A leather bound folio (10.5 x 16 inches with 378 pages of inked manuscript entries headed ‘Portland October 1st 1852 Brig Henrietta’ on first page. This ledger book is the record of the expenses and cargo of a large number of merchant vessels from Portland Maine and elsewhere along the eastern seaboard from 1852-1856. Some of those ships listed in this ledger include: Schooner Vandalia, Bark Octavia, Bark N.W. Bridge, Schooner Ratan, Schooner Elizabeth Ellen, ship Elmira, Bark Diligence, Brig Henrietta, ship Poutana, Brig Royal Sailor, Schooner Olive Elizabeth, Schooner Herald, Brig Casco, Schooner Geneva, Schooner President, Schooner Sea Bird, Brig Maine, Brig Marshal Dutch, ship Roamer, Bark Wm. Lanabee, Brig Portland, Brig Louisa Eaton, Brig General Worth (named after Genl. Wm. J. Worth), Schooner Merom, Schooner Louisa, Schooner Catherine, Brig Hibernia, Schooner Harriet Fuller, Brig Factor, Brig Sarah Vose, Brig Boston, Schooner May, Brig P.R. Curtis, Brig J.W. Coffin, ship Mechanic, Schooner Flying Eagle, ship J.D. Pennell, ship Alrak, Brig L. Eaton, Brig Manuela, ship Geo. Turner, Schooner Abigail, Schooner Wanens, Schooner Armadillo. This is only a partial list of the ships mentioned in this ledger. While several of these vessels appear to have been owned by this shipping company, many others were hired for individual voyages. A partial list of the ships captains in this ledger includes: Capt. Hillard, Capt. Davidson, Capt. Norris, Capt. Woodbury, Capt. Nickols, Capt. Bibber, Capt. Johnson, Capt. Randall, Capt. Larrabee, Capt. Stover. Some of the items mentioned that were being shipped include ‘Shoops’ (wooden casks broken down for shipment), sugar, molasses, casks, lumber, honey, hogsheads, and more. It appears that sugar, molasses and lumber were the principle articles that this shipping company traded in, so the West Indies & Boston were their most frequent ports of call. There are literally hundreds of different company names and hundreds of names of individuals in this ledger. A very interesting shipping business ledger from the 1850’s packed full of information on American merchant shipping from this era.

Boards loose and general over-all wear, written in a legible hand.