A collection including a logbook (9/11/1854-7/11/1863) for the ship Trafalgar, a packet ship with the City of Dublin Line, written by Captain Alfred William Harrison during its many voyages primarily between London, England and Madras, India, and other ports of call, a handwritten letter, a Mariner's Register Ticket, and other papers describing his voyages and medical illnesses, and a carte de visite of Capt. Harrison.
Alfred William Harrison, born April 8th, 1836, in Poplar Parish, Middlesex County, England, began his career as a seaman on September 21st, 1847. He spent a considerable time aboard the ship Trafalgar, a packet ship, between 1854 and 1863, where he wrote daily entries while at sea primarily between London, England, and Madras, India, and other ports of call. While little is known about Captain William Harrison, it appears he had a long career as a ship captain, sailing around the world at least twice, visiting many places along his journeys.
The ship Trafalgar was a merchant vessel built in 1848, and was a ship of the City of Dublin Line, which was also referred to as the City of Dublin Steam Packet Company. All that is known about the ship's voyage history is during the period that Harrison was the captain (1854-1863). The ship was eventually scrapped in 1875.
Source: http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/lines/cityofdublin.html.
This collection includes the logbook of the ship Trafalgar, compiled by the ship's captain, Alfred William Harrison, from September 11, 1854, to July 11, 1863. Daily log entries written during voyages of the ship primarily between London, England, and Madras, India, and other ports of call including Bimlipatam, St. Helena, and the Cape of Good Hope, include information pertaining to latitude, longitude, course heading, distance traveled, barometric pressure, temperature, and wind direction. More detailed notes give further information about the weather, other vessel sightings, notable passengers, rock sighting, reef sightings, and ship events.
Other items in this collection include a unique calligraphic letter to "Papa," a list of places visited by Captain Harrison during his voyages around the world, a list of the many medical ailments he contracted while at sea, and his Mariner's Register Ticket from 1847.
Also included is a carte de visite of Captain Harrison with the inscription "Faithfully yours – A. W. Harrison."
Purchase (Special Manuscript Fund), Ten Pound Island Book Company, Gloucester, MA
Encoded by Lindsay Flood, April 1, 2008
Processed by E. Gathercole, April 2009; revised by J. Gabriel, February 2012
Literary rights to specific documents are retained by the authors or their descendants in accordance with U.S. copyright law.