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Title Ledger of Ship Prudent of Salem
Reference MH-16, box 1, folder 2
Library Phillips Library, Peabody Essex Museum
Collection Benjamin Crowninshield (1758-1836) Family Papers, 1757-1934
Collection Series I. Benjamin Crowninshield (1758-1836) Papers
Date 1800-1885
Description Ledger book containing records of disbursements, purchases of provisions, quantities of cargo and charges on the crew on the ships Prudent and America. The records date from 1800 to 1805. There is also a document inserted into the back of the book dated 1885, which relates to claims against the United States government.
Document Type Shipping Papers, Business Records
Theme(s) Trade and Commerce
Keywords disbursement, bill, crew, charges, supplies, provisions, labour, prices, cargo, sugar, pepper, coffee, fish, codfish, invoice, purchases, customs, food, detention, lawsuit, purchases, sales
Countries Italy; USA; UK; Spain
Places Menorca; Tenerife; Réunion; Mocha
Ports Livorno, Italy; Messina, Italy; London, UK; Algeciras Bay, Spain; Salem, USA
Ships Prudent, America
People Benjamin Crowninshield
Additional Information

Benjamin Crowninshield (1758-1836) was born in Salem, the son of Jacob and Hannah (Carlton) Crowninshield. Known as 'Sailor Ben', he served as midshipman on a British man-of-war at the outbreak of the Revolutionary War. With the captain's permission he left the ship and joined the American militia, only to be wounded at Bunker Hill. He then began a successful career as a ship master and merchant, commanding a number of Crowninshield Family vessels including ships America, Belisarius and Prudent. In 1817 his cousin George Crowninshield Jr asked him to command the yacht Cleopatra's Barge on a voyage of pleasure to Europe. He then served as Collector of Customs for the Marblehead/Lynn district from 1821-1830. Crowninshield was a member of the Essex Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons in Salem, joined the Salem Marine Society in 1794, and the East India Marine Society in 1799. In 1780 he married Mary Lambert (1760-1851); they had five children.

Benjamin Crowninshield (1782-1864) was the first child of Benjamin and Mary. He attended school in Cambridge, Massachusetts and later transferred to William and Mary College in Virginia. Known as 'Philosopher Ben', he accompanied his father on the voyage of Cleopatra's Barge and kept a detailed diary of the trip. From 1816-1822 he represented his brother-in-law John Crowninshield's interests in New Orleans. He died unmarried in 1864, leaving no children.

Please note that some of the metadata for this document has been drawn from the Peabody Essex Museum catalogue.

Copyright Phillips Library, Peabody Essex Museum