Description:

Early 19th C. Shipping Papers
Stockholm, Sweden, various
Embargo Period Sweden/America Shipping Archive, Fascinating!
Archive
Two documents comprising correspondence between Sweden and the United States detailing the specifics of the ship American vessel Hapleton, sailing from Sweden to the United States and Liverpool in 1809-1810 and thus during two important embargo acts as well as the Finnish War. Worthy of further research!

1. The first document is partly-printed, 6pp. 7.25" x 12", [Stockholm], November 10, 1809. Bound with string at middle and bearing a blind-embossed paper seal on second page. In Swedish. Expected wear to margins but in overall very good condition.

Titled "Measure Bill" in English and thence roughly translated from Swedish it reads, in part: "…We, the Mayor and Council of the Royal Residence and the Capital of Sweden hereby certify that before us and in our present court the city's sworn measurers…have, under oath, testified that they have measured the ship called Hapleton, captained by Francis Blackwell, which is built in the American ship style…[laden with] heavy cargo of 18 ship's pound of iron…thus measured and calculated with all appropriate deductions and in all other respects carried out according to the requirements of the Royal Regulations, it is here by certified by the Stockholm City Ship Measurement Office…".

Following is the detailed accounting of the ship and her contents which support the certification, in part:

"…The vessel is found to have a length over the stern of the tonnage line, measured from outer edge to outer edge of the planking: 85.65 feet.
Width at the midship under the bulwark from outer edge of the planking: 25.70 feet.
Draft without cargo, aft 9.63 feet
Same without cargo, fore 7.38 feet
Same with cargo, aft 15.40 feet
Same with cargo, fore 14.80 feet…
As the ship belongs to the second class:
108 divisor for the entire draft height
99 divisor for tonnage at the tonnage line
114 divisor for tonnage at the unload line…" and more.

2. The second document, also partly-printed, 2pp. 8" x 13", Stockholm, April 16, 1810, is a three-language ship's paper in English, French and Swedish, certifying that the Burgermeisters and Aldermen of Stockholm have certified that the Hapleton, bearing a lade of unspecified goods, is sailing from Stockholm to Liverpool under the command of Captain Francis Blackwell and "for his own account and risk…".

With the Embargo Act of 1807, the United States attempted to leverage the growing flow of commerce with countries abroad against Britain to stop the humiliating impressment of American sailors by the British Royal Navy, and apply diplomatic pressure to France. Thomas Jefferson hoped that Britain and France would be swayed of their restrictive regulations and be forced to return to neutral global commerce. This tactic failed: while Britain and France remained steadfast amid the embargo, some American merchants defied it. Jefferson replaced this act with the less-restrictive Embargo Act of 1809, restoring trade between all nations except for Britain and France. This was succeeded by the Non-Intercourse Act of 1810, which reopened trade with Britain and France when Jefferson left the Presidency.

We are proud to include items consigned by the Manuscript Society in this auction. These items come from the estate of well-known manuscript dealers Forest G. & Forest H. Sweet and Julia Sweet Newman. Forest G. Sweet was an early leader of the Manuscript Society as well as a rare book scholar. The proceeds from your purchase of these items will benefit the work of the Manuscript Society. You can learn more about them, and become a member of the Manuscript Society, at www.manuscript.org.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE!

  • Dimensions: 7.5" x 12" and 8" x 13"
  • Medium: Archive

Accepted Forms of Payment:

ACH, American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Unless otherwise indicated, we do our own in-house world-wide shipping!

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. We offer several shipping options, and remain one of the few auction houses that proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with a signature required option, and full insurance. Most items are sent via Federal Express, with P. O. Box addresses being sent through USPS. We insure through Berkley Asset Protection with rates of $.70 per $100 of value, among the lowest insurance rates in the industry. Our shipping department cameras document every package, both outgoing and incoming, for maximum security. In addition, we compare our shipping and handling rates against those of other auction houses, to ensure that our charges are among the lowest in the trade.

Upon winning your item(s), you will receive an invoice with our in-house shipping and handling fees included. ***We will ship to the address as it appears on your invoice. If any changes to the shipping address need to be made, you must inform us immediately.***

International shipments: In order to comply with our insurance provider, all international shipments will be sent via Fed Ex and customs paperwork will show a value of $1.00. International buyers should contact our office directly with any questions regarding this policy.

Third-Party Shipping Option: If a third-party shipper is preferred, the buyer is responsible for contacting them directly to make shipping arrangements. For your convenience, we have provided some recommended shippers. For your protection, we will require a signed release from you, confirming your authorization for us to release your lots to your specified third-party. At that point, our responsibility and insurance coverage for your item(s) ceases. Items picked up by third-party shippers are required to pay Connecticut sales tax. Items requiring third-party shipping due to being oversized, fragile or bulky will be denoted in the item description.

Please see our full terms and conditions for names of suggested third-party shippers.

After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 10 business days following receipt of full payment for item.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Wilton, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

March 12, 2025 10:00 AM EDT
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000