1797 Voyage of the Brig 'Earl of Marchmont' with Captain William Drysdale - from London to Montreal via Quebec - Bill of Lading etc.

[Ronald Drysdale]

Over the next few days I intend to upload a number of pdfs that give a useful indication of the official documentation that would normally accompany an old sailing ship when carrying cargo in the 1790s between Britain and North America.

As an example we have the documents from a 1797 Voyage of the Brig 'Earl of Marchmont', Captain William Drysdale - from London to Montreal via Quebec in Canada.

This vessel was carrying an interesting cargo that was intended to be used for 'Indian presents' and trade with the indigenous Indians as well as land aquisition.

e.g. Long Rifle barrel guns at cost 55 shillings each
Large Tomahawks to pattern at cost 4 shillings each
Buffalo handle penknives 12 for 5 shillings
As well as gunpowder, shot, tobacco, tools, linens, boots etc etc

NB The pdf images are in the public domain but any copyright belongs to Public Archives Canada (ref: c series vol 249 & 250) the images were down;loaded from Familysearch archives - image series 008341927, 008341928 & 008342453.

Bill of Lading, detailed Invoice & Cargo manifest for Earl of M...l

Best regards

[Ronald Drysdale]

With reference to the previous post with the bill of Lading & Invoice for the Brigantine Earl of Marchmont.

Included within the goods/cargo shipped by this vessel at that time were goods intended for:

- The Indian stores & for Indian presents*
- The 1st & 2nd Battalions of Royal Canadian Volunteers - destined Quebec
- Rectifying shortfalls in the previous years shipment (1796 - also carried by the Earl of Marchmont)
- Purchasing lands from the Indians to form new establishments in consequence of former posts being given up to the Americans
- 3 bales caddies, missing from the initial cargo in London - added at Spithead, Portsmouth 16-5-1797 when the vessel was en route

* Robert Prescott was the governor of the Canadas and commander of forces in British North America from 1796 to 1807. He was involved in the British system of providing "Indian presents" to Indigenous peoples to maintain alliances and foster good relations.

Additional pdfs enclosed of correspondence, invoices etc concerning the above:

Correspondence from Transport office regarding Indian Stores

1st & 2nd Royal Canadian Volunteers - Correspondence, Bill of L...

Covering shortfalls in the 1796 shipment for Indian Stores - also c...

Invoice - goods to purchase land from the Indians - for new establi...

3 bales caddies, missing from the initial cargo in London - added a...

More to come covering the vessel's arrival in Quebec & Montreal

Best regards

[Ronald Drysdale]

Journey's end

By mid-August 1797 the goods had arrived in the deep water port of Quebec onboard the Earl of Marchmont, there they were inspected and trans-shipped onto smaller vessels for the final leg of the journey up the St Lawrence River to Montreal - the Schooner Perseverence, Sloop St. Ann, Schooner Victory, Sloop Beaver & other small craft each took part of the cargo upriver.

pdfs of Cargo check sheets & correspondence - also mentions possible land acquisitions:

August 1797- cargo checked & trans-shipped onto smaller vessels...

September 1797 - Cargo finally arrived in Montreal in good conditio...

A pdf containg a link to the Familysearch website images:

image 502 William Drysdale Master of Earl of Marchmont at london fo...

Best regards

Note

The British Crown purchased St. Joseph Island in 1798 from the Ojibwe people through an agreement known as the St. Joseph Island Treaty (or Treaty 11). The Indigenous people received £1,200 in goods and trade items in exchange for the island, along with the ongoing right to use the island for harvesting and burying their dead.

[Ronald Drysdale]

Some further notes on Captain William Drysdale

After his trip to Montreal in the Earl of Marchmont, Captain Drysdale (b.1765) appears to have been in continuous employment as a ship's Master, on the London to Antigua trade route (1798-1815).

List of Ships to and from Antigua 1752 - 1858 and their Captains

Ship name Captain Period Port

Ocean Drysdale 1798 - 1807 London
Adcona Drysdale 1800
Success Drysdale 1800
Kerby Drysdale 1801 - 1805 London
Albion Drysdale 1807 - 1812 Liverpool
Augusta Drysdale 1808 - 1814 Liverpool
Russian Company Drysdale 1810
William & Alfred Drysdale 1813 - 1815

After the capture of the William & Alfred by Capt. William Nicholls (commander - Brig Harpy) Captain Drysdale seems to gone into retirement or passed away as no subsequent records have been found for him other than that of the death of his wife, Elizabeth Johnson aged 70, in 1840 in Ware workhouse, Herfordhire.

William's ancestral family line can be traced back to Wapping in the East end of London circa 1590 with some of his early ancestors as possible emigres to Colonial America. Thereafter the family continued to live mainly in Stepney and the East end of London.

In the 1820s his son George (b.1797) was also qualified as a Master and, by a quirk of fate, one of his first Commands appears to have been as Master of the William & Alfred circa 1834!

George lived for a while in Islington then moved to Broxbourne in Hertfordshire in 1840s before moving finally to Croydon. After the 1881 census no further records were found for this family.

Captain William Drysdale - Stepney - 1797 tree

Links & Documents

Thanks to Russell for finding this Document:

https://douglashistory.ning.com/photo/captain-william-drysdale-of-l...

https://wipsg.org/wp-content/uploads/Publications_WIPSG/Extracts/Pu...

https://patch.com/massachusetts/hamilton-wenham/captain-william-nic...

George Drysdale Master of William & Alfred ship of London - Lloyds Survey records 1834 01 & 2

George Drysdale Master of William & Alfred ship of London - UK seamen records 1835 - plus other Drysdales

George Drysdale Master of William & Alfred ship of London - Lloyds Survey records for repairs March 1837 01

George Drysdale Master of William & Alfred ship of London - Lloyds Survey records sept. 1837 Annual Survey

George Drysdale age 50 Master of Ship retired 1851 & son George aged 6 Census at Broxbourne

Note;I find the Lloyds Register of Shipping documents quite interesting - I worked for Lloyds Register as a Ship Surveyor for about 15 years - in the last century!

Best regards