P-062: Act for the Government and Regulation of Seamen…

ABSTRACT: Two-sided sheet containing the full text of An Act for the Government and Regulation of Seamen in the Merchants Service, 1790, and a contract for service upon the Schooner Mehitabel (Also spelled Mehetebel)

SCOPE: Front of sheet contains a printed contract of wages and signatures of seamen for service upon a vessel. The first line identifies the ship and service: “IT IS AGREED between the Master, Seamen, and mariners of the Schooner Mehitabel (Also spelled Mehetabel) lying in the port of Middletown & Bound to any Port of Port in the Westniges, After which To any Port or Port within the United States of American – John Smith Master”

Names of the men listed include:

John Smith (Master)
John White (Mate)
John Straus (Seaman)
Barter Simmons (Seaman)
Joseph Smith (Cook)
Glenn Power (Seaman)
Elubel Baily (No duty assigned)
---- Negro (boy)
John Henley (Seaman)
John Courtney (Seaman)
John Barton (Seaman)
John Jones (Seaman)
Edward Bain (Seaman)

Reverse of sheet contains the text of An Act for the Government and Regulation of Seamen in the Merchants Service, approved by President George Washington on July 20, 1790, from Speaker of the House Frederick Augustus Muhlenberg and Vice President John Adams. Several inscriptions from January, February, and March 1803 note receipt of payments for time served upon the Schooner Mehitabel.

EXTENT: One sheet printed on both sides with the text of the Act and service contract for the Schooner Mehitabel. Inscriptions and signatures are featured on both sides. 

ACCESS: This collection is available for on-site use only in the Rare Book and Manuscripts Reading Room. Researchers are advised to call ahead concerning changes in hours due to University intersessions and holidays. The St. Louis Mercantile Library is located on levels one and two of the Thomas Jefferson Library building. More information about conducting research with the archival collections of the Library, including current building hours and reading room policies, can be found on our Research page.

Preferred Citation note: The preferred citation for this collection is "From the collections of the Herman T. Pott National Inland Waterways Library at the University of Missouri - St. Louis.”