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COLLECTION Identifier: Mss:252 1838-1842 W689

Ship William Wirt logbook

Scope and Contents

Logbook kept on board the William Wirt from Fairhaven, Massachusetts towards Cape Horn. Isaac Daggett was master of the ship in the years 1838-1842. Entries include course, winds, and daily remarks on weather, longitude and latitude, repairs to the ship, sightings of other ships, various islands and whales, and whales caught (and subsequent barrels of oil). Several remarks are extensive descriptions of various events on board, including the discovery of a “lad” that was a stowaway on the ship and one man who apparently had contracted small pox. Also included in the logbook is an account of provisions consumed on board and a list of men off duty “sick with the venereal” and when they came back on duty.

Dates

  • Creation: 1838-1842

Creator

Language of Materials

Materials entirely in English.

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research. Materials stored onsite. Please contact specialcollectionsref@hbs.edu for more information on access procedures and reproduction services.

Extent

.25 linear feet (1 volume)

Biographical / Historical

Whaling vessel out of New Bedford, Massachusetts. Built at Fairhaven, 1833.

Physical Location

MANU

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift of Frederic A. Delano, 1934.

Existence and Location of Copies

Logbook of William Wirt (1838-1842) is available on microfilm on reels 727-729 of the microfilm collection American Whalers and Traders in the Pacific published by the Pacific Manuscripts Bureau of Australian National University for use in the Baker Library Special Collections Reading Room, Baker Library. Order no. 98-1754, reels 12-14.

Processing Information

Processed: June 2021 By: Baker Library Special Collections Staff

Processing Information

To enhance discoverability, this collection was removed from an artificial collection of logbooks of whalers from New Bedford and Fairhaven, Massachusetts in June 2021.

Creator

Subject

Author
Baker Library
Description rules
dacs
Language of description
und
EAD ID
bak01419

Repository Details

Part of the Baker Library Special Collections and Archives, Harvard Business School Repository

Baker Library Special Collections and Archives holds unique resources that focus on the evolution of business and industry, as well as the records of the Harvard Business School, documenting the institution's development over the last century. These rich and varied collections support research in a diverse range of fields such as business, economic, social and cultural history as well as the history of science and technology.

Contact:
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