Nicholson Whaling Collection Logbooks

The Nicholson Whaling Collection is one of the nation’s most important resources for whaling research. At the heart of the collection is the world’s second largest collection of whaling logbooks, recording more than 1,000 voyages. Within their pages, the logbooks hold records of whales captured and lost; accounts of shipwrecks, mutinies and other nautical misfortunes; poetry and paintings made by crew members in their spare time; and a wealth of data for researchers. The collection was donated to the Library in 1956 by Paul C. Nicholson, grandson of the founder of the Nicholson File Company, and it now includes more than 15,000 items, ranging from prints, photographs, scrimshaw and other artifacts to an extensive collection of manuscripts and account books. The earliest materials date from the 1700s and include a contract in which a Native American whaler agrees to be part of the crew of a 1723 whaling voyage. Hundreds of logbooks document the 19th-century high point of the whaling trade. This important collection continues to grow, thanks to an endowment provided by the Nicholson family

This collection is part of Providence Public Library Digital Collections, hosted by Providence Public Library.

Items in this collection

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Logbook of the Young Phenix (Ship), mastered by James Shearman, Jr., on whaling voyages between 1836 and 1840.

Providence Public Library

Three voyages: Dec. 11, 1836-Mar. 28, 1840. Sherman 833. May 30-Sept. 7, 1840. sherman p. 193. Dec. 11-18, 1840. Sherman 834. At end: chronometer records 1840; oil stowed.

Logbook of the Yeoman (Bark), mastered by John Gooding, Jr. and James M. Clark and kept by Thomas D. Barnes and James M Clark, on whaling voyages between 1843 and 1848.

Providence Public Library

Three voyages: Oct. 20, 1843-Apr. 16, 1845. Sherman 830. July 3, 1845-Sept. 24, 1846. Sherman 831. Dec. 12, 1846-Oct. 10, 1848. Sherman 832. Contains sketches of whales and vessels, whale stamps.

Logbook of the William Wirt (Ship) out of Fairhaven, MA, mastered by Owen Fisher and kept by James L, Downing; Reuben H. Fisher, on a whaling voyage between 1850 and 1853.

Providence Public Library

James Fisher and Reuben Downing, log-keepers. Contains whale stamps.

Logbook of the William Baylies (Bark, Steam Bark); mastered by Horace B. Montross, Benjamin D. Cleveland and John McInnis; on whaling voyages between 1886 and 1895.

Providence Public Library

Seven voyages: Sept. 20, 1886-Nov. 9, 1887. Sherman 812. Nov. 22, 1887-Nov. 7, 1888. Sherman 813. Nov. 24, 1888-Nov. 15, 1889. Sherman 814. Dec. 4, 1889-Nov. 7, 1890. Sherman 815. Nov. 22, 1890-Nov. 8, 1891. Sherman 816. Dec. 8, 1891-Nov. 17, 1892. Sherman 817. Oct. 26, 1894-June 21, 1895. Sherman p. 193. Ship registered at San Francisco after 1886. At end: account of provisions used.

Logbook of the William A. Grozier (Schooner), mastered by John A. Dunham and George Leonard Dunham, , on whaling voyages between 1901 and 1904.

Providence Public Library

Four voyages: May 7-Aug. 26, 1901. Sherman 800. Mar. 22-Aug. 23, 1902. Sherman 801. Mar. 19-Aug. 3, 1903. Sherman 802. Apr. 4-July 31, 1904. Sherman 803. Contains whale and whaleboat stamps.

Logbook of the William A. Graber (Schooner) out of New Bedford, MA, mastered by John T. Gonsalves, on a whaling voyage in 1922.

Providence Public Library

Logbook of the William A. Graber (Schooner) out of New Bedford, MA, mastered by John T. Gonsalves, on a whaling voyage between 1915 and 1916.

Providence Public Library

Logbook of the William (Brig) out of Fall River, MA, mastered by Elisha Cudworth on a whaling voyage to the Atlantic Ocean.

Providence Public Library

This is the log of a 107 ton brig on an Atlantic whaling voyage between June and December 1838 that returned with 400 barrels of sperm oil. The keeper notes, "At 7 am Captain Cudworth went ashore to land the passenger" which suggests that the log was being kept by the mate. By August 18 they'd reached the Cape Verdes islands, and on September 5 they put into the port of Olinda, Brazil. On September 9 and 10 they killed sperm whales, then killed "a small" on Sept 15 and lost "a large whale" the next day. However, the day after that they killed a large whale which turned out to be "the same whale we struck yesterday." September 30 yielded one whale, then on October 1, "Turned up 4 whales took them alongside." On October 7, "the whale perceived us and we did not succeed." Another whale October 9, and on October 23, "Spoke the Champion of Westport let her have 71 galls of Molasses 2 Barrels of Flour 1 Coil of Manilla Rope 2 3/4 96 lbs. 50 lbs Coffee she gave in Return 12 Casks Gauging 1490 Gallons." On November 4, "saw a Breach and Run for it it proved to be a sperm whale lowered and struck he stove the Larboard Boat the Champion of Westport sent her Boats to assist us we agreed to give her half the whale." They caught another sperm whale November 8th, but lost part of the body when the fluke rope parted. Then they turned for home, which they reached without incident December 17.

Logbook of the Washington (Schooner) out of Portland, ME, mastered by (?) Daniel, on a whaling voyage in 1828.

Providence Public Library

Fishing voyage from Portland, ME to Straits of Belle Isle.

Logbook of the Wanderer (Bark) out of New Bedford, MA, mastered by Antone Thomas Edwards, on a whaling voyage between 1917 and 1918.

Providence Public Library

Contains whale stamps; two photographs of bark wrecked on Cuttyhunk Aug. 26, 1924. At end: Gauges of oil taken 1921.

Logbook of the Walter Irving (Schooner); mastered by Atkins Nickerson, Reuben O. Watkins, Lysander Paine and Hiram C. Holmes; on whaling voyages between 1850 and 1857.

Providence Public Library

Listed in Starbuck as WALTER ERWIN, and IRVIN. Nine voyages: May 4-Sept. 18, 1850. Sherman 782. Mar. 12-Nov. 30, 1851. Sherman 783. Mar. 24, 1852-Jan. 10, 1853. Sherman 784. Apr. 27, 1853-Jan. 4, 1854. Sherman 785. Apr. 20-Sept. 5, 1854. Sherman 786. Nov. 1, 1854-Jan. 6, 1855. Boston to Fayal with lumber and return with oranges. Sherman p. 193. Apr. 24-Sept. 14, 1855. Sherman 787. Nov. 9, 1855-Sept. 16, 1856. Sherman 788. Nov. 18, 1856-Oct. 7, 1857. Sherman 789. At end: list of provisions used.

Logbook of the Vineyard (Ship) out of Edgartown, MA, mastered by Edwin, Sr. Coffin, on a whaling voyage between 1844 and 1847.

Providence Public Library

Contains whale stamps. At end: provisions and line used; whale stamps with date and yield.

Logbook of the Vesper (Schooner) out of Plymouth, MA, mastered by Clement Hammond, on a whaling voyage between 1842 and 1843.

Providence Public Library

Logbook of the Union (Schooner) and Union (Schooner) out of New Bedford, MA, mastered by Philip H. Reed, on whaling voyages between 1873 and 1875.

Providence Public Library

Two voyages: April 21-Sept. 25, 1873. Sherman 773. Also, May 19, 1874-May 9, 1875. Sherman 774.

Logbook of the Triton II (Ship) out of New Bedford, MA, mastered by George White and kept by Hiram Cleveland; William Wright; William Boyd, on a whaling voyage between 1854 and 1858.

Providence Public Library

Contains whale stamps. At end: lists of provisions used; oil records. Hiram Cleveland, 1st mate until April 13, 1857. William Wright, 1st mate until Oct. 27, 1857. William Boyd, 1st mate for remainder of voyage.

Logbook of the Trident (Ship) out of New Bedford, MA, mastered by Marcus W. Taber, on whaling voyages between 1850 and 1859.

Providence Public Library

Two voyages: Nov. 7, 1850-April 20, 1854. Sherman 757. And Jan. 14, 1855-May 1, 1859. Sherman 758. At front: chronometer records. At end: ship accounts; crew account; disbursements; oil records.

Logbook of the Timoleon (Ship) out of New Bedford, MA, mastered by Joshua Bunker, on a whaling voyage between 1835 and 1839.

Providence Public Library

At end: ship accounts; oil records; records of provisions used.

Logbook of the Thomas Williams (Ship) out of Stonington, CT, mastered by John Manwaring, on a whaling voyage between 1840 and 1842.

Providence Public Library

Contains whale stamps. At end: list of ships spoken; provisions used.

Logbook of the Thomas Hunt (Schooner) out of Stonington, CT, mastered by William Henry Appelman, on a whaling voyage between 1875 and 1876.

Providence Public Library

Sealing voyage to the South Atlantic. At end: record of seals taken; list of provisions used.

Logbook of the Thomas Hunt (Schooner) out of Stonington, CT, mastered by Andrew J. Eldred, on a whaling voyage between 1882 and 1884.

Providence Public Library

Sealing voyage to the South Atlantic. At end: lists of provisions used; record of seals taken.

Logbook of the Thomas Dickason (Ship) out of New Bedford, MA, mastered by James Stewart, on a whaling voyage between 1860 and 1865.

Providence Public Library

Logbook of the Tamerlane (Bark) out of New Bedford, MA, mastered by Nathaniel P. Gray, on a whaling voyage between 1862 and 1865.

Providence Public Library

Contains whale and ship stamps. At end: lists of provisions used; oil records.

Logbook of the Tamerlane (Bark) out of New Bedford, MA, mastered by Joshua B. Winslow, on a whaling voyage between 1865 and 1869.

Providence Public Library

Logbook of the Tamerlane (Bark) out of New Bedford, MA, mastered by Joshua B. Winslow, on a whaling voyage between 1865 and 1869.

Providence Public Library

2v. Contains sketches of whales. At end of each volume: lists of provisions used.

Logbook of the T. Towner (Schooner) out of New Bedford, MA, mastered by Manuel Estaus Costa, on a whaling voyage between 1908 and 1911.

Providence Public Library

Contains sketches of whales. At front: lists of provisions used; whales raised. At end: lists of provisions used; oil records.Contains entries in Portuguese.