Letterpress copybook of the ship Henry Failing

Collection

Identifier: Coll 297

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

Letterpress copybook of Jacob Merriman, captain of the merchant vessel Henry Failing, containing copies of approximately 400 letters sent by Merriman to his partners, including ship captain William H. Besse and merchant, banker and politician Henry Failing of Portland, Oregon. The bulk of the letters were sent from 1883 to 1894, during the time the ship carried such cargoes as coal, oil, wheat, and tea. The ports visited by the ship included: San Pedro and San Francisco, California; Seattle, Washington; Nanaimo, British Columbia; Manila, Philippines; Yokusuka, Yokahama, Kobe and Hiogo, Japan; Sydney, Australia; Hong Kong; and many ports in Europe. The letterbook remained with Merriman when other captains took charge of the ship.

Dates

Creation: 1874-1894

Creator

Merriman, J. (Jacob), 1843-1918 (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

The Oregon Historical Society owns the materials in the Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from copyright owners.

Historical note

The ship Henry Failing was a sailing vessel built in Bath, Maine, and launched from the shipyard of Goss & Sawyer on May 5, 1882. It was built for Captain William H. Besse of Wareham, Massachusetts; Henry Failing of Portland, Oregon; Captain Jacob Merriman of Topsham, Maine; and others.

Extent

0.15 Cubic Feet (1 folder in shared box)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

Letterpress copybook of Jacob Merriman, captain of the merchant vessel Henry Failing, containing copies of approximately 400 letters sent by Merriman to his partners, including ship captain William H. Besse and merchant, banker and politician Henry Failing of Portland, Oregon. The bulk of the letters were sent from 1883 to 1894, during the time the ship carried such cargoes as coal, oil, wheat, and tea. The ship was a sailing vessel built in Bath, Maine, and launched from the shipyard of Goss & Sawyer on May 5, 1882.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Purchased March 2012 (Lib. Acc. 27562).

Related Materials

Correspondence and other documents relating to the ship Henry Failing are included in the Henry Failing papers, Mss 650, at the Oregon Historical Society Research Library. These include some of the letters written by Jacob Merriman and copied into his letterpress copybook.