Radio Script #815

Little Talks on Common Things
October 12, 1969

Listeners to this program are well aware that it has mentioned several times Waterville’s early activity in the building of ships. Between 1794 and 1835 a total of 22 vessels were constructed in Waterville at the several shipyards on the west side of the Kennebec just below Ticonic Falls. Those yards occupied the site later covered by the Lockwood Mills, and now by Hathaway and other industries.

Of those 22 vessels, most were schooners or brigs, but two of them were fullrigged ships. The smaller, called the Hornet. was built in 1810 by Nathaniel Dingley. The larger, the Ticonic, a ship of 268 tons, was the largest vessel ever built at Waterville. Its owner was John Clarke, and its master, who commanded the ship on its maiden voyage to Jamaica, was the owner’s son, George Clarke. Still preserved by a descendant of John Clarke are valuable papers concerning the Ticonic’s construction and its maiden voyage. The Centennial History of Waterville states that the Ticonic was built in 1800, but these old papers make it clear that the actual launching at Waterville occurred in 1799, though it was the autumn of 1800 before the ship set out with its first cargo for Jamaica.

Before we consider the papers themselves, let us have a little information about the Clarkes. John Clarke was born in England in 1741 and came to Boston shortly before the Revolution in 1772. Twenty-five years later, in 1797, he came with his son George to Waterville. John Clarke opened a shipyard on the river bank directly opposite the lower end of Sherwin Street. There he built several vessels, the largest of which was the Ticonic, of which, in partnership with James Morrill, he was the owner. So the accounts of George Clarke as master of the Ticonic were, in respect to the vessel itself, with the joint owners, Morrill and his father John Clarke. The records make it clear, however, that the maiden cargo to Jamaica was the sole property of John Clarke, and to him alone the son George was responsible for the landing and sale of that cargo.

John Clarke’s daughter Ann married Dr. Moses Appleton, so that several Waterville families prominent through the 19th century traced descent from both the first full-time Waterville physician and its early trader and shipbuilder.

One of the papers is a list of the dimensions of all masts and spars for the Ticonic, dated August 1, 1799. The Ticonic was a three-master, with a main mast of 57 feet, a foremast of 51 feet, and a mizzenmast of 50 feet. The topmasts above each of those three were respectively 34, 32 and 27 feet. Still higher were the top-gallant masts of 18, 17 and 15 feet. The bowsprit extended 26 feet and the jib boom 29 feet. She carried a lot of canvass, did that old Ticonic, with mainsail, foresail, mizzensail, three corresponding topsails and three top gallant sails, and a spanker boom of 38 feet.

While many accounts in the year 1800 were entered in Waterville account books in pounds, shillings and pence, then translated into dollars and cents, all of Captain George Clarke’s accounts were set down originally in dollars and cents.

On November 16, 1800 George Clarke was ready to leave Bath, Maine with his father’s cargo for Jamaica. He therefore signed on that date the following acceptance of cargo: “Shipped in good order and well conditioned by John Clarke in the ship Ticonic, whereof is master for the present voyage George Clarke, now in the harbor of Bath, bound for Jamaica, the following: 132,850 feet of merchantable boards, plank and joist, 30,000 oak and ash hogshead staves, 17 hogsheads of fish, being marked and numbered, and to be delivered, in like good order and condition, at the port of Jamaica (the danger of the seas and enemy only excepted) with George Clarke or his assigns, he or they to pay freight for said goods, nothing being property of owners of the ship, with no fringe and average. In witness whereof, the Masters of said ship hath approved to three bills of lading of this tenor and date. Signed, George Clarke.”

Others of the preserved papers indicate that, while the ship left its ways at the Waterville yard in 1799, it was not ready for sea until the fall of 1800. From other sources we have already known that, because of the falls at Augusta, a rigged ship of the size of the Ticonic could not get down to the open water below. What was usually done with such vessels was to build and launch the hull at Waterville, float it down to Augusta, rope it gently down the little falls there, and have it stepped (that is, masts, spars and sails put on) at Hallowell.

An account kept by George Clarke with the owners of the Ticonic indicates that this practice prevailed for that ship. The account extends from July 8 to November 15, 1800, just before Clarke signed for acceptance of the cargo at Bath. It seems that the father, John Clarke, had sent that cargo by the usual method, on boomed rafts, down the river to Bath, where it was loaded on the newly completed Ticonic.

Now let us see what were some of the items purchased by George Clarke to get the vessel ready for sea. Besides numerous listings of wages to men working on the completion, some other items were: water bucket 37t cents; 3 gallons oil 1.50; numerous items for board of himself and workmen; 1,000 nails, grease, paint, paint brushes, a barrel of turpentine; $2.10 for rum, $1.42 for candles. Provisions for the maiden voyage included a bushel of salt, 12 bushels potatoes, 15 lb. mutton, 80 lb. beef, 1 lb. Bokea tea, 2 bushels rye, a hogshead of fish, two gallons molasses. One interesting item is sail needles 25 cents.

Especially interesting is the specific accuracy with which George Clarke recorded the various credits he received on this bill: “July 5 – cash in paper $50; Nov. 5, cash in silver $10; and on Nov. 16, the same $20.” In August he had received at one time paper and silver totaling $100. When he submitted this final account the day before he sailed from Bath, George Clarke acknowledged total receipts of $515 on his complete bill of $585. George called this account “Bill of sundries against the ship Ticonic.”

Another of these old papers indicates that some of the financial arrangements were directly between father and son, and did not include the partner Morrill. George Clarke submitted to his father a bill dated at Bath in November, 1800, showing a balance due of $260. The items of the bill began with a left-on balance in November, 1799 of $152 and interest on that of $9.17. Another item read: “My services on board the Ship Ticonic from July 14 to September 30, 1800 — $60. My board for the same time. $20.” Another item was for custom house expenses, $18.55. Received against this whole bill were provisions, clapboards, clear boards, and cash, amounting altogether to $156 against the total bill of $416. The difference of $260 was then claimed by George from his father. At the beginning of the 19th century it often took a long time to settle accounts.

It was not until December 1, 1807 — seven years after the bill was submitted — that father and son made final settlement of that bill. Meanwhile the father had bit by bit paid George $85 of the $260, leaving $175 still to be paid.

In carrying Yankee fashion George collected $10.80 interest on that balance so that his final receipt to John Clarke was for $185.50.

During this whole proceeding there were bills against the ship (that is, the two owners) by each of those partners. A long foolscap sheet gives James Morrill’s account with the Ship and John Clarke’s similar account. It thus becomes clear that operating a vessel in the year 1800 was no simple financial matter. Each individual owner had claims against the ship. The captain was responsible to the owners for the ship and often to several others for the cargo. In the case of the Ticonic’s maiden voyage to Jamaica, the latter obligation was simplified by John Clarke’s ownership of the whole cargo.

Perhaps most interesting of all the papers is a letter which George Clarke wrote to his father on March 1, 1801 from Savannah, Georgia. To let that epistle tell its own story, I now give it to you word for word as George Clarke wrote it almost 170 years ago.

“Honored Parent: These few lines will inform you of my safe arrival here after a passage of thirteen days in good health. I received your favor of the 28 of January and am very sorry to hear of my marm’s poor state of health, and likewise my sister Terassa. I hope by God’s blessing they will soon recover. Billy is well and likewise David.

“I must inform you that I have chartered the Ship Ticonic for Liverpool in England to Messrs. Robert and Bolton, by the run for the sum of 1,900 pounds British sterling. The conditions of the charter I shall send to Mr. Morrill, and likewise my account current with Mr. Alexander Longland in Jamaica. I have written by two conveyances to him for the balance of the property to be shipped to Mr. Morrill. Therefore I shall not ship any rum from here, as you will have rum from Jamaica. The risk from Jamaica is but mere trifling. but I would advise you to insure a small part unless you choose to take all the risk.

“I shall endeavor to comply with your letter as far as I possibly can. I have not sold my rum as yet. The ship has not got up to town. as the wind has been very heavy and continually ahead. I have got all the ballast out, and in a day or two I hope to be ready for sea. I shall then remit as above specified, as soon as I can get as much for the rum as can be given during my stay here. I presume Mr. Morrill has given you an account of my inward cargo. For the rum I have been offered 1/5 a gallon; that is the highest price. I remain, dear parent, your dutiful son, George Clarke. P.S. I believe Billy will return home, but I am not certain.”

That letter was addressed: “John Clarke, Esq., Winslow, Kennebeck, Massachusetts, via New York.”

And that is the first-hand story, from original records, of the Ship Ticonic, built in Waterville in 1799.

Year: 1969