Lot 257

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Description:

Whaling



Fascinating Nantucket Whaler Certificate of Protection from Martha's Vineyard to the Pacific



Two page partially printed document, pages attached with a red wax in four locations along left edge, one wax attachment loose, three are firmly attached. Top page 9.25" x 7.25" and is the certificate for the "Annexed paper" filed in the office of Edgartown. Embossed seal of an Eagle and the statement "Custom House Edgartown: Signed " Tho(mas) Cooke Jr.", Collector. Identifies the ship as "Ship Mary Anne", where of "George Russell Jr, is at prefent mafter" (present master), with a list of the Seaman. Dated October 1, 1811. Verso blank. The second page is 16" x 10" with extensive manuscript with a full detailed list of the passengers by "Name", "rank" Place of Birth", Residence" "Height", "Complexion" and "Age". Verso is signed by "Tho(mas) Cooke Jr., Coll", with additional manuscript in Spanish along the bottom and signed.



A Protection certificate document for the Nantucket ship, the Mary Ann, for passage from Edgartown, Martha's Vineyard to the Pacific Ocean. What makes Nantucket and Matha's Vineyard truly different is their past. For a relatively brief period during the late 18th and early 19th centuries, these islands of sand at the edge of the Atlantic was the whaling capital of the world and one of the wealthiest communities in America. However by 1760 the local Whale population was virtually exterminated By the time of this Historical certificate dated 1811, they had enlarged their whaling sloops and outfitted them with brick tryworks capable of processing the oil on the open ocean. Now, since it was no longer necessary to return to port as often to deliver bulky blubber, their fleet had a far greater range. By the advent of the American Revolution, Whaling vessels had reached the verge of the Arctic Circle, the west coast of Africa, the east coast of South America and the Falkland Islands to the south.



This period of time bridged between the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812 also saw major political upheaval. By 1800 the British, bitter over the loss of the colonies just decades earlier, were interrupting our trade ships, confiscating our boats, pirating the contents and imprisoning the sailors aboard. The whaling boats were no exception and in response to impressment of American seaman by British ships, Congress passed an "Act for the Relief and Protection of American Seamen" in 1796. The Act required customs collectors to maintain a record of all United States citizens serving on United States vessels. Each seaman, once registered with the customs collector, was given a Seaman's Protection Certificate. This document is an example of such a certificate. These certificates vouched for the citizenship of the individual and included identifying information such as age, height, complexion, place of birth, and in some cases eye and hair color. The intention of these certificates was to discourage impressment.

This large certificate is for the Whaling Ship "Mary Ann of Nantucket" … now bound from "Edgartown for the Pacific Ocean". The document is signed by "Tho(mas) Cooke Jr. , Collector" from Edgartown, and dated the October 1, 1811, and includes a list of 16 sailors, with one Captain, George Russel Jr, and a 1st and 2nd Mate, with the balance of the 12 crewman listed as "Seaman". Of interest are the "Complexion" of the crew. Nantucket had a large representation of blacks and "Indians" . Blacks, and a substantial number of whites nurtured a working relationship that recognized both racial differences and shared human characteristics. While the vast majority of American blacks languished under the pains and deprivations of slavery, many in Nantucket could pursue a livelihood and plan their futures as free people. The Nantucket Whaling industry had a historical tradition of black seamanship. However Black seamen were subject to being kidnaped and murdered on the high seas. Although the Atlantic slave trade had become unlawful in 1808, an illegal trade continued, which placed all black seamen in jeopardy. This Protection Certificate showed predominantly Black and Indian seaman described as "African","Mullatto", "Dark", "Brown", "Black', "Light", "Indian" etc.



As fate would have it, this Protection Certificate did not bode the Captain and crew well, as the Ship Mary Ann headed off to sea, sailing from October 1811 to about 1813, but was then seized by the British in the War of 1812. At least one of the crew, John Tuck was known to have died in 1813 at the age of 17. Often impressed seaman where tortured and abused to force compliance.



As one studies the document, and becomes deeply entrenched into its history, the reader can not help but contemplate the possibility that any one of these men at a later date, could have ultimately been on board the Whaling boat with Absolum Boston, noted for being the first black Whaling Captain with an all black crew launched in 1820; or instead, have the unfortunate fate of being on board The Essex from the same time period, which was the infamous whaling vessel attacked and sank by a mighty sperm whale, later becoming the inspiration for Herman Melville's epic "Moby Dick".



A wonderful large, important document with a fundamental accounting of history from the period leading up to the War of 1812. 



Provenance: The Barbara Johnson Collection of Books & Manuscripts on Whales, Whaling and Related Subjects.



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