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This catagory contains examples of various types of ships' papers and documents relating to the operation of merchant ships. There are examples of Charter Parties, including one of 1322 between Walter Giffard, master of the cog OUR LADY of Lyme and Sir Hugh de Berham for a freight of wine; the remainder are twentieth-century examples. The earliest example of a Bill of Lading is for the TRIPLE CROWN of Bristol, 1689; there are others from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Among the examples of Bills of Sale of ships and shares of ships is one for the Dutch East India Company ship DEHELDWOITEMADE, sold to James Mather, a London merchant, 1782; and also one for the SPECULATOR, a French prize, formerly LE CARME, sold in 1810. Examples of documents relating to insurance include a Statement of General Average for the POLLY AND EMILY made after she had been damaged in a gale in 1895. There are also Muster Rolls and Articles of Agreement of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries (see also entry no.13); Bills of Health, nineteenth and twentieth centuries; Safe Conducts, eighteenth and nineteenth centuries; and various nineteenth-century passenger documents and papers relating to wreck and salvage, including an order issued by Sir Cyril Wyche (1632-1707) and Sir Henry Capel (d 1696), Lord Justices of Ireland, for the arrest of the pilot of the wrecked TALBOT pink, 1695.

Merchant Shipping: Signal Books and Signals including a Vane List c 1810 and a pendant board of the same date.

Copies of the Certificates of Competency and Service, 1850 to 1890, as well as the application forms for examination submitted by the candidates. The copies of the certificates record the name, certificate number, year and place of birth of the candidate, rank examined for and the date and place of the certificate's issue. The application forms record the name, date and place of birth of the candidate, rank examined for, date and place of application and examination, together with a list of vessels with dates and the capacity in which the candidate served. When a candidate passed an examination for a certificate of higher rank than that which he already held, a new certificate number was not normally granted. The number of his existing certificate was retained and the new application form and copies of the new certificate were placed with those of the earlier date. Frequently, on the death of a master or mate, the number of his certificate was re-used and given to another candidate.

Signals: Theory. Included in this small group of documents are a description of Colonel Pasley's telegraph of 1804 and 'Observations on Signal Shapes as applied to the character of Signals Flags', 1818, by Captain Thomas Shortland (1771-1827).

Papers of Capt Lord William Stuart. They consist of order books, 1799 to 1810 and 1811 to 1814; logs, 1811 and 1813 to 1814; in and out-letterbooks, 1809 to 1814, and loose papers, which are mainly orders received from the Admiralty, Ordnance, Navy and Victualling Offices and various senior officers, 1811 to 1814. There are also requests for surveys, returns and other administrative ships' papers, 1811 to 1814.