Arches

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Arches at Glendalough 2009

Thursday, September 5, 2013

New London Custom House Records


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 , Dart
150      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 1795

25        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 (?) 300

Tonnage 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