Archive Record
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Metadata
Object # |
2024.008.001 |
Description |
The journal of Henry Smith The journal was scanned by NEDCC, PDF attached. A selection of pages are attached wth this record. Henry Smith (1815-1873) is the father of Abbott Smith who bought the Handy House. Henry Smith had a farm on Horseneck Road, near Cross Road. He also owned a house at Westport Point (The Captain Ball House) 1998 Main Road (1849- 64). Manuscript journal of Henry Smith, Massachusetts whaling ship agent, sailor and farmer SMITH, HENRY Westport, Mass, 1861. 361 pp. With 13 items laid in, including letters, school board notices, memorandums, etc. Folio. Quarter-leather commercial journal of unruled blue paper. Some wear to cover and spine but internally fine. Monday January 3, 1853: "in company with H Willcox Started off to look [for] a Mate for the Brig Mexico went by the way of Hix Bridge and Adams Ville called on John Le Munion at his home ... he did not feel disposed to go mate owing to poor health and other excuses his qualifications as an Officer middling fare and fair whale men rather easy and lack of ambition; proceeded on north to Gideon Manchesters tryed to Ship him for a Mate but owing to other engagements would not Ship, his qualifications steered a Boat two voyages and part of another good Boat Steer would make a good whale man or for a mate for a Small Ship...." Smith and Willcox continue their search and on Thursday 6th he writes, "Called on Elwood Studley at his house about 1/2 a mile East of Macombers Corner he had steered a boat-in the Nimrod with Capt Sherman and was 3rd mate with Capt. Cornell in the Lancaster his qualifications smart man on the land for gaining a livelyhood good boat steer and might do for a mate for a small vessel." Finally they find one George C. Simmons, of Adamsville, Rhode Island, for the Boat Steer for the Brig Mexico. Other entries throughout record similar efforts and other business on behalf of Wilcox's other ships, including the Solon (mentioned most, as Smith had a stake in it himself), the Janet, Governor Carver, and Mattapoisett.Entries also record purchases made and efforts undertaken for Smith's home farm; local marriages and deaths; Friends meetings attended (Smith was a Quaker) and sermons heard; and the occasional sensational news item, such as the detailed entry of May 13, 1861, on the funeral of Edward Slocum, age 21, who killed himself with a shotgun. We also discover that in November of 1856 Smith voted for John Fremont for President and Dayton for Vice President, and that he voted for Josiah Quincy of Boston for Governor of Massachusetts. Also of note is a neat manuscript "Plan of Orchard Set out in the Fall of 1827 By Henry Willcox, Westport" at the front of the journal. Though not of the same scale as Nantucket or New Bedford, Westport was still an important whaling port: over 300 whaling voyages were made from there over a hundred year period, and in the mid-1850s Westport was homeport of some twenty whaling vessels. |
Search Terms |
Whaling Farming Schools Westport Point |
People |
Smith, Henry Smith, Abbott P. Wilcox, Henry |
Year Range from |
1853 |
Year Range to |
1861 |
Object Name |
Journal |
Category |
8: Communication Artifact |
Sub-category |
Documentary Artifact |
Accession# |
2024.008 |