
pork, 107 beef, 5 fish, 8c Fish, 15 lard, 18 butter, 31 beans,
128 books, 24
hats @/8/ 430 cheese, 40 horses, 14 sheep, 21 boards 1500 slarus(? staves)
172 shingles. 9 ½ hay, 280 oats, 77 Cow, 7c bread, berthd
150 Entered Middleton B. Juno Isaac Burr / (?) Cleared for St. Bartholomews, 14
horses, 12, cattle, 17 mules 83
fish, 17 pork (?) 18 beef, 128 meal, 16 d (? Probably dozen) 2 m boards, 2 m
Slairus (?staves)
3
m hoops,16 t head, 30 beams, 120 cow, 9 hay, 500 oats, 50 hhds.
Change 100
Cleared for Nantz (?) Sloop Democrat James
Lamphere 210
barrel flour, 120 barrel, meal, 13 bales of cotton 431@ 2
hhd. Rum 211 gallons, 300 p shoes, 2 half T (?)s rice, 1 box hats
100 doll
Saturday 20
This notation is clustered together:
110.46//150 Entered from Philadelphia B. Betsy Eben Hotchkiss
6.65 Luineced
(? Probably licensed ) for fishing /to trade at foreign port Sloop
50 Two Friends Jonathan Crary
25
Change 20
31 49 tos//126 for S Md
Second page
Blotter Monday
22 June 179525 Licensed for coasting Sch. Ranger Groton John Widger
Clustered together
825 tons // 51 ENTERED from Liverpool & New York Ship
(No. 52) 150 Charlotte
Samuel p. Fitch
Surrey (?) 300Tonnage pd. In N York 12 June
Tuesday 23
20 Permit to Paul Cancand Schooner Co cotte cleared from N
York for Portaupaix to land his baggage
25 Entered from N York S. Hiram Wm. Pigon
Wednesday 24
100 Enrolled & Licensed Sloop Two Brothers N London
Clustered together
20.88 tons//125 Henry Norris
50 Licensed for Codfishery Sch. Union of Groton Wm. Sloan
Change 20
29(?) 47//97 for
g m d
Cleared for Jamica Snow Adolphe of New London
Measuring 200
William Briggs Master
3791 Whiteoak Staves, 22816 black
oak d(? maybe ditto?) 161337 of pine board
6 beef, 6 pork 6 bread
20 Certificate that Elijah Ely is owner
of Sch. Patty
N.R. 175
Enrolled & Licensed Sch. Polly, Stonington Peleg Noyes for
25 Fishing & license to trade at a
foreign Port
36.54 tons// 219
Friday 26
50 Cleared for New York Sch. L. Washington, Colver
Saturday 27
40 Endorsed John Smith Master of S. Lively instead of D. Belding
100 Enrolled & Licensed Sloop Polly Stonington Joseph Latham
21~84//131 Brig
Zeleared (?)for N York B Sally. Geo
W. Champlin
225
Cleared for West Indies S. Hiram
J Peters, 104 s corn, 300 pease
1,50 150 Meal , 50 flour, 1140 Staves, 17
shakes, 125 sheep, 4 hhd tobacco, 2 fish
Cleared for West Indies, S. William John French 39 mules 11
pork, 17 beef, 37 beams, 1 lb meats, 55
fish, 10 butter, 2 lard 1
box cheese, 19 bundle hoops, 5 bread, 34 c staves, 7 ton hay, 24 hats a 151 10 ream paper
ad 181 half lb shad, 43 hhd, 200 oats, color pottery
