History of James M. Bayles & Son
James Madison Bayles established James M. Bayles & Son in Port Jefferson, New York in 1835. Bayles son, James Elbert Bayles, joined his father at the shipyard in 1863. Three generations of the Bayles family built over 140 wooden ships between its opening and when the yard was sold in 1917. The firm built all types of vessels including cargo ships, whaling ships, and luxury yachts as well as repair and overhauling work.
Scope and Contents of the Papers
This collection was largely organized based on the types of documents it contained. The building contracts make up most of the records and were therefore all kept together and put in chronological order. Other records were then grouped together separately and put in chronological order as well. The records of James M. Bayles & Son are arranged by series as described below.
Series 1: Shipbuilding Contracts. 1856-1906
Series 2: Papers. 1858-1907, undated
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:
Bayles, James E. (1841-1929)
Bayles, James Madison (1815-1889)
Corporate Bodies (Including Vessels):
James M. Bayles & Son
Places:
Port Jefferson (N.Y.)
Subjects:
Shipbuilding–New York–Port Jefferson
Shipyards–New York–Port Jefferson
Document Types:
Bills of sale
Correspondence
Marine insurance policies
Shipbuilding contracts
Occupations:
Shipbuilders
Return to the Table of Contents
Administrative Information
Coll. 343, Manuscripts Collection, G. W. Blunt White Library, Mystic Seaport Museum, Inc.
Detailed Description of the CollectionThe following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.
| Shipbuilding contracts, 1856-1906 | |||||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||||
| 1 | 1 | ANNA SHEPARD (Schooner) shipbuilding contract, 1856 Dec 23 (1 item) | |||||||||||
| 2 | LUCINDA A. BAYLES (Schooner) shipbuilding contract, 1860 Aug 31 (1 item) | ||||||||||||
| 3 | GLENWOOD (Schooner) shipbuilding contract, 1860 Nov 18 (1 item) | ||||||||||||
| 4 | ANNA LEWIS (Schooner) shipbuilding contract, 1862 Oct 8 (1 item) | ||||||||||||
| 5 | ANNA W. COLLINS (Schooner) shipbuilding contract, 1863 Jun 12 (1 item) | ||||||||||||
| 6 | JULIA E. WILLETTS (Schooner) shipbuilding contract, 1863 Aug 15 (1 item) | ||||||||||||
| 7 | ANNIE V. BERGEN (Schooner) shipbuilding contract, 1863 Dec 29 (1 item) | ||||||||||||
| 8 | ANN E. VALENTINE (Schooner) shipbuilding contract, 1865 Oct (1 item) | ||||||||||||
| 9 | MATILDA BROOKS (Schooner) shipbuilding contract, 1866 Jul 17 (1 item) | ||||||||||||
| 10 | SUSAN BERGEN (Brigantine) shipbuilding contract, 1867 Nov 30 (1 item) | ||||||||||||
| 11 | HENRY TABER (Schooner) shipbuilding contract, 1869 Jan 21 (1 item) | ||||||||||||
| 12 | JENNIE ROSALENE (Schooner) shipbuilding contract, 1869 Jul 17 (1 item) | ||||||||||||
| 13 | MILLIE FRANK (Schooner) shipbuilding contract, 1870 Mar 2 (1 item) | ||||||||||||
| 14 | THOMAS P. BALL (Schooner) shipbuilding contract, 1870 Sep (1 item) | ||||||||||||
| 15 | NOMAD (Schooner) shipbuilding contract, 1871 Jun 5 (1 item) | ||||||||||||
| 16 | THYRA (Steamboat) shipbuilding contract, 1871 Sep 23 (1 item) | ||||||||||||
| 17 | WILLIAM H. KEENEY (Schooner) shipbuilding contract, 1872 Jun 26 (1 item) | ||||||||||||
| 18 | Unnamed (Schooner) shipbuilding contract, 1873 Jan 2 (1 item) | ||||||||||||
| 19 | JAMES E. BAYLES (Schooner) shipbuilding contract and bill of sale, 1874 Mar-1876 Sep 6 (2 items) | ||||||||||||
| 20 | MANUEL R. CUZA (Schooner) shipbuilding contract and bills of sale, 1874 Sep 5-1881 Apr 23 (3 items) | ||||||||||||
| 21 | WILLIAM E. CLOWES (Schooner) shipbuilding contract, 1875 Jan 25 (1 item) | ||||||||||||
| 22 | ELEANOR (Schooner) shipbuilding contract, 1875 Nov 23 (1 item) | ||||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||||
| 2 | 1 | COMET (Schooner) shipbuilding contract and bill of sale, 1876 Dec 2-1890 Mar 22 (2 items) | |||||||||||
| 2 | HORATIO (Ship) shipbuilding contract and statement of bills, 1876 Dec 18-1877 Jul 12 (2 items) | ||||||||||||
| 3 | FLEETWING (Bark) shipbuilding contract, 1877 Apr 13 (1 item) | ||||||||||||
| 4 | CHATHAM (Schooner) shipbuilding contract and papers, 1880 (5 items) | ||||||||||||
| 5 | WACCAMAW (Schooner) shipbuilding contract, 1880 Aug 28 (1 item) | ||||||||||||
| 6 | Unnamed (Schooner) shipbuilding contract, 1880 Dec 23 (1 item) | ||||||||||||
| 7 | LILLIE HOLMES (Schooner) shipbuilding contract, 1881 Nov 16 (1 item) | ||||||||||||
| 8 | WHITBY (Yacht) shipbuilding contract, 1882 Feb 7 (1 item) | ||||||||||||
| 9 | NELLIE W. CRAIG (Schooner) shipbuilding contract, 1882 Oct 11 (1 item) | ||||||||||||
| 10 | ELSIE A. BAYLES (Schooner) shipbuilding contract, 1882 Dec 28 (1 item) | ||||||||||||
| 11 | Unnamed (Scow) shipbuilding contract, 1888 Apr 13 (1 item) | ||||||||||||
| 12 | JESSIE (Screw Steamer) shipbuilding contract and copy, 1889 Oct 29 (2 items) | ||||||||||||
| 13 | LAGUNA (Schooner) shipbuilding contract, 1890 Jul 22 (1 item) | ||||||||||||
| 14 | GIRALDA (Schooner) shipbuilding contract and notes, 1895 Oct 21 (1 item) | ||||||||||||
| 15 | LAVROCK (Steamboat) shipbuilding contract, 1898 Dec 3 (1 item) | ||||||||||||
| 16 | Unnamed (Auxiliary Schooner) shipbuilding contract, 1899 Sep 1 (1 item) | ||||||||||||
| 17 | Unnamed (Yawl) shipbuilding contract, 1899 Oct (1 item) | ||||||||||||
| 18 | FORAYA (Steamboat) shipbuilding contract, 1900 Nov 2 (1 item) | ||||||||||||
| 19 | GERHILDE (Yawl) shipbuilding contract, 1902 Aug 5 (1 item) | ||||||||||||
| 20 | ELSA II (Steamboat) shipbuilding contract, 1903 Jan 10 (1 item) | ||||||||||||
| 21 | PALESTINE (Schooner) shipbuilding contract, 1903 May 21 (1 item) | ||||||||||||
| 22 | CONTINENTAL (Steamboat) shipbuilding contract, 1904 Feb 24 (1 item) | ||||||||||||
| 23 | Unnamed (Houseboat) shipbuilding contract, 1906 Jan 22 (1 item) | ||||||||||||
| 24 | JESSAMINE (Power boat) shipbuilding contract, 1906 Oct 31 (1 item) | ||||||||||||
| 25 | ELARAY (Schooner) shipbuilding contract, 1906 Dec 13 (1 item) | ||||||||||||
| Papers, 1858-1907, undated | |||||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||||
| 3 | 1 | MARY E. JONES (Brigantine) insurance policy, 1858 May 28 (1 item) | |||||||||||
| 2 | DE MORY GRAY (Schooner) bill of sale, 1873 May 3 (1 item) | ||||||||||||
| 3 | MATTIE E. TABER (Schooner) bill of sale, 1874 Jan 5 (1 item) | ||||||||||||
| 4 | S.R. BEARCE (Bark) insurance policies, charter, and papers, 1873-1874, undated (38 items) | ||||||||||||
| 5 | ANNIE A. BOOTH (Schooner) bills of sale, 1875 Nov 20-1876 May 13 (2 items) | ||||||||||||
| 6 | CHARLIE C. (Catboat) bill of sale, 1876 Nov 14 (1 item) | ||||||||||||
| 7 | JACEOB DURYEE (Sloop) bill of sale, 1880 Jan 3 (1 item) | ||||||||||||
| 8 | JAMES SLATER (Schooner) bill of sale, 1880 Jun 10 (1 item) | ||||||||||||
| 9 | Miscellaneous papers, 1888-1907, undated (6 items) | ||||||||||||