Biography of Enoch Silsby
Enoch Silsby (1778-1841) was a merchant ship owner and agent from Boston and Bradford Massachusetts. During the period covered by this collection, Silsby managed several large vessels and was involved primarily in the transatlantic trade from Boston and New York.
Scope and Content
The Enoch Silsby Papers consist of five boxes containing 2,176 pieces which relate to his business operations and to his personal or household expenses.
The papers pertaining to the construction of the brig CASPIAN in Newburyport, Massachusetts, by Elisha Briggs in 1816, present a rather complete account of the various expenditures involved in the building of such a vessel at this time. The same may be said for the papers relating to the construction of the ship PARTHION in 1819 at the same place by the same man.
Among the significant individual items relating to the PARTHION are agreements, January 5, 1819, with Arthur Caswell and Michael Gaffney to caulk the vessel; April 16, 1819, with Benjamin Choate to do the joiner work; with Benjamin Pearson and Isaac Johnson to paint the vessel; October 19, 1819, with Joseph Barton to serve as master; and letters of instruction, October 19, 1819, to Barton and October, 1820, to Harvey 0. Mackay. Also included are memorandums on the “Diameter of copper and iron bolts and spikes for a ship of 300 tons” and “of cordage for Enoch Silsby’s new Ship,” the latter by William McClennan, Jr., rigger.
Restrictions
Restrictions on Access
Available for use in the Manuscripts Division
Restrictions on Use
Various copying restriction apply. Guidelines are available from the Manuscripts Division.
Index Terms
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the G. W. Blunt White Library. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should search the catalog using these headings.
Persons:
Briggs, Elisha
Silsby, Daniel–Estate
Corporate Bodies (Including Vessels):
Angelina (Brig)
Atlas (Brig)
Caspian (Brig)
Chariot (Ship)
Laura Ann (Ship)
Parthion (Ship)
Robert Fulton (Ship)
Rockingham (Ship)
Places:
Bradford (Haverhill, Mass.)
Liverpool (England)–Commerce
London (England)–Commerce
Marseille (France)–Commerce
New Orleans (La.)–Commerce
New York (N.Y.)–Commerce
Savannah (Ga.)–Commerce
Wiscasset (Me.)–Commerce
Subjects:
Cotton trade
Cotton trade–England–Liverpool
Decedents’ estates–Massachusetts
Dwellings–Massachusetts–Haverhill
Fish trade
International trade
Shipbuilding–Massachusetts–Newburyport
Shipping–Massachusetts–Boston
Shipping–New York (State)–New York
Tobacco industry
Document Types:
Articles of incorporation
Invoices
Manifests
Promissory notes
Occupations:
Merchants–Massachusetts–Boston
Ship captains
Shipowners–Massachusetts–Boston
Administrative Information
Coll. 6, Manuscripts Collection, G. W. Blunt White Library, Mystic Seaport Museum, Inc.
Indexes
Detailed Description of the Collection
The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.
| Business Papers; 1810-1829 | |||||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||||
| 1 | 1 | Business papers including letters, bills, receipts, accounts, and invoices, pertaining to merchandise shipped in and out of the Port of Boston; 1810-1818 | |||||||||||
| 2 | Business papers including letters, bills, receipts, accounts, and invoices, pertaining to merchandise shipped in and out of the Port of Boston; 1819-1820 | ||||||||||||
| 3 | Business papers including letters, receipts, and price current sheets, pertaining to merchandise shipped in and out of the Port of Boston; 1821 Jan-Mar | ||||||||||||
| 4 | Business papers including letters, accounts, and receipts, pertaining to merchandise shipped in and out of the Port of Boston; 1821 Apr-Dec | ||||||||||||
| 5 | Business papers including letters, receipts, and a price current sheet, pertaining to merchandise shipped in and out of the Port of Boston; 1822 Jan-Aug | ||||||||||||
| 6 | Business papers including letters, receipts, circulars, and price current sheets, pertaining to merchandise shipped in and out of the Port of Boston; 1822 Sep-Dec | ||||||||||||
| 7 | Business papers including letters and receipts, pertaining to merchandise shipped in and out of the Port of Boston; 1823 Jan-Feb | ||||||||||||
| 8 | Business papers including letters, receipts, and circulars, pertaining to merchandise skipped in and out of the Port of Boston; 1823 Mar | ||||||||||||
| 9 | Business papers consisting of letters pertaining to merchandise shipped in and out of the Port of Boston; 1823 Apr-May | ||||||||||||
| 10 | Business papers including letters and price current sheets, pertaining to merchandise shipped in and out of the Port of Boston; 1823 Jun-Jul | ||||||||||||
| 11 | Business papers including letters, receipts, accounts, and price current sheets, pertaining to merchandise shipped in and out of the Port of Boston; 1823 Aug-Dec | ||||||||||||
| 12 | Business papers including letters, receipts, and price current sheets, pertaining to merchandise shipped in and out of the Port of Boston; 1824 Jan | ||||||||||||
| 13 | Business papers including letters, bills, receipts, accounts, and price current sheets, pertaining to merchandise shipped in and out of the Port of Boston; 1824 Feb-Mar | ||||||||||||
| 14 | Business papers including letters, bills, receipts, and price current sheets, pertaining to merchandise shipped in and out of the Port of Boston; 1824 Apr-May | ||||||||||||
| 15 | Business papers including letters, bills, receipts, and price current sheets, pertaining to merchandise shipped in and out of the Port of Boston; 1824 Jun-Jul | ||||||||||||
| 16 | Business papers including letters, bills, receipts, and price current sheets, pertaining-to merchandise shipped in and out of the Port of Boston; 1824 Aug-Sep | ||||||||||||
| 17 | Business papers including letters, bills, receipts, accounts, circulars, and price current sheets, pertaining to merchandise shipped in and out of the Port of Boston; 1824 Oct | ||||||||||||
| 18 | Business papers including letters, bills, receipts, bills of lading, and price current sheets, pertaining to merchandise shipped in and out of the Port of Boston; 1824 Nov-Dec | ||||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||||
| 2 | 1 | Business papers including letters, bills, receipts, and price current sheets, pertaining to merchandise shipped in and out of the Port of Boston; 1825 Jan-Feb | |||||||||||
| 2 | Business papers including letters and price current sheets, pertaining to merchandise shipped in and out of the Port of Boston; 1825 Mar-Dec | ||||||||||||
| 3 | Business papers including letters and price current sheets, pertaining to merchandise shipped in and out of the Port of Boston; 1826 | ||||||||||||
| 4 | Business papers including letters, receipts, accounts, circulars, and price current sheets, pertaining to merchandise shipped in and out of the Port of Boston; 1827 | ||||||||||||
| 5 | Business papers including letters, bills, receipts, circulars, and price current sheets, pertaining to merchandise shipped in and out of the Port of Boston; 1828 Jan-Jul | ||||||||||||
| 6 | Business papers including letters, bills, receipts, and price current sheets, pertaining to merchandise shipped in and out of the Port of Boston; 1828 Aug-Dec | ||||||||||||
| 7 | Business papers including letters, bills, receipts, circulars, price current sheets, and spar dimensions for the ship Java, pertaining to merchandise shipped in and out of the Port of Boston; 1829 plus undated | ||||||||||||
| Ships Papers; 1814-1828 | |||||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||||
| 2 | 8 | Papers pertaining to the brig Angelina, including bills, receipts, accounts, and freight lists; 1814-1815 | |||||||||||
| 9 | Papers pertaining to the brig Angelina, including bills, receipts, and accounts; 1815-1816 | ||||||||||||
| 10 | Papers pertaining to the brig Atlas, including letters, receipts, and a bond; 1823-1828 | ||||||||||||
| 11 | Papers pertaining to the brig Caspian, including bills, receipts, and accounts for construction; 1816 Jan-Jun | ||||||||||||
| 12 | Papers pertaining to the brig Caspian, including bills, receipts, and accounts for construction and outfitting; 1816 Jul-Aug | ||||||||||||
| 13 | Papers pertaining to the brig Caspian, including bills, receipts, and accounts for construction and outfitting; 1816 Sep | ||||||||||||
| 14 | Papers pertaining to the brig Caspian, including bills, receipts, and accounts for construction and outfitting; 1816 Oct 1-10 | ||||||||||||
| 15 | Papers pertaining to the brig Caspian, including bills, receipts, and accounts for construction and outfitting; 1816 Oct 11-31 | ||||||||||||
| 16 | Papers pertaining to the brig Caspian, including bills, receipts, accounts, and freight lists for outfitting, wharfage, and pilotage; 1816 Nov-1817 Feb | ||||||||||||
| 17 | Papers pertaining to the brig Caspian, including bills, receipts, accounts, and freight lists for outfitting, wharfage, and pilotage; 1817 Mar | ||||||||||||
| 18 | Papers pertaining to the brig Caspian, including letters, bills, receipts, and accounts; 1817 Apr-Jun | ||||||||||||
| 19 | Papers pertaining to the brig Caspian, including letters, bills, receipts, and accounts; 1817 Jul-Oct | ||||||||||||
| 20 | Papers pertaining to the brig Caspian, including outgoing letters, bills receipts, and accounts, receipts, freight list and survey; 1817 Nov-Dec | ||||||||||||
| 21 | Papers pertaining to the brig Caspian, including bills, receipts, and a survey; 1818 Jan-Feb | ||||||||||||
| 22 | Insurance policies for the ship Parthian; Enoch Silsby’s Warehouse ‘ on Long Wharf; the brig Favourite; three- thousand and fifty dollars specie from Liverpool to Boston; the brig Eliza; the schooner Cashun; the ship William; the schooner William And Emiline; and the ship Minerva; 1819-1821 | ||||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||||
| 3 | 1 | Papers pertaining to the ship Chariot, including letters, accounts, and protests; 1823-1826 | |||||||||||
| 2 | Papers pertaining to the ship Laura Ann, including letters, receipts, and accounts; 1821-1823 | ||||||||||||
| 3 | Papers pertaining to the ship Parthian, including letters of agreement, receipts, bills, accounts, memoranda, and letters for construction; 1819 | ||||||||||||
| 4 | Papers pertaining to the ship Parthian, including letters, receipts, bills, and sailing directions; 1820 | ||||||||||||
| 5 | Papers pertaining to the ship Parthian, including receipts, bills, and accounts; 1821 Jan-Feb | ||||||||||||
| 6 | Papers pertaining to the ship Parthian, including receipts, bills, and accounts; 1821 Mar-Apr | ||||||||||||
| 7 | Papers pertaining to the ship Parthian, including receipts, bills, and accounts; 1821 May | ||||||||||||
| 8 | Papers pertaining to the ship Parthian, including 2 letters, receipts, bills, and accounts; 1821 Jun | ||||||||||||
| 9 | Papers pertaining to the ship Parthion, including bills, receipts, and accounts; 1821 Jul | ||||||||||||
| 10 | Papers pertaining to the ship Parthian, including bills, receipts, and accounts; 1821 Aug | ||||||||||||
| 11 | Papers pertaining to the ship Parthian, including bills, receipts, and accounts; 1821 Sep-Oct | ||||||||||||
| 12 | Papers pertaining to the ship Parthian, including bills, receipts, and accounts; 1821 Nov-Dec | ||||||||||||
| 13 | Papers pertaining to the ship Robert Fulton, including receipts, bills, and accounts; 1818 | ||||||||||||
| 14 | Papers pertaining to the ship Rockinghom, including agreements, bills of lading, sailing directions, and freight lists; 1820 | ||||||||||||
| Personal Papers; 1820-1841 | |||||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||||
| 3 | 15 | Personal papers pertaining to the estate of Daniel Silsby, including letters, accounts, receipts, and appointments; 1788-1819 | |||||||||||
| 16 | Personal papers pertaining to the estate of Luther Stearns, including receipts, for tuition and miscellaneous household bills of Enoch Silsby; 1820-1823 | ||||||||||||
| 17 | Personal papers including bills, accounts, and receipts for household expenses and tuition; 1824 Jan-Jun | ||||||||||||
| 18 | Personal papers including receipts, bills, and accounts, pertaining to household and tuition expenses; 1824 Jul-Dec | ||||||||||||
| 19 | Personal papers including receipts and accounts, pertaining to household expenses; 1825-1827 | ||||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||||
| 4 | 1 | Personal papers including receipts, bills, and accounts, pertaining to household and family expenses; 1828 Jan-Apr | |||||||||||
| 2 | Personal papers including receipts, bills, and accounts, pertaining to household, family, and tuition expenses; 1828 May-Jul | ||||||||||||
| 3 | Personal papers including receipts, bills, and accounts, pertaining to household expenses, family expenses, and building materials; 1828 Aug-Oct | ||||||||||||
| 4 | Personal papers including receipts, bills, and accounts, pertaining to household and family expenses; 1828 Nov-Dec | ||||||||||||
| 5 | Personal papers including receipts, bills, and accounts, pertaining to household and family expenses; 1829-1831 | ||||||||||||
| 6 | Personal papers including receipts, bills, and accounts, pertaining to household and family expenses; 1832 Jan-Apr | ||||||||||||
| 7 | Personal papers including receipts, bills, and accounts, pertaining to household and family expenses; 1832 May-Jul | ||||||||||||
| 8 | Personal papers including receipts, bills, and accounts, pertaining to household and family expenses; 1832 Aug-Sep | ||||||||||||
| 9 | Personal papers including receipts, bills, and accounts, pertaining to household and family expenses; 1832 Oct-Dec | ||||||||||||
| 10 | Personal papers including receipts, bills, and accounts, pertaining to household and family expenses; 1833 | ||||||||||||
| 11 | Personal papers including receipts, bills, and accounts, pertaining to household and family expenses; 1834 Jan-Feb | ||||||||||||
| 12 | Personal papers including receipts, bills, and accounts, pertaining to household and family expenses; 1834 Mar 1-Apr 15 | ||||||||||||
| 13 | Personal papers including receipts, bills, and accounts, pertaining to household and family expenses; 1834 Apr 16-May 15 | ||||||||||||
| 14 | Personal papers including receipts, bills, and accounts, pertaining to household and family expenses; 1834 May 16-Jul 31 | ||||||||||||
| 15 | Personal papers including receipts, bills, and accounts, pertaining to household and family expenses; 1834 Aug-Sep | ||||||||||||
| 16 | Personal papers including receipts, bills, and accounts, pertaining to household and family expenses; 1834 Oct-Dec | ||||||||||||
| 17 | Personal papers including letters, receipts, bills, and accounts, pertaining to household and family expenses; 1835-1841 | ||||||||||||
| 5 | 1 | Receipts and invoices undated. 25 items | |||||||||||
| 2 | Receipts and invoices undated. 25 items. | ||||||||||||
| 3 | Receipts, invoices, and a contract, 1815-1818. 33 items. | ||||||||||||
| 4 | Receipts, invoices and a freight list, 1819. 52 items | ||||||||||||
| 5 | Receipts, invoices and a freight list, 1820. 62 items. | ||||||||||||
| 6 | Receipts, invoices, freight list, crew list and an agreement, 1821. 110 items. | ||||||||||||
| 7 | Receipts, invoices and a Port Collector’s certificate, 1822. 35 items. | ||||||||||||
| Volume; 1817-1824 | |||||||||||||
| Volume | |||||||||||||
| 1 | Cashbook pertaining to business income and expenses; | ||||||||||||