Ships were a very common sight in Annapolis in the 18th century as they are today. But back in the late colonial period they were of a very different nature than the ones which we see today.
Today we can read about the ships which used to visit Annapolis and see recreations of various ships which visit the city from time to time, but they don't give us a full view of what the ships were like inside and how they were equipped.
But if we open some of the records books of the port and the merchants we can peek inside these ships which vanished over 200 years ago.
In
November 1763, the Johnson, a Ship advertised as Carolina built, about 8 years old and capable of carrying 400 hogsheads of tobacco
was offered for sale, being condemned by the Court of Vice Admiralty
in Annapolis. Charles Wallace took notice and offered to buy the vessel and all her tackle
for £605 after the ship failed to sell at auction.
Though not conclusive, it is likely that this ship was renamed and
registered as the Freemason in Annapolis on January 7, 1764 by
Charles Wallace & Company with Robert Bryce serving as Master. On
January 14th, the Freemason left Annapolis for Barbados carrying trunks of European goods, 4000 bushels of corn, 5 barrels of flour, 1000 staves and heading, 3 quarter casks Madeira, some Lion hoch, 30 bushels pease, and 4000 feet of plank..
This ship, a 132 ton hackboat, was built in North Carolina in 1753. While in Barbados, Charles Wallace & Company sold the Freemason.
The next well documented ship we have which is associated with Wallace, Davidson and Johnson is the Kitty & Nelly, named for Mrs Wallace and Mrs Davidson. She was a 200 ton ship built by John Ball of Annapolis in 1773. Registered in the Patuxent River Naval District on August 23, 1773 she had a square stern and a crew of 16 men and was owned by Charles Wallace and John Davidson.
She left Annapolis on October 25th with James Buchanan as her master and arrived in Dover, England before December 26th, getting to her moorings in the Thames river on January 3, 1774. Here she began unloading her cargo on January 5th, which included 529 hogsheads of tobacco of which 275 were consigned to Joshua Johnson, 4 tons of bar iron, 33 tons of pig iron and 18,000 staves and heading and 22 pairs of ash oars. Unloading was completed by January 22nd. It was hoped that she would be ready to return to Annapolis on February 20th, but she was found to have a leak caused by wind shock and a rotten stern. The rudder was also ruined by John Ball making the main piece too slender.
It was recommended by
Joshua Johnson that she ought to have her quarterdeck carried forward to
the mainmast and none of that high work at the bow, before her next
voyage to London. It is not known if this work was completed at any time.
The commission on the sales of the 275 hogsheads of tobacco from the Kitty & Nelly amounted to £253.8.2.
By February 19th, the Kitty & Nelly has a new stern and was loading with goods for Annapolis. Loaded on this voyage were Mr Charles Carroll's goods, Hall, Gilbert & Hall's, Buchanan & Cowan's and William Bonds, along with all the planter's goods and some of the goods for Wallace Davidson & Johnson. The outfitting of the Kitty & Nelly cost nearly £500.
She left London on March 4th or 5th of March for Gravesend to clear and load with indentured servants, which was done in two days. She then proceeded on her voyage and got within six miles of the Downs when wind shifted to the eastward and began to blow so hard that they were forced to cut her cable and run for Hope Bay.
The Kitty & Nelly arrived in Annapolis on May 12th with European and East India goods on 18 cockets, valued at upwards of £12,000, as well as 16 indentured servants.
She again left Annapolis for London on August 30th with James Belt now serving as her master and a crew of 14 men. Her cargo included 545 hogsheads of tobacco, all of which were consigned to Joshua Johnson, 18 tons of pig iron, 18,388 staves and heading and 122 handspikes.About October 29th she arrived in England.
The Kitty & Nelly left Annapolis for a third trip to London from Annapolis. Unfortunately we do not know when she left, but she arrived in England about October 16, 1775 with 531 hogheads of tobacco consigned to Joshua Johnson.
Below you will find the records from the Order Books of Wallace Davidson & Johnson for supplies for the Kitty & Nelly. It is hoped they are of some use to researchers and reenactors.
(from
Maryland State Archives, Chancery Court (Chancery Papers, Exhibits)
Wallace, Davidson Johnson, Order Books, 1771/4/25-1775/11/16. MSA S
528-27/28)
Order Books
14 November 1772
For Wallace Davidson and
Johnson for the Ship (Presumably the Kitty & Nelly)
Canvas
8 bolts sail cloth no 1
14 do 2
8 do 4
10 do 7
Screns
1 pr double screns
1 pr shorter do
1 pr single do
1 pr shorter do
1 cable 13 inches 120
fathom
1 ditto 12 ½ do 120 do
1 towline 4 ½ do 120 do
1 hauser 6 ½ do for shrouds
140 do
1 coil 4 do 100 do for
topmast shrouds
80 fathom 4 ½ do for mizzen
shrouds & topmast backstay
1 coil 3 ¾ inch rope
1 do 3 ½ do
3 do 3 do
3 do 2 ½ do
3 do 2 ¼ do
5 do 2 do
5 do 1 ¾ do
8 do 1 ½ do
3 do 12 thread ralline
3 do 9 do do
1 do 6 do do
1 do 3 thread worming
1 pr main tacks 5 inches 11
fathom each
1 pr fore do 4 ½ inches 9
fathom each
2 pr sheets 3 ¾ inches 76
fathom
2 bouy ropes 4 inches 17
fathoms ea
Main stay 8 ½ inches 12
fathoms
Fore stay 8 ½ inches 8
fathoms
Bolt rope for a suit of
sales
8 coils 3 yarn spun yarn
4 do 2 ditto
30 lbs sewing twine
5 lbs whipping ditto
8 doz marline & house
line
2 hand lines
6 logg lines
Ship Chandlery
3 wood box compasses
6 ½ minutes glasses
4 ¼ minute do
2 ½ hour do
1 hour glass
4 canns
4 bowls
4 platters
1 quart black jack
1 pint black jack
1 speaking trumpet
1 spy glass
1 doz knives & forks
1 ensign jack & pendant
6 pewter spoons
2 pewter dishes
2 do basons
6 do plates
1 tea kettle
2 quart tin saucepans
3 lanthorns
2 palm irons
2 doz sail needles
4 short tarr brushes
4 paint do
2 hand leads
1 tinder box & steel
2 tom hawkes
1 pump hammer
1 handsaw
200 pump nails
1 side pump leather
2 mopps
2 scrubbing brushes
Paints
56 lbs ground white lead
56 lbs do Spanish brown
34 lbs do green paint
21 lbs yellow do
21 lbs red do
3 lbs lamp black
Oakum
1500 lbs oakum
Order Books
No Date [1774]
For use of the Kitty & Nelly
15 doz red port wine
2 do mountain
2 do Lisbon
3 groce of porter
One hundred of loaf sugar
One jar of raisins
One trail of do
Twelve pounds of almonds
Three pounds of green tea
Three boxes of lemons
The last well documented ship we have which is associated with Wallace, Davidson and Johnson is the Nancy,
named for Mrs T. Johnson Jr. at the request of Joshua Johnson. She was a 160 ton ship built in Maryland in 1774. Registered in the Patuxent River Naval District on August 24, 1774 she had a square stern and a crew of 13 men
and was owned by Charles Wallace and John Davidson.
The Nancy left Annapolis for London on October 18th with James Buchanan as her master. She carried a cargo of one quarter cask of Madeira, 423 hogsheads of tobacco, all of which were consigned to Joshua Johnson, 25 tons of pig iron and 16,000 staves and heading. About January 7, 1775 she arrived in England.
She left London about February 8th and arrived in Annapolis on May 5th loaded only with ballast.
The Nancy again left Annapolis for London
on June 16th with James Buchanan as her master and a crew of 12 men. She carried a cargo
of 481 hogsheads of tobacco, 431 of which were consigned to Joshua Johnson, 45 tons of pig iron and 16,500 staves
and heading. About July 31st she arrived in England.
We have no further records on the Nancy. Below you will find the records from the Order Books of Wallace Davidson & Johnson for supplies for the Nancy. It is hoped they too are of some use to researchers and reenactors.
(from
Maryland State Archives, Chancery Court (Chancery Papers, Exhibits)
Wallace, Davidson Johnson, Order Books, 1771/4/25-1775/11/16. MSA S
528-27/28)
Order Books
No Date (previously listed order was 1773)
For Wallace Davidson & Johnson (presumably for the
ship Nancy)
Cordage
1 cable 12 inches 120
fathoms
1 do 11 do 120 do
1 towline 4 ½ do
1 shroud hauser 6 in 140
fathoms
1 coil 4 in 100 fathom for
topmast & shrouds
1 do 4 ½ do fo mizzen
shrouds & back stays
1 do 3 ¾
1 do 3 ½
2 do 3
3 do 2 ½
4 do 2 ¼
5 do 2
5 do 1 ¾
5 do 1 ½
5 do 1 ¼
4 do 12 thread ratline
2 do 9 do
1 do 6 do
1 do 3 strand worming
2 do hamber line
1 do 3 ¾ in 76 fathom for
sheets
1 pr main tacks 5 in 11
fathom
1 pr fore do 4 ½ 9 do
1 main stay 8 in 11 fathom
1 fore do 8 do 8 fathom
Main & fore topmast
stay 4 strands 4 ½ in
2 bouy ropes 4 in 17
fathoms ea
800 wt 3 yarn spun yarn
300 do 2 do
8 doz marline &
houseline
Bolt rope for a set of
sails
30 lbs sewing twine
6 lbs whipping twine
2 hand lines & leads
6 log lines
Shipchandlery
4 28 second glasses
4 14 do
2 ½ hour glasses
1 2 hour do
Ship Blocks
2 single blocks 13 in for
runners
4 do 11 do bushed &
with steel pins for quarter blocks
2 dbl & 2 single 13 in
blocks for main tackles
4 dbl 13 in for topsail
halyards
12 single 9 in for main
& fore braices & clew garnits bushed
4 sheves for the yardarms 4
½ diameter 1 ¾ thick bushed
2 do for topmast heads 7 ½
diameter 1 ¾ bushed
Canvas
12 bolts no 1
20 do 2
10 do 4
8 do 6
Anchors
1 anchor 12C
1 do 11C
1 do 3C
