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

Showing 541 to 570 of 783 results

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Journal of the Emma C. Jones (Ship) out of New Bedford, MA, mastered by Charles, II Little and kept by John Lemunyon, on a whaling voyage between 1849 and 1851.

Providence Public Library

Contains whale stamps, ship stamps.

Journal of the Emma C. Jones (Ship) and William Wirt (Ship), mastered by Edward R. Ashley and kept by John Taber Barstow, on whaling voyages between 1849 and 1856.

Providence Public Library

At end: abstract log of the ship EMMA C JONES, New Bedford. Nov. 13, 1849-Jan 22, 1852. Sherman 256. Starbuck p. 460. Contains whale stamps, profile views.

Journal of the Emerald (Ship) out of New Bedford, MA, mastered by Clement Norton and kept by W. B. Mosher, on whaling voyages between 1833 and 1835.

Providence Public Library

Contains two voyages: May 29, 1833-Mar. 18, 1834. (Sherman 253) June 22, 1834-April 21, 1835. (sherman 254) Contains whale stamps. At end: list of ships spoken.

Journal of the Elizabeth (Ship) out of New Bedford, MA, mastered by Michael III Baker and kept by George Sylvester Chase, on a whaling voyage between 1851 and 1855.

Providence Public Library

Contains whale stamps. At end: poetry, essays.

Journal of the Elizabeth (Bark) out of Mattapoisett, MA, mastered by Henry Daggett and Elisha C. Jenney and kept by Albert M Keith, on whaling voyages between 1845 and 1846.

Providence Public Library

Contains whale stamps and sketches of ships. At end: poetry; proceedings on board the ship BRUNSWICK, Feb. 28, 1847.

Journal of the Eliza Adams (Ship), Heman Smith (Brig), James Allen II (Bark) and Kathleen (Bark); mastered by Walter F. Howland, Theodore A. Lake and Daniel W. Gifford; and kept by Andrew D. West; on whaling voyages between 1879 and 1885.

Providence Public Library

Contains four voyages: On the ship ELIZA ADAMS of New Bedford. (Sherman 246) On the brig HEMAN SMITH of Boston. (Sherman 370) On the bark JAMES ALLEN of New Bedford. (Sherman 410) On the bark KATHLEEN of New Bedford. (Sherman 449.) Contains whale stamps. At end: newspaper clipping about whalers.

Journal of the Eliza (Schooner) and Guthrie (Schooner), mastered by Joseph Howland and kept by John Kendrick, on whaling voyages between 1849 and 1856.

Providence Public Library

Contains four voyages: "On board the schooner ELIZA of New Bedford. Bound on her southern cruize supplying light houses with oil." Oct. 31, 1849-Feb. 28, 1850. (Sherman p.191) Later voyage on the ELIZA. (Sherman p. 191) "On board the United States schooner GUTHRIE supplying lights on the coast of Florida. Sailed from New Bedford." (Sherman p. 192) Later voyage on the GUTHRIE. (Sherman p. 192)

Journal of the Eliza (Bark) out of New Bedford, MA, mastered by James M. Witherell, on a whaling voyage between 1865 and 1868.

Providence Public Library

Journal of the Edward Quesnel (Ship) out of Fall River, MA, mastered by William Wood and kept by Charles L. Ellis, on a whaling voyage between 1836 and 1839.

Providence Public Library

Contains whale stamps and ship stamps. Last 13 pages on smaller size lined paper.

Journal of the Edward (Ship) out of New Bedford, MA, mastered by Nathan B. Heath and kept by Allen M. Newman, on a whaling voyage between 1848 and 1849.

Providence Public Library

At end: poetry.

Journal of the E. Nickerson (Schooner) and Islander (Bark), mastered by Edmund E. Jennings and William Cash and kept by Edmund E. Jennings, on whaling voyages between 1853 and 1865.

Providence Public Library

Contains whale sketches. At end: Abstract from the bark ISLANDER's voyage commencing Dec. 11, 1863; poetry; list of whales seen by other ships; account of oil stowed.

Journal of the E. Corning (Bark) and Millinocket (Bark) out of New Bedford, MA, mastered by Francis Ormond Rotch and Thomas S. Bailey and kept by Matthew Baker, on whaling voyages between 1855 and 1863.

Providence Public Library

Contains two voyages: Bark E. CORNING, New Bedford. (Starbuck p. 524) Also bark MILLINOKET, New Bedford. Sept. 25, 1862-April 10, 1863. Trading voyage to New Orleans. Contains whale stamps. Contains list of cargo on the ship SPRINGFIELD, 1873. At end: lists of whales taken; ships at the Bay of Islands with quantity of oil; records of provisions used; rope used, etc.

Journal of the Dunbarton (Bark), Edward (Brig) and Solon (Brig); mastered by Benjamin B. Handy, Thomas Jefferson Southworth, Albert Daggett; and kept by Benjamin B. Handy; on whaling voyages between 1844 and 1848.

Providence Public Library

Three voyages: Brig SOLON, Mattapoisett. May 10-Sept. 3, 1844. Sherman 729. Brig EDWARD, Mattapoisett. Oct. 23, 1844-Oct. 30, 1845. Sherman 238. Bark DUNBARTON, Mattapoisett. June 4, 1846-June 3, 1848. Sherman 229.

Journal of the Desdemona (Bark) and Valparaiso (Bark), mastered by Edward B. Phinney, on whaling voyages between 1866 and 1870.

Providence Public Library

At end: Journal of the bark VALPARAISO of Caldera, Chile. Jan. 5-22, 1870. (Sherman 777)

Journal of the Desdemona (Bark) and Milton (Ship) out of New Bedford, MA, mastered by Edward B. Phinney and Benjamin Franklin Jones and kept by Peleg Lawrence, on whaling voyages between 1851 and 1866.

Providence Public Library

Two voyages: Ship MILTON, New Bedford. Nov. 1, 1851-Oct. 13, 1854. At end: list of whales taken. (Sherman 564) Also Bark DESDEMONA, New Bedford. Sept. 5, 1865-Mar. 11, 1866. (Starbuck p. 602)

Journal of the Dauphin (Ship) and Rosalie (Ship), mastered by Zimri Coffin and Joseph Gardner, on whaling voyages between 1825 and 1830.

Providence Public Library

Contains sketches of whales. Contains oil records; lists of whaling grounds used by the ships WINSLOW and FREDERICK AUGUSTUS: dimensions for trypots and whale boats; poem copied at sea June 18, 1830 on the ship MAGNET. At end: manuscript copy of "A Poetical journal kept on board the ship DAUPHIN, "Sept. 4, 1820-July 1823."

Journal of the Dartmouth (Ship) out of New Bedford, MA, mastered by Edward H. Starbuck and kept by John H. Wady, on a whaling voyage between 1836 and 1840.

Providence Public Library

Contains whale stamps; sketch of ship DARTMOUTH. At end: lunar distances, May-December 1839; poetry; list of ships spoken.

Journal of the Cyrus (Ship) out of London, mastered by Paul West and kept by Paul West, on a whaling voyage between 1804 and 1806.

Providence Public Library

Contains whale sketches. Inscribed on flyleaf: "Copied for Lieut. Maury by Dan'l McKenzie" 1848. At end: account of whales killed and taken; abstract of vessels spoken.

Journal of the Covington (Bark) out of Warren, RI, mastered by Allen M. Newman and kept by Albert F. Peck, on a whaling voyage between 1856 and 1861.

Providence Public Library

A retrospective journal containing account of a voyage in an unnamed vessel, probably the bark COVINGTON of Warren. Aug. 16, 1856-October, 1859.

Journal of the Courier (Ship) out of New Bedford, MA, mastered by Edward Harding and kept by Edward Harding, on a whaling voyage between 1838 and 1842.

Providence Public Library

Contains watercolour sketches of ships and profile views, and whale stamps. At front: list of whales raised and names of those that rasied them; list of sails in sail room; length of COURIER'S yards. At end: gauges of oil stowed down.

Journal of the Courier (Ship) out of New Bedford, MA, mastered by Charles F. Howland and kept by Charles F. Howland, on a whaling voyage between 1850 and 1855.

Providence Public Library

Contains whale stamps, ship sketches.

Journal of the Cornelius Howland (Ship) out of New Bedford, MA, mastered by Benjamin Franklin ? Homan and kept by Benjamin Franklin Homan, on a whaling voyage between 1867 and 1870.

Providence Public Library

At end: oil taken 1868-1870; trade in the Arctic Ocean, 1868; signals for the boats; account of men punished.

Journal of the Cornelia (Bark) and Globe (Bark) out of New Bedford, MA, mastered by Edward S. Davoll and William Handy, Jr. and kept by Sanford Brightman, on whaling voyages between 1848 and 1852.

Providence Public Library

Contains two voyages: On the bark CORNELIA, New Bedford. Sept. 11, 1848-July 18, 1850. (Sherman 200) On the bark GLOBE of New Bedford. Dec. 4, 1850-May 31, 1852. (Sherman 327) Contains whale stamps. After p. 42: Abstract of voyage of ship ISAAC HOWLAND of New Bedford, June 10, 1845-April 29, 1848. At end: lists of whales taken; personal accounts.

Journal of the Corinthian (Ship) and Thomas Dickason (Bark) out of New Bedford, MA, mastered by Valentine Lewis and kept by Valentine Lewis, on whaling voyages between 1866 and 1871.

Providence Public Library

Contains two voyages: On the ship CORINTHIAN, of New Bedford. Nov. 6, 1866-Aug. 30, 1868. (sherman 199) On the bark THOMAS DICKASON of New Bedford. Nov. 2, 1869-Sept. 14, 1871. (Sherman 751) At end: slops accounts.

Journal of the Cora (Bark) and LaGrange (Bark), mastered by Archelaus Baker, Jr. and James P. Gracie and kept by James P. Gracie, on whaling voyages between 1841 and 1845.

Providence Public Library

Contains two voyages: On the bark CORA, New Bedford. Sept. 2, 1841-Sept. 1843. (Starbuck p. 372) On the bark LAGRANGE, Fairhaven. Oct. 10, 1844-April 14, 1845. (Starbuck 376) Contains whale stamps.

Journal of the Congress (Ship) out of New Bedford, MA, mastered by Nathan H. Mendall and kept by John C. Hamblin, on a whaling voyage between 1849 and 1851.

Providence Public Library

Contains whale stamps. At end: poetry; list of whales raised and by whom; account of oil stowed down.

Journal of the Congress (Ship) out of New Bedford, MA, mastered by Charles II Little and kept by Samuel Robinson, on a whaling voyage between 1846 and 1848.

Providence Public Library

Journal of the Commodore Preble (Ship) and Midas (Ship); mastered by Benjamin B. Lamphier, Samuel M. Prentice and Ebenezer Hawes Woodbridge; and kept by James M. Starrr; on whaling voyages between 1850 and 1857.

Providence Public Library

Two voyages: On the ship MIDAS, New Bedford. Oct. 5, 1850-July 29, 1852. Sherman 554. Also on the bark COMMODORE PREBLE, Lynn. Jan. 7-Oct. 27, 1855. Sherman 189. Contains whale stamps, profile views. Contains poetry, songs.

Journal of the Commodore Morris (Ship) out of New Bedford, MA, mastered by Gilbert B. Borden and kept by Gilbert B. Borden, on a whaling voyage between 1870 and 1873.

Providence Public Library

At end: account of provisions used.

Journal of the Columbus (Ship) and Sea (Ship), mastered by William H. Crowell and Nathaniel W. Sowle and kept by Edwin C. Pulver, on whaling voyages between 1851 and 1854.

Providence Public Library

Contains two voyages: On the ship COLUMBUS, Fairhaven. Sept. 16, 1851-Nov. 23, 1852. On the ship SEA, Warren. Nov. 29, 1852-Nov. 24, 1853. Contains whale stamps, sketches of whales. At end: accounts, poetry, antidote for bedbugs, list of ships at Hilo.

Showing 541 to 570 of 783 results

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