Showing 5 results

Of the nine volumes in this class eight are French. The earliest is a journal kept by de la Maisonfort, Captaine en Segond in the Fleuron in 1732, the ELIZABETH, 1740 to 1741, and the VIGILANT in 1745, which was captured by the SUPERB in that year. There is a journal kept by Le Chevalier des Courtils de Bissy on board the PALMIER in 1755; a journal by Duclos Legris on the MARENGO, in the East Indies, 1803 to 1806, which includes seventy-seven illustrations; and three volumes of a journal kept by Ernest de Cornulier on various French ships, 1820 to 1833. The remaining volume is a contemporary copy written in English in the ship's cashbook, of the log of the Acapulco treasure galleon, NUESTRA SENORA DE CABADONGA, 1742 to 1743, which was captured by the CENTURION in 1743.

Ship's logs from the Royal Navy, merchant shipping and foreign Navies.

Ships' logs from Merchant Shipping. There are some examples of logs kept by commanders, but the majority for which the keeper can be established are by other officers or by midshipmen; there are also five kept by pursers and two by passengers. The format of the logs varies but many from the late-eighteenth century are written on a standard printed form incorporating the arms of the Company. A few are illustrated, notably that of the DUTTON, 1791, kept by Captain James Hamilton, which has daily coloured sketches of the ship showing the set of the sails. Many include lists of the ship's company, passengers and troops. The earliest volume contains copies of logs of several ships between 1659 and 1687 and bears the inscription 'John Ouldham His Book 1697/8'. Another early example is the log of the UPTON GALLEY, 1701 to 1703, to Bengal and back, kept by her commander, John Camell. In some cases a series of logs covers the career of an officer from midshipman to chief officer or commander such as that kept by Henry Wise (fl 1819-1833) in seven volumes on the CASTLE HUNTLEY, from 1819 to 1829, and in the ASTELL, 1830 to 1831, and EDINBURGH, 1832 to 1833, during which time he rose from midshipman to chief officer; and six volumes kept by Searles Wood (fl 1783-1808) between 1783 and 1785 and 1791 and 1802 on various ships, rising from fourth mate to commander.

The latest log is that of the EARL BALCARRES, 1835 to 1837, by the purser, Richard Binks, which includes copies of estimates for rigging, sails, painting and plumbing and stores, together with dimensions and deck plans. In this section there are also five volumes relating to the Bombay Marine and Indian Navy including the log of the SCORPION, a Bombay Marine snow, 1793 to 1794, kept by Captain William Selby which includes a letter and a memorial relating to the capture of the SCORPION by the French in 1794; and two volumes kept by William H Carpendale, midshipman, on various ships of the Indian Navy between 1846 and 1851.

Of the seventy volumes in this class, thirteen date from the eighteenth century. The earliest was kept by John Tregelles, an ordinary seaman, recording voyages in mail packets from the West Country, mainly to the West Indies, between 1703 and 1707. There are the logs of the TRIO, kept by Robert Sanders, the third mate, from London to the West Indies and back in 1788; and the AFRICAN QUEEN, by an unknown keeper, from Bristol to Africa in 1790. Privateering is represented by the log of the GREYHOUND of Bristol commanded by James Neil, operating mainly in the English Channel, 1779 to 1780. The slave trade is the subject of two volumes; one is the log of John Newton (1725-1807), kept while master of the slave vessels the DUKE OF ARGYLE and the AFRICAN on voyages to Africa and the West Indies between 1750 and 1754 (an edited version of this has been published in B Martin and M Spurrell, eds. The Journal of a Slave Trader (John Newton) 1750-1754) (London, 1962); the other is the illustrated log of the SANDOWN by her commander, Samuel Gamble, a slave merchant, from London to West Africa and the West Indies, 1793 to 1794.

There are also three logs kept by the marine artist Nicholas Pocock (1741-1821) while commander of the ships BETSEY and LLOYD of Bristol; they cover six voyages of the LLOYD between Bristol and South Carolina, 1768 to 1769 and one in the BETSEY from Bristol to the Mediterranean and back to London in 1770. Each is illustrated with India-ink wash drawings of the ship showing the set of the sails and weather conditions each day, together with other sketches. There are forty-seven nineteenth-century logs. Among the earliest are those of the MONARCH on a voyage from Liverpool to South America and back, 1824 to 1825, kept by her master Magnus Omand; of the BENJAMIN during two voyages to St Petersburg and back, 1830 to 1832; and the log of the barque ARUNDEL from Liverpool to Odessa and back, 1836 to 1837, kept by the mate, Thomas Somerscales, father of the marine painter of the same name (1842-1927). Later volumes include the log of the brig SANCHO engaged in the East Coast coal trade and also making two voyages to Archangel, 1848 to 1850, kept by the mate, Daniel Tatkin; the log of the KELSO from London to Singapore and Hong Kong, 1849 to 1852, by the second mate, William Locke (b 1825), with an account of a mutiny on board in 1850; and the log of the ALSAGER, 1872 to 1873, with an account of her loss by the mate.

There are two nineteenth-century volumes relating to the packet service; the log of H.M. Packets ST VINCENT, from St Vincent, West Indies, to Liverpool, 1818, and PRINCE ERNEST from Falmouth to Barbados and back, 1821, kept by Captain Coupland, and the log of the Falmouth Packets PRINCESS ELIZABETH and the MARQUESS OF SALISBURY, later H M Brig SWALLOW, 1819 to 1832, kept by John Bull (1771-1851) including voyages to Halifax, the West Indies, Mexico and New York. Logs of Green's Blackwall Frigates include that of the MALABAR kept by A J M D How, midshipman, during two voyages to Bombay and back, 1846 to 1848; an illustrated log of the OWEN GLENDOWER, by John Lawrence Kirby, Second Officer, Bombay and back, 1846 to 1847; and that of the CARLISLE CASTLE, also illustrated, on four voyages from London to Melbourne, 1880 to 1884, by C R Longden, midshipman (fl 1880-1919). Among the logs of nineteenth-century steam vessels are the captain's log of the GREAT WESTERN, from Bristol to New York and back, 1838; the log of the GREAT BRITAIN on her third voyage from Liverpool to Melbourne and back, 1854 to 1855, and two voyages carrying troops to the Crimea, 1855 to 1856; an illustrated log of the CALCUTTA from Plymouth to India and back, 1852 to 1853; and two logs of the GREAT EASTERN, one a medical log, 1869 to 1870, and the other kept by her captain, Robert Halpin, on a voyage to Newfoundland and back, 1873. The earliest of the ten twentieth-century items is the electrical log of the cable ship DACIA.

Royal Navy ship's logs. The earliest log begins in 1737 and the latest in 1917 but the majority, over three hundred volumes, are from the nineteenth century. Being, on the whole, kept privately, the format and size of the volumes vary widely. Over three-fifths of the volumes, where the rank of the keeper can be ascertained, were kept by midshipman or naval cadets, but there are examples of logs kept by other ranks from master's mate to admiral. Many of the logs are illustrated with sketches, maps, diagrams and photographs. Of particular note in this respect are the log of the QUEEN CHARLOTTE, 1790, kept by Lieutenant (later Captain) John Mason Lewis (fl 1790-1831); four volumes kept by Sub-Lieutenant (later Commander) Francis H Boyer (d 1926) on various ships between 1869 and 1876; two logs kept on several ships, 1870 to 1873, together with a sketchbook by Henry Bridges Molesworth (1855-1954), midshipman; and the log of the RALEIGH, 1874 to 1876, by Charles Molyneux Howard Oakley (1858-1876), also when a midshipman. Of the forty eighteenth-century volumes, the earliest is the log of the WINDSOR, 1737 to 1741, signed by her captain, George Berkeley (1693?-1746), including an account of the attack on Cartagena in 1741.

There are also two logs by Rear-Admiral Charles Watson (1714-1757) as captain of the princess louisa, 1746 to 1747, including a description of the battle of Cape Finisterre, 1747; an unsigned copy of the log of Admiral Sir George Pocock on the NAMUR, 1762 to 1763, during the siege of Havana; a log of the WINCHELSEA, 1787 by John Dykes (fl 1776-1805), Master, with sailing instructions and copies of his correspondence, 1789; A log of the BRUNSWICK, 1793 to 1794, up to but excluding the First of June, kept by Captain John Harvey (1740-1794) together with the ship's muster and pay book 1792 to 1794; and three logs kept by Prince William Henry (1745-1837) as midshipman on various ships between 1779 and 1783.

There is a series of four logs of the LEVIATHAN, 1795 to 1799 and 1802, which was present at the attack on Leogane in 1796 and at the Minorca landings, 1798; these were possibly kept by Lieutenant (later Captain) William Buchanan (fl 1794-1833) and one volume has additions in the hand of Commodore (later Admiral) Sir John Duckworth, while the log for 1802 includes an index to his letterbooks and a register for 1800. Finally there are also three logs kept by Richard Caley (d 1799), Master's Mate and later Lieutenant, in several ships, 1781 to 1798, including the BLENHEIM at the Battle of Cape St Vincent, 1797. Among nineteenth-century logs, numbering over three hundred, are two by Samuel Wise, Master's Mate, on the POLYPHEMUS, 1805 to 1808, which was present at the battle of Trafalgar, 1805; a log by Admiral Sir Augustus William Clifford (1788-1877) as lieutenant in the TIGRE, 1807 to 1809; a log by Lieutenant Thomas Pickering Clarke (fl 1800-1862) on several ships, 1800 to 1807, including a narrative of the Walcheren Expedition, 1809; and a log of Admiral Sir Stephen Lushington (1803-1877) as midshipman on the GANYMEDE, 1818 to 1819. There is also a log of the SPITFIRE, 1835 to 1839, by Robert R Arnott (fl 1834-1839), Assistant Surgeon, together with a rough medical record, 1839; a copy of the log of the VERNON, 1836 to 1837, signed by Captain (later Rear-Admiral) John W M'Kerlie (1774-1848), together with printed sailing reports of the VERNON and a punishment book, 1834 to 1837; and a log of the POLYPHEMUS while engaged in the suppression of the slave trade, 1853 to 1854. Another log of this vessel, 1855 to 1856, kept by Commander (later Captain) Frederic P Warren (d 1891) records her wreck off Jutland on 29 January 1856. Among the volumes relating to the Crimean War there is a log kept by Midshipman (later Captain) Cecil G S Stanley (d 1891), in the ALBION and QUEEN, 1853 and 1855.