Letters from voyages aboard the ship W. F. Babcock, 1883-1887
Book details
- Title
- Letters from voyages aboard the ship W. F. Babcock, 1883-1887
- Publication year listed
- 1883
- Format
- Public domain eBook
- Reading access
- Free online reader; no registration required
- Source record
- View on Archive.org
About this book
Letters from voyages aboard the ship W. F. Babcock, 1883-1887
Author: Maria Sarah (Higgins) Murphy
Year: 1883
Maria Sarah (Higgins) Murphy, was the daughter of Elisha and Sarah D. (Storer) Higgins of Bath (ME). In 1874 she married Capt. James F. Murphy (1850-1912), also of Bath; they had two children who survived childbirth, Jane Sewall and James Wilder. The latter became a shipmaster at 20. The 2,029-ton W. F. Babcock (Ship) was built at Bath (ME) in 1882 by master builder Elisha P. Mallett for Arthur Sewall & Co., and was sold by them at Seattle (WA) in 1907. She was barged ca. 1914 and sold to U.S. Navy for a coal barge ca. 1917. Her master at time of diary -was Capt. Murphy. This folder contains eight long diary-type letters, often with the title "Log of the W. F. Babcock " and addressed to author's family in general. Each letter documents a voyage in W. F. Babcock (Ship), including five between San Francisco (CA) and Liverpool (ENG). Other ports called at were Baltimore (MD), Cardiff (WAL), and Le Havre (FRA). The only cargo mentioned is coal. There are references to vessels seen, crew, food, music, and many references to family life aboard: children's activities, lessons, and clever sayings; health of author and family; holidays; etc. Part of the Sewall Family Papers in the Nathan R.