Lot 200

Late 18th/Early 19th C. Merchant Captain’s Archive

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Late 18th/Early 19th C. Merchant Captain’s Archive

Estimate: $300 - $400

Starting Bid: $100

(0 Bids)

June 17, 2026 10:00 AM EDT
Live Auction
Wilton, CT, US

Description:

18th/19th C. Shipping
various, ca. 1773, 1800-1810
Late 18th/Early 19th C. Merchant Captain's Archive
Archive

This rich archive of documents includes a dozen bills of lading and other documents related to the shipping career of Captain Samuel Harding of Bath, Massachusetts [Maine], during the first decade of the nineteenth century. During his maritime career, Harding was the captain of the brigs Minerva and Orion, and these documents record details of his voyages to such ports as Liverpool, Baltimore, Boston, Portsmouth, and Havana.

On a voyage from Jamaica to Boston in the spring of 1805, Harding's brig Minerva foundered on rocks on the eastern end of Jamaica. The crew and cargo, except for "a puncheon of rum and two casks of molasses," were saved. This archive includes a bill of lading for the shipment of the brig's sails, rigging, and anchor to Portsmouth, New Hampshire, for reuse.

Contents and Highlights
-- Nevil Maskelyne, Autograph Note Signed to [John] Nourse, July 19, 1773, Greenwich, England. 1 p., 8" x 4.125".
"Be pleased to deliver to the Bearer a sett of Mayer's Tables with the explanation & Methodus Longitudinum promota, on account of the Board of Longitude"
Nevil Maskelyne, the British Astronomer Royal, edited Methodus Longitudinum Promata, containing Tobias Mayer's lunar tables and refined methods for determining longitude at sea, published in London in 1773.

-- Samuel Harding, Inventory of Clothes, November 1, 1800, Brunswick, [Maine]. 1 p., 7.5" x 12".

-- Samuel Harding, Manuscript Document Signed, Bill of Lading for cheese and shoes shipped on the ship Sultani to Brunswick, [Maine], December 4, 1800, Boston, MA. 1 p., 6" x 8".
"an inventory of Sundries goods shipped on Board the Ship Sultan of Boston Obediah Rich Commandd by Saml Harding A Native American Citizen & Resides in Brunswick & Consigned to the Said Saml for Sales & Returns"
Inventory includes two casks of cheese containing 220 pounds of cheese and 12 pairs of shoes.

-- [Samuel Harding], Bill of Lading for 15 chaldrons of coal, shipped to Massachusetts on the brig Minerva, March 28, 1802, Liverpool, England. 1 p., 6.25" x 3".

-- George Unwin, Passport for Samuel Harding and the brig Minerva to Bath, [Maine], August 29, 1803, Trinidad. 1 p., 8.25" x 4".
George Unwin was the deputy clerk and then clerk of the King's Council in Trinidad.

-- John Richardson, Autograph Letter Signed, to Samuel Harding, September 24, 1804, Bath, [Maine]. 1 p., 9.5" x 8".
"Sir your having the command of the good Brig Minerva now in the Port of Bath and it is our orders that you proceed to sea the first wind and go to Jamaica and there do the best you can in disposing of the Cargo and getting a freight twd the Southard and back or if you cannot get a freight we wou'd have you go to the southard and there do the best you can, if you can in in any of the Ports that you are get four thousand Dollars good pay for the Brig we order you to take it, you being present and we direct it is our orders that you do for us as you wou'd that we shou'd do for you were we in your Case, so wishing you a fair wind tomorrow mornng a speady Passage and safe return and a good Voyage."

-- Samuel Harding, Bill of Lading for boards, staves, shingles, oars, and fowl shipped by Joseph Sprague and John Richardson on the brig Minerva to Jamaica, September 24, 1804, Bath, [Maine]. 1 p., 9.5" x 8".

-- George W. Batch, Bill of Lading for rigging of the wrecked brig Minerva shipped by Samuel Harding on the barque Mary to Portsmouth, New Hampshire, May 20, 1805, Morant Bay, [Jamaica]. 2 pp., 8" x 9.75".
"Received of Saml Harding on board the Barque Mary my Self master for Portsmouth N.H. the whole of the Standing and Running Riging together with the Blocks Saved from the wreck of the Brig Minerva wrecked on the Coast of this Island as also one Main Sail one fore sail two top sails two top Galnt Sails on Roil one M. and on M. top mast Stay Sail one fore tope mast ditto beign the sails of the said brig, and one best bower Anchor & one small bower Cable which I promis to Deliver in Good order and well Condition at the aforesaid Port of Portsmouth N. H. the Danger of the Seas onley Excepted unto the siad Saml Harding or his assigns he or they Paying freight for the said Goods"
"Liberty to Land the within goods in New York Savannah Saml Harding"

-- W. Lea, Receipt to Samuel Harding for clothing purchased from Nicholas Megraw, May 19, 1806, Liverpool, England. 1 p., 8.25" x 6.5".

-- Receipt for chart, book, and letter paper, purchased from John Jones, June 9, 1806, Liverpool, England. 1 p., 7.75" x 6".

-- William Evans, bill to Samuel Harding for "3 barrels American beef," June 3, 1806, Liverpool, England. 1 p., 8.125" x 5".

-- Receipt to Samuel Harding for churn purchased from Daniel Henry, June 10, 1806, Liverpool, England. 1 p., 6" x 3.5".

-- Jonathan Hastings, Partially Printed Document Signed, Receipt to Samuel Harding for the delivery of 36 letters at the Post Office in Boston by a ship from Liverpool, England, August 9, 1806, Boston, MA. 1 p., 8.25" x 2.5".
Jonathan Hastings (1751-1831) graduated from Harvard College in 1768 and served as the first United States postmaster of Boston from 1776 to 1808.

-- Samuel Harding, Bill of Lading for Aizpurua & Co. for 149 bags of coffee shipped to Baltimore on the brig Orion, February 15, 1810, Havana, Cuba. 1 p., 10.75" x 6".

-- Samuel Harding, Bill of Lading for Antonio de Frias & Co. for 32 barrels and 4 bags of coffee shipped to Baltimore on the brig Orion, February 20, 1810, Havana, Cuba. 1 p., 10" x 5".

-- Samuel Harding, Bill of Lading for Antonio de Frias & Co. for 32 bags of coffee shipped to Baltimore on the brig Orion, February 20, 1810, Havana, Cuba. 1 p., 10.25" x 5.5".

-- Samuel Harding, Bill of Lading for Ychazo & Carricaburn for 29 hogsheads and 25 barrels of coffee shipped to Baltimore on the brig Orion, February 23, 1810, Havana, Cuba. 1 p., 10" x 5.25".

-- Samuel Harding, Bill of Lading for John Reynolds for 7 hogsheads of muscovado sugar shipped to Baltimore on the brig Orion, n.d. [February 1810], Havana, Cuba. 1 p., 9.25" x 5.5".

-- Samuel Harding, Bill of Lading for Andrew Clopper for 41 tons of log wood shipped to Boston on the brig Orion, April 20, 1810, Baltimore, MD. 1 p., 10" x 5".

-- Samuel Harding, Bill of Lading for McCoy & Grove for 2,449 bushels of Indian corn shipped to Boston on the brig Orion, April 21, 1810, Baltimore, MD. 1 p., 9.75" x 5.5".

-- Samuel Harding, Bill of Lading for Ballard & Hall for 7 punchions and 2 bags of rye shipped to Boston on the brig Orion, April 18, 1810, Baltimore, MD. 1 p., 9.5" x 7.75".

-- James Drake, Bill of Freight for the brig Orion, February 27, 1810, Havana, Cuba. 1 p., 9.25" x 11". Separations on several folds.
James Drake (1763-1838) was an English merchant who emigrated to Cuba in the 1790s, married into the Cuban aristocracy, and became the owner of a sugar plantation.

Samuel Harding (1779-1844) was a sea captain from Bath, Massachusetts (now Maine), from at least 1799 to 1812. Among his ships were the brigs Minerva and Orion.

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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.

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