Sources

The whaling ship William Wirt has extensive records associated with it. The voyage captained by Owen Fisher from 1850-1853 is particularly well documented. This includes Captain Fisher's Logbook (held by Radford University in Radford, VA), the Officer's Logbook (held by the Providence Public Library in Providence, RI), and the ship's account book kept by Captain Fisher (held by the Providence Public Library in Providence, RI). 

Account Book for the William Wirt, 1850-1853

Captain's Logbook for the William Wirt, 1850-1853

Officer's Logbook for the William Wirt, 1850-1853

Voyage #1, Captain Isaac Daggett, 1833-1837

Whaling voyage from Fairhaven, MA, to the Pacific Ocean, ownership group included Warren Delano. 

Links to digitized records:

  1. Account book of the William Wirt (Ship) out of Fairhaven, MA, mastered by Isaac Daggett, on whaling voyages between 1833 and 1842, Nicholson Whaling Collection: Providence Public Library, Providence, RI.
  2. Logbook, 1833-1837. Ship William Wirt logbook, Mss:252 1833-1837 W689, Volume Wirt 1. Baker Library Special Collections and Archives, Harvard Business School.

Voyage #2, Captain Isaac Daggett, 1838-1842

Whaling voyage from Fairhaven, MA, towards Cape Horn, ownership group included Warren Delano.

Links to digitized records:

  1. William Wirt Logbook, 1838-1842, Mss:252 1838-1842 W689, Baker Library, Harvard Business School.
  2. Account book of the William Wirt (Ship) out of Fairhaven, MA, mastered by Isaac Daggett, on whaling voyages between 1833 and 1842, Nicholson Whaling Collection: Providence Public Library, Providence, RI.

Voyage #3, Captain William H. Morse, 1842-1846

Whaling voyage from Fairhaven, MA, to the Pacific Ocean, ownership group included Warren Delano.

Links to digitized records:

  1. Account book of the William Wirt (Ship) out of Fairhaven, MA, mastered by William H. Morse, on a whaling voyage between 1842 and 1845, Nicholson Whaling Collection: Providence Public Library, Providence, RI.
  2. Logbook of ship WILLIAM WIRT of Fairhaven, Massachusetts, for a voyage to the Pacific Ocean whaling grounds, 1846, Mystic Seaport Museum, Mystic, CT (not digitized).

Voyage #4, Captain Jesse Luce & Henry Daggett, 1846-1850

Whaling voyage from Fairhaven, MA, to the Pacific Ocean, ownership group included Warren Delano.

Links to digitized records:

  1. Logbook, 1846-1850. Ship William Wirt logbook, Mss:252 1846-1850 W689, Volume Wirt 3. Baker Library Special Collections and Archives, Harvard Business School.
  2. Acount book of the William Wirt (Ship) out of Fairhaven, MA, mastered by Jesse Luce, on a whaling voyage between 1847 and 1850, Nicholson Whaling Collection: Providence Public Library, Providence, RI.

Voyage #5, Captain Owen Fisher, 1850-1853

Whaling voyage from Fairhaven, MA, to the Pacific Ocean, ownership group included Warren Delano.


Links to digitized records:

  1. William Wirt (Ship) of Fairhaven, MA, Whaling Logbook, 1850-1853, Radford University Archives & Special Collections.
  2.  Logbook of the William Wirt (Ship) out of Fairhaven, MA, mastered by Owen Fisher and kept by James L. Fisher; Reuben H. Downing, on a whaling voyage between 1850 and 1853, Nicholson Whaling Collection: Providence Public Library, Providence, RI.
  3. Account book of the William Wirt (Ship) out of Fairhaven, MA, mastered by Owen Fisher, on a whaling voyage between 1850 and 1853, Nicholson Whaling Collection: Providence Public Library, Providence, RI.

 

Voyage #6, Captain Edward Ashley, 1853-1856

Whaling voyage from New Bedford, MA, to the Pacific Ocean, ownership group included William Maxfield. Adra Ashley, wife to Captain Ashley, sailed on the Wirt. Adra's journal digitized and accessible via Harvard Business School Baker Library. 

Links to digitized records:

  1. 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, Nicholson Whaling Collection: Providence Public Library, Providence, RI.

  2. Logbook of the William Wirt (Ship) 1853 and Reindeer (Ship) of New Bedford, mastered by Edward R. Ashley, on voyage from Oct. 1856-Mar. 1860, New Bedford Whaling Museum.

  3. Diary of Adra C. Ashley aboard the Ships William Wirt and Reindeer, Mss:252 1853-1857 W689.Mss:252 1852-1860 R364, Volume William Wirt 1. Baker Library Special Collections and Archives, Harvard Business School.

 

Voyage #7, Captain Abraham Osborn, Jr., 1856-1860

Whaling voyage from New Bedford, MA, to the Pacific Ocean, ownership group included Edmund Maxfield. Lucy Osborn, wife to Captain Osborn, sailed on the Wirt. The Wirt was sold in New York in 1862. 

Links to digitized records:

  1. William Wirt (Ship) of New Bedford, Mass., mastered by Abraham Osborn, Jr., keeper Newman, on voyage 10 September 1856 - 9 April 1860, New Bedford Whaling Museum.

 

Further information about the voyages of the William Wirt can be located at whalinghistory.org, searching for ship name or ship owner.

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