Merchant Ships of the World-1776--???

There has been a lot written on the merchant ship and there will be a lot more but its not my intent to write a history on the merchant ship. As a surname researcher I hope to help you find your family members. I will list many ships (Merchant only. ) In the hope that you will find that family member. There are many ship with the same name some were sold and renamed over the years, and the Masters and captains names will change through the years. There will be no order in the dates or names they will be put down as I find them.

Important note. This information will come from The Library of Congress Departments of: Naval Affairs, Foreign Relations, Finances, Commerce and Navigation, Claims and Miscellaneous.
If you would like to leave a comment or ask for help you may at the following: dsegelquist1@cox.net
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Pennsylvania Evening Post November 6, 1776.

It is law that no private ships or vessels of war, merchants ships be permitted to wear pendants when in company with continental ships or vessels of war, without leave from the commanding officer. If any merchant ship or vessel shall wear pendants in company with continental ships or vessels of was without leave first obtained from the commander he is authorized to take away the pendants from offenders and if any ship or vessel refuse to show the respect due to the continental ships or vessels of war the captain or commander shall lose his commission.
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These merchant ships and master of said ship were in Charleston S. C. in January of 1791, They were asking Congress for certificates and Government contracts so the southern states could do trade with Europe, many have found themselves destitute for employment.

Ship Name-- Master-- Tons--Where Owned.

1. Thomas- Thomas Thomas- 230- Newburyport Mass.
2. John- Albert Smith- 295- Boston.
3. Brig William- John C. Whitney- 152- Boston.
4. Oliver Branch- Samuel Calder- 170- Gloucester Mass.
5. Brig Hope- Isaac Pepper- 135- Boston.
6. Brig Mary- Joseph O’Brion- 206- Newburyport Mass.
7. Brig Essex- John Green- 197- Salem Mass.
8. Brig Peggy- Amos Hilton- 170- Salem Mass.
9. Brig Katy- John Lincoln- 140- Boston Mass.
10. Peggy- James Vesy- 160- Salem Mass.
11. Sisters- Daniel Tucker- 204- Portland Maine.
12. Mary- Samuel Barnes- 244- Boston Mass.
13. Lovina- Josiah Edes- 220- Boston Mass.
14. Diana- Ozias Goodwin- 227- Boston Mass.
15. Fair American- Benjamin Lee- 318- Boston Mass.
16. Brig Martha- Elisha Small- 182- Newburyport Mass.
17. Hunter- David Smith- 235- Portland Maine
18. William- William Russell- 277- Portland Maine.
19. Eliza- Nat. Stone- 189- Boston Mass.
20. Hudson- Robert Folger- 235- Hudson New York N. Y.
21. Rainbow- Richard Salter- 200- Portsmouth New Hampshire.
22. Nancy- John Murphy- 201- Salem Mass.
23. Brig Fanny- John Baas- 160- Charleston S. C.
24. Conception- Henry Stephens- 152- Philadelphia Penn.
25. Brig St. Caroline- Timothy Coggeshall- 125- Charleston S. C.
26. Mary- James Payne- 268- Charleston S. C.
27. Bethia- Edward Allen- 250- Boston Mass.
28. Anger- James Cassel-160- Baltimore Maryland
29. Columbia- J. Reed- 220- Nottingham Maryland.
30. Patuxent Planter- Fielder Dorset- 270- Nottingham Maryland.
31. Friendship- W. B. Smith- 280- Baltimore Maryland.
32. Brig Union- Samuel Foster- 170- Beverly Mass.
33. Charleston- William Hunter- 180- Charleston S. C.
34. Brig Columbus- Joseph Selman-129- Marblehead Mass.
35. Brig Governor Pinckeny- William Hall- 93- Charleston S. C.
36. Pennsylvania- David Harding- 287- Philadelphia Penn.
37. Brig Lydia- Alexander Coffin Jr.- 152- Salem Mass.
38. Brig Harriet- Henry Elkins- 180- Salem Mass.
39. Brig Grange- Richard B. Gillmot- 87- New York N. Y.
40. Schooner Polly- Joseph Hinckly- 110- Salem Mass.
41. Federalist- Samuel Makins- 277- New York N.Y.
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In May of 1794, Thomas and Peter Mackie, of the city of Philadelphia, merchants, hoping that the ship Fame, which was chartered by the memorialists in February last, may be released from the operation of the present embargo; and that the said ship, together with her cargo, may be allowed to proceed from the port of Philadelphia to Amsterdam, in Holland, the place of her destination.

In January of 1812, a petition of Bordman and Pope, Joseph Bray, Richards and Jones, Jonathan Amory, and Thomas Clements, junior, merchants, of Boston, praying permission for their ship, called the "American Hero," to return to the United States with the avails of her voyage to the Cape of Good Hope, and to places beyond the same; which ship sailed from the United States previous to the passage of the non-importation act of the second of March, one thousand eight hundred and ten.

In February of 1816, a petition of James Sanderson, John Bonowdale, Robert Young, John and Thomas Vowell, and John Harper, merchants of Alexandria, setting forth that they are the owners of two foreign built ships, which they purchased in the year 1804, on which they have been obliged to pay the duty imposed on foreign tonnage, and praying that the same may become American registered vessels.

In December of 1817, a petition of Andrew Ogden, and Thomas C. Butler, of the city of New York, merchants, owners of the Ship Koran, stating that certain smugglers in conjunction with the keeper of said ship, clandestinely conveyed on board the same, a quantity of coffee, in consequence of which she has been seized, libelled and condemned in the district court of New York; and, inasmuch as the fraud was committed wholly without the consent or knowledge of the petitioners they pray for such relief in the premises, as to Congress may seem just and proper.

In January of 1818, a petition of William W. Haddock, and Thomas W. Jenkins, merchants of New York, stating, that, whilst their ship was proceeding from Wales to New York, with a cargo of slate, she was compelled by stress of weather to put into Halifax, and was there found to be so disabled, as to render it necessary to transfer the cargo to other vessels, which they did, and as there was no American vessels in port, they were compelled to employ British, and that upon the arrival of the said cargo in New York, it was charged with foreign duty and light money on foreign vessels, and as the voyage was expensive and disastrous, they pray that they may not be compelled to pay other charges, than they would have paid, had their own vessel brought the cargo into the United States.

In March of 1818 there was a petition by Thomas Tenant and George Stiles, of the city of Baltimore, merchants and ship owners, praying that certificates of registry may be granted to their vessels.

In December of 1804, a petition of Thomas Ketland of Philadelphia, merchant, stating that he with John Ketland and James Williamson, were, in June, 1799, owners of the ship Washington, during a voyage to Batavia, and praying the allowance of a drawback on exportation of certain merchandise, in the said ship imported.

In February of 1800, a petition of Abraham Franklin, and John Franklin, jun. merchants, of the city of New York, and owners of the ship Amelia, captured in the year 1799, by a French national corvette, and re-captured by the United States ship of war Constitution, and by the said Franklins purchased at public auction, praying for a new register.

In May of 1784, Mr. John Brown Merchant of Providence in the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations setting forth that a certain ship called the Warren, whereof he is owner and Pardon Sheldon of the same place is Captain is now in Virginia taking in bound up the Mediterranean on a Merchant's voyage and praying for Sea Letters to be granted him.

In February of 1818, a petition of John Patrick, merchant of the city of New York, stating, that whilst his ship the Harriet, was on her voyage with a cargo of wine, from Tenneriffe to New York, she was compelled by stress of weather, to put into the British port of Nassau, in the island of New Providence, where he was compelled to abandon the Harriet, and charter a British vessel to transport said wines to New York, where it was charged with duties on wines imported in foreign vessels; and praying that the said wines may be placed on the same footing with respect to duties and drawbacks, as if it had arrived in the Harriet.

February of 1813, a petition of Ebenezer Breed, junior, and John Breed, merchants, of Charlestown, Massachusetts, praying a restoration of their ship Palinure, which has been seized, libelled, and condemned, for a violation of the non-importation act, which violation was unintentional and accidental on the part of the petitioners.

In February of 1803, a petition of William Breck, junior, commander of a merchant ship called the Despatch, employed in the East India trade, in the year one thousand seven hundred and ninety-nine, praying that such reasonable allowance may be made to him as Congress in their wisdom may deem proper, for provisions and sea stores which he furnished to a certain Stephen Bruce, on a voyage from the Northwest coast of America to Canton, in China, and from thence to the State of Massachusetts.

In April of 1812, there was a memorial of Peter Hoffman, jr. and others, merchants, of the city of Baltimore, stating that their ship William, on the last day of March last, received a clearance for a voyage to Cadiz, and on the day following sailed from the port of Baltimore, previous to the late message of the President of the United States recommending an embargo; that the vessel proceeded on her voyage, and, whilst on the high seas, was met by a revenue cutter, and brought back to the port of Baltimore; and praying permission for the said vessel to depart and pursue her contemplated voyage.

Note. The merchant store-ship called Eliza,was armed with twenty-eight twelve-pounders. Her crew consisted of one hundred and forty men.

In December of 1833, Stephen Kingston, merchant, of the city of Philadelphia, complaining of the loss and damage he sustained by the unjust seizure of his ship at a port in Ireland, by the officers of the British Government, and praying the aid of the Government of the United States in obtaining redress.

In July 1862, Mr. Cornelius Vanderbilt, of New York, gratuitously presented to the United States the ocean steamer Vanderbilt, by many esteemed the finest merchant ship in the world. She has ever since been, and still is doing, valuable service to the government. For the patriotic act in making this magnificent and valuable present to the country.

In 1800, Daniel Cotton chartred to Ebenezer Stevens his ship the Anna Maria, for a voyage from New York to Tunis, with a cargo for account of the Government and that the cargo was delivered in safety but was seized by Bey Tunis for the purpose of taking a cargo of oil to Marseilles.

Jared Shattuck ship the Mercator, and cargo was detained in the year of 1800, by Lieutenant William Maley commanding the Schooner Experiment, a vessel of war of the United States, and ordered to Cap Francois for examination, and while they were in possession of Lieutenant William Maley’s Prizemaster they were seized by the British privateer General Simcoe, and carried to Jamaica and condemned in the court of Vice-admiralty as prize to the privateer. Jared Shattuck brought suit against Lieutenant William Maley and the United States and won $33,864.55.

On January 20, 1812, Richard Forrest as agent on the part of the United States chartered the ship Allegany, Captain Ebenezer Evelith commanding for the house of Bowie & Kurtz and others of Georgetown in the District of Columbia for the purpose of conveying a cargo of naval and military stores to the Dey of Algiers.

Note. There is a lot of information on this to much to put here if you would like to know more let me know.

The ship Liberty belonging to William Haslett was captured in the month of December of 1809, on a voyage from Cagliari to Gibralter, by a French cruiser and taken to Tunis were it was sold at public auction on January 8.

Note. There is a lot of information on this to much to put here if you would like to know more let me know.

Charles Whit was the owner of a schooner named Neptune commanded by Joseph Hughes who arrived to this port from Miraguane in Hispaniols, were captain Joseph Hughes embezzled part of the cargo, the ran to defraud the revenue of the duties. Whereon the said schooner was seized and condemned.

Ship Alexander, captain Thomas Woodward, with a cargo of 1,595, barrels of flour was captured August 5, 1793, by the frigate Agricola and taken to Rochefort and stripped of all the crew except the cabin Boy.

The Brig Olive Branch, captain John Buffington was captured August 30, 1793, and taken to L’Orient with a mixed prishable cargo.

Ship Woodrup Sims, captain Hodgson captured by the Jacobin and Atalanta was taken to Rochefort with a perishable cargo.

Ship President, captain John Anderson Smith, with a cargo of flour from Baltimore.

Ship Hawk, captain Moses West cargo of leather.

Alonzo B. Munoz owner of the ship Amiable Isabella, who sailed from Havana Cuba his home and headed for Hamburgh, then on or about November 1813, was captured by Roger Quarles an American cruiser and taken to Wilmington North Carolina.

A last note. If you don't see a family member here I have hundreds of merchants in my index's I would be happy to help you find that family member and of course its all ( free ).