The Drew Archival Library has a number of log books in its collections. This is a partial list.

DAL.MSS.091.001
Title: Log Book of Amulet and Coliseum
Date of creation: 1826
Creator: Daniel L. Winsor

Scope and Content:
The first portion of the log describes the voyage of Capt. Gershom Winsor and his crew from Duxbury, MA to Hampton, SC, then on to Havre de Grace, MD, finally arriving in New Orleans, LA. (1826-1827) aboard the Amulet. According to the records of the Plymouth Custom House, the ship was built in Duxbury. The owners were Nathaniel Winsor, Jr., William V. Kent, Martin Winsor and Benjamin Bates.  David Turner was the master carpenter. The second half of the log details the voyage of the Coliseum.

Biographical Sketch:
Daniel Loring Winsor (1804-1882) was a ship captain and agent for Magoun& Son, Boston  ship owners. He was the son of Nathaniel Winsor, Jr. and Hannah (Loring) Winsor. Daniel and his wife, Sally Bartlett Sampson, had two children, Georgianna Lloyd Winsor (1830-1840) and George Lloyd Winsor (1843-1919).  Capt. Gershom Winsor was Daniel’s brother.

DAL.MSS.091.002
Title: Log book of Enterprise
Date of creation: 1810-1811
Creator: George Peterson (possibly)

Scope and Content:
The log book chronicles the voyage of the Enterprise from Boston to Gibraltar and back to Boston in 1810; Liverpool to Batavia, 1811; St. Iago, Cuba to New York, 1811; Boston to Wilmington and back to Boston, 1811. George Peterson is listed as the master of the Enterprise in the Plymouth Country Ships Register, but the author of the log is unknown. The Enterprise was built Duxbury in 1802, owned by Joshua and Thomas Winsor.

Biographical Sketch:
Capt. George Peterson (1778-1818) was born in Duxbury, MA,  the son of Jonathan Peterson and Lucy (Hunt) Peterson. He married Sally Prior (1779-1849) and had seven children: George (1801-1828), Lewis (1804-1863), Augusta (b. 1807), Otis (1809-1825), Sally (1812-1843), Edwin (1815-1880) and Lucy (1819-1838). He died in Havana, Cuba on Nov. 3, 1818.

DAL.MSS.091.003
Title: Log book of Vandalia
Date of creation: 1837-1842
Creator: Isaac W. Chandler
Acquisition: donated by Herman Carey Bumpus

Scope and Content:
The log book was kept by Isaac W. Chandler aboard the Vandalia of Duxbury, MA between 1837-1842. The master of the vessel at the time was Capt. Seth F. Sprague of Marshfield, MA. The first mate was John Pierce of Marblehead, MA. There is a sketch of ship on the inside cover.

Biographical Sketch:
Isaac W. Chandler (1807-1894) was the son of Isaac Chandler and Abigail (Delano) Chandler. The house of Isaac and Abigail Chandler, built in 1809, still stand at 14 Powder Point Ave. Isaac W. Chandler married Jane Gibbs (1819-1898) of London, England.

DAL.MSS.091.004
Title: Log Book of Horatio
Date of creation: 1865-1866
Creator: Alfred Drew
Acquisition: Donated by Bertha J. Smith, 1924

Scope and Content:
The log book of the ship, Horatio, kept by Capt. Alfred Drew on a voyage from New York to Shanghai and then Shanghai to New York, 1865-1866.

Biographical Sketch:
Capt. Alfred Drew (1821-1893) was born in Duxbury, MA, the son of Capt. Reuben Drew and Temperance (Brooks) Drew. In 1878, at the age of 57, he married his cousin, Josephine Thomas, the daughter of Capt. Briggs Thomas and Sarah (Drew) Thomas.

DAL.MSS.091.005
Title: Log Book of barque, Amanda
Date of creation: 1852-1853
Creator: Daniel D. Baker

Scope and Content:
The log book of the barque, Amanda, was let by its master, Capt. Daniel D. Baker. The log contains the voyages from Boston to Eastport, on to Cuba, to Fague La Grande and then back to Boston (1852). A second voyage takes the ship from Boston to Malta, on to Palermo, and then to Boston. A third voyage (1853) is from Boston to Genoa, then Palermo and back to Boston.

Biographical Sketch:
Capt. Daniel Dexter Baker (1823-1899) was born in Duxbury, MA, the son of Daniel and Zeruiah (Walker) Baker. He was raised in the “Crooked Lane” village of North Duxbury. His father was a mariner and his brother, Edward Baker, was also a noted sea captain (see Edward Baker Collection, DAL. MSS.045). Daniel married Joanna Amanda Hatch (1829-1917) in 1853. The couple lived for a time in New York City. Their children were Ada (b. 1856) and Edward (b. 1859).

DAL.MSS.091.006
Title: Log Book the Julian
Date of creation: 1834-1836
Creator: Samuel Woodbury, Otis Baker

Scope and Content:
The log book of the Julian, kept by Capt. Samuel Woodbury, contains the voyage from London to New York (1834-1835). A second voyage, under the command of Capt. Otis Baker, is from New York to the James River, VA and then on to Rio de Janeiro, Trieste, Palermo and back to New York (1835-1836).

Biographical Sketch:
The ship Julian was built by the firm of Ezra Weston in Duxbury, MA, 1828 by master carpenter, Samuel Hall. It was 335 tons, 110 feet in length. It was owned by Ezra Weston, Gershom B. Weston and Benjamin Smith. Benjamin Smith was its first captain. The Julian was eventually sold and became a whaling ship. A portrait of the vessel hangs in the King Caesar House museum in Duxbury, MA.

Capt. Otis Baker (1794-1868) was born in Duxbury, MA, the son of Edward D. Baker and Olive Baker. He was raised in the “Crooked Lane” village of North Duxbury. He married Sally Sampson. His son, Otis Baker, Jr. also became a master mariner.

DAL.MSS.091.007
Title: Log Book of schooner Pilgrim
Date of creation: (1818-1822)
Creator: Thomas Soule (or Soul)

Scope and Content:
Thomas Soule (Soul) was the master of the schooner Pilgrim and keeper of the log book. Although the first half of the log is illegible due to faded ink, the log becomes readable as the Pilgrim is lying in Boston preparing for a voyage to Newborn, NC (1818). From there the schooner heads to Lisbon, Portugal and then returns to Boston. The following voyages take the vessel to Halifax, Nova Scotia twice. Next, the Pilgrim leaves Boston for a voyage to Port Au Prince, Haiti. In 1821, Soule takes the Pilgrim to Fredericksburg, VA and again to Halifax. In 1822, the Pilgrim voyages to Savannah, GA, Baltimore, MD, Alexandria, VA and back to Boston.

Biographical Sketch:
The schooner Pilgrim was built in Duxbury in 1816. It was 81 tons and 62 feet in length. It was owned by Samuel Frazar and Simeon Soule, Jr.

Thomas Soule (1786-1834) was born in Duxbury, MA to Simeon Soule and Jane Weston. Thomas married Sally McCarter in Salisbury, MA. They had four children, Sally (1808-1836), Lavinia (b. 1809), Albert (1814-1834) and Thomas (b. 1818). Thomas Soule was lost at sea in 1834 in the brig, Soule. His son, Albert, was lost on the same voyage.

DAL.MSS.091.008
Title: Log Book of brig Levant
Date of creation: 1831
Creator: Joshua Simmons

Scope and Content:
Log book of the brig Levant under the command of Ichabod Simmons.  The log was kept by Joshua Simmons. It describes the brig’s voyage to Norfolk, VA, Antwerp, St. Ubes and back to Duxbury, MA. There is a very good description of a storm at sea. Joshua Simmons also drew a sketch of the Levant on the inside cover of the log.

Biographical Sketch:
Joshua Sprague Simmons (1807-1838) was born in Duxbury, MA, the youngest child of Nathaniel Simmons and Lydia Sprague. He marred Jane W. Soule, the couple had one child, Oscar. While keeping the log of the Levant, he was sailing for his brother, Capt. Ichabod Simmons (1801-1869).

DAL.MSS.093.01
Title: Log Book of Crusader and Nehemiah Gibson
Date of creation: 1868-1877
Creator: Daniel Bradford

Scope and Content:
Journal or log kept by Capt. Daniel Bradford while onboard the Nehemiah Gibson and Crusader. The voyages described in the journal:
Crusader voyage from Manila to Sydney to San Francisco to Honolulu to Bakers (1868-1869); Bakers to Cork (1870); Cork to Hamburg to New York.
Nehemiah Gibson voyage from Newcastle to Singapore to Boston (1875-1876), Boston to Melbourne (1876), Newcastle to Hong Kong (1876-1877)

Biographical Sketch:
Capt. Daniel Bradford (1811-1882) was born in Duxbury, MA, the son of Capt. Daniel Bradford and Sarah (Drew) Bradford. He was the nephew of Capt. Gershom Bradford and Sarah (Hickling) Bradford of the DRHS’ Bradford House museum. As a child his parents moved to Keene, NH after his father gave up a life at sea to become a gentleman farmer. As a young man, Daniel returned to Duxbury to pursue a career as a mariner. He married Caroline Wadsworth (1812-1880). The Bradfords lived on St. George Street and had no children (one son, from Caroline’s previous marriage, died young).
There are items belonging to Daniel and Caroline Bradford in the Bradford Family Collection and Library.

The vessel, Nehemiah Gibson, was owned by Nehemiah Gibson who was involved in the wood and coal business. He was also a Massachusetts State Representative and Alderman for the city of Boston. The ship made several trips to Australia. She wrecked off the coast of Cape St. Roque while carrying lumber in 1892.