Hiram Hunt PapersHiram Hunt Papers, 1847-1870
| Maine Maritime Museum Manuscript Collection Online Catalog
Arrangement
Abstract
Subjects (links to similar collections)Accounts
B. M. Prescott (Brig)
Bucknam, Joseph, Captain
Charles Edward (Brig)
Charter-parties
Crosby, John, Captain
Deeds
Ellinwood, Martial A., Captain
Fraser, Thomas, Captain
Freight and freightage
Gorham, George W., Captain
Heard, Henry, Captain
Hipson, James, P., Captain
Joyce, Simon, Captain
L. H. Chase (Brig)
Laleah (Brig)
Lawrence, William, Captain
Legal documents
Letters
Log-books
Lucinda Sears (Bark)
Lumber-trade
Margaret (Brig)
Marine protests
Medicine
Parsons, Thomas, Captain
Preble, Ebenezer, Captain
Reed, Sewall, Captain
Ross, Simon, Captain
Sarah (Brig, 1846)
Sarah (Brig, 1868)
Seafaring
Sears, Barzillai, Captain
Shipbuilders
Ship captains
Shipping
St. Vincent, Captain
Temple, C., Captain
Violet, Charles, Captain
Voyages and travels
Wages
Administrative InformationThe papers were loosely organized in an archival box within folders by a volunteer. Many of the papers are dirty, discolored, stained or acidic. Other papers have creases with holes, minor tears or missing pieces. Most of these were repaired with thin, transparent document repair tape. Some of the documents with creases and folds were flattened and ironed with a tacking iron at low to medium heat. Most protests are bound by ribbon. Covers to protests are tattered. An insurance policy is also bound by ribbon. Several smaller papers are adhered to a larger vessel registration, articles of agreement and freight & cargo records. Several other smaller documents are adhered to each other such as customs papers. Adhered documents could not be separated without damage. Many of the records are fragile and should be handled with care. A number of fragile documents were sleeved in Melinex or archival Mylar. Acid free/lignin free paper was placed between documents to preserve writing and for additional support in sleeves.
It appears that the Ship log book was used as a scrapbook. Between pages 1-7 various papers (flyers/programs) were adhered onto the pages obscuring the Captain’s entries. There was an attempt to remove the paprs at one time so you see only portions of these unrelated documents on the pages. The adhered papers cover a good portion of original information. The Ship’s log book is dirty and acidic with stains. Parts are missing to the last two pages.
The collection was donated to the museum by Virginia Cooney. Hiram Hunt (b. 1809-d. 1891) was the donor’s great grandfather. The daughter of Hiram Hunt was Ellen “Nellie” Bloodgood Hunt (b. 1857-d. 1939). She married Samuel Hinkley Nickerson (b. 1857-d. 1895). Samuel and Ellen had children, Norman Hunt Nickerson (b. 1892-d. 1984) and Virginia Nickerson McMaster (b. 1894-d. 1980). Norman Hunt Nickerson was the father of the donor, Virginia Cooney. According to a 1972 document (see supporting documents) by unknown author the Hiram Hunt papers were handed down through the family. Grandmother Hunt gave a lot of the papers to Virginia. Virginia showed the unknown author of this 1972 document the Hiram Hunt papers, but the writer had no interest in keeping them. The document goes on to say “the girls” took some of the logs and the other papers. The unknown author also writes that one of the girls had the logbook for the Sarah. It is unknown at this time if Virginia in this particular document was actually the donor or the aunt Virginia Nickerson McMaster.
The Hiram Hunt papers consist of two boxes of manuscript records and one horizontal box with a log book pertaining to the shipping business in the nineteenth century. Hunt was a ship merchant, ship owner and ship builder from Robbinston, Maine. The papers are primarily vessel records. There are some general shipping business, maritime publications and personal papers in the collection as well.
General shipping business correspondence records the lumber industry, market fluctuations, lumber speculation, lumber contracts and log driving as well as lumber for export via vessels. Hunt exported a good portion of lumber from New Brunswick (Little Falls, Grand Falls, Granville, Bend). Correspondence captures the lumber industry in New Brunswick in addition to Maine. In a letter on May 3, 1853, Henry Prentiss writes to Hiram Hunt about his visit to the Grant Mill in Eddington, Maine (box 1, folder 1). General shipping business also addresses shipments, cargo, rates, bills, lawsuits, contracts, services, purchases, business disagreements and insurance among other maritime history.
Vessel papers include the A. B. Van Olinda (Brig), B. M. Prescott (Brig), Lucinda Sears (Bark), Sarah (Brig, 1846), Sarah (Brig, 1868), Charles Edwards (Brig), L. H. Chase (Brig), Laleah (Brig) and Margaret (Brig). There are two Sarahs, both brigs, in this collection. The earlier brig Sarah was built in Bangor, Maine in 1846 and weighed 219 tons. Hunt built the later Sarah (Brig) in Robbinston in 1868. The vessel weighed 546 tons, which he owned. This brig was converted to a barkentine about 1872.1
Vessel papers include ownership, registration, insurance, correspondence, account summaries, accounts general, charter parties, crew wages, freight & cargo, articles of agreement, clearance documents, entry documents, protests, legal document (instrument of bottomry) and customs documents. Accounts general (invoices, receipts) allowed voyages to be traced for the A. B. Van Olinda (Brig), B. M. Prescott (Brig), Lucinda Sears (Bark), Sarah (Brig, 1868) and Laleah (Brig).
In a correspondence in April 1858, William Joyce writes to Hiram Hunt requesting payment due to his son, Capt. Simon Joyce. Capt. Joyce was master of the brig A. B. Van Olinda, which was lost or foundered on a voyage from Philadelphia to Londonderry, Ireland with a cargo of Indian corn. The was reported to William Joyce by Capt. Thomas Yorke of St. John, New Brunswick. The crew and vessel were never seen again. William Joyce applies for compensation from Hiram Hunt for his son’s wages when master (box 1, folder 2).
There are a number of protests for the A. B. Van Olinda (Brig), B. M. Prescott (Brig),
Lucinda Sears (Bark) and Sarah (Brig, 1868). Damage occurred to these vessels from storms on the high seas or rivers. Protests capture the challenges of these hurricanes and gales for the crew. There are six protests for the brig B. M. Prescott. The protest of Captain Heard the master of the Lucinda Sears (Bark) taken at Port Mahon in 1855, documents the sickness of the shipmate and two men as well as the perils they experienced on this vessel. Moreover, one man was lost overboard during the night and one man died on October 31, 1854 during a storm (box 2, folder 14):
“another man was taken sick, so that the ship[s] mate and two men were sick, and the ship leaking badly; that under these circumstances he called all hands and they all agreed to say: The best thing we can do is to heave the deck load overboard to save the ship water logging and for the safety and preservation of the vessel, crew and rest of the cargo”
“all the men able to work employed in heaving the deckload overboard and in the night one man was lost overboard”
“on the thirty first of October one of the sick men died and was buried at 5 p. m.”
There is an account summary for medicinal products purchased from the Ship’s Medicine Chest Depot for the bark Lucinda Sears in July 1855 at Boston (box 2, folder 7). Medicines include laudanum, sulfur, wormword, penny royal and bonseset among others.
The B. M. Prescott (Brig) has an “Instrument of Bottomry” contract (box 1, folder 17). The type of contract was referred as an emergency mortgage by which money was borrowed for a specified term by the owner of a ship for its use, equipment or repair for which the ship is pledged as collateral. The Instrument of Bottomry for the B. M. Prescott is a handwritten document from Captain Thomas Parson, master of the brig B. M. Prescott, to John Roop on October 9, 1856. Captain Parson needed to borrow funds and agreed to take up, at a maritime interest, of bottomry from John Roop at the amount of £36 for repairs and supplies for the brig B. M. Prescott. He also planned to voyage from Saint John, New Brunswick to Baltimore, Maryland with a cargo under this agreement.
The log book for the Sarah (Brig, 1868) documents strife between crewmen and mate and/or captain aboard the brig. In this log book, the mate James Reid records seaman James Cobb pulled a knife on him after a dispute between them on November 27, 1868. Captain Gorham took the knife from Cobb and then Cobb pointed a pistol at Reid. Mate Reid documents this incident:
“Jhon Cob seam on bord i told him to not begoing in the focksell in his watch on Deck and the anser he wood go when he plesed i told him he wood not i will and I am damand if you can stop me so he shoed fite and drue a knife and the Captain took it from him then he got a Pistle and pinted at me Swore by god he would shoot me.” (Bo x 3, p. 76).
In another entry on December 31, 1868, Cobb refused to work, even after he received orders from Mate Reid and Captain Gorham:
“John Cob seaman on bord refused to work we told him he had to du it he com menced Sworing that he wood not do it and Caption told he must he Coaled the a suns of hures god dam suns of hures and swore by the holy suffering Jeaz Christ that he wood hafe my life so we told him to com done out of the rigon he wood nut so he done it after he stoped sworing.” (Box 3, p. 93)
Furthermore, the crew of the Sarah (Brig) refused to sail round Cape Horn on February 21, 1869:
“the captain came on Bord with ordors to go round the horn the crew refused to go Thodro Carto Said he would not go he wood goine in the navy Henery Elingwood refused Charles Michel he wood not go till he see was bound he if Stured Sade he wood as Sune hafe Blood Shed as not if hat to go” (Box 3, p. 97)
Lastly, there is a deed of sale from Hiram Hunt to Stephen Bonsal for Blackstone, Massachusetts property in 1858. Hunt sold this property to Stephen Bonsal his father-in-law. The property belonged to Hiram’s late father Washington Hunt. This was a 70 acre homestead.
References
1. http://library.mysticseaport.org