Table of Contents

Biographical Note

Scope and Content Note

Information for Researchers

Administrative Information

Description

Subject Headings

Inventory of the William Greenleaf Blackler Business Records

In the New Bedford Whaling Museum Research Library

Biographical Note

William Greenleaf Blackler was born in Marblehead, Massachusetts in 1803. He began his career in 1823 as a captain in the merchant service on trading voyages from Boston to the West Indies and Cuba. By the 1830s, Blackler owned shares in several Fairhaven, Mass., whalers. He eventually moved to Fairhaven in the 1840s and then to New Bedford in 1852. Blackler was involved in business ventures with his brother-in-law, Atkins Adams (1782-1849), a shipmaster and whaling agent, and eventually took over Adams' business after his death in 1849. He served as a whaling agent for numerous whalers, including the ships Swallow and Japan, until 1865. New Bedford city directories indicate that Blackler then acted as a "ship agent and contractor" until his death in 1880.

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Scope and Content Note

Papers in this collection reflect the business activities of both William G. Blackler and Atkins Adams as merchant shipmasters and whaling agents. The bulk of the collection consists of ship's papers generated by voyages of numerous whalers between the years 1830 and 1865. These materials feature volumes containing crew accounts along with sales records of oil and bone, cash accounts, disbursement accounts, and outfitting and repairing expenses. Also included among these documents are correspondence, accounts current, sea letters, a Whalemen's Shipping Paper, bills, and receipts. In addition, papers for the brig Fredonia dated 1809-1810, concern Atkins Adams' service as master of the merchant vessel on a trading voyage to Great Britain for merchants at Marblehead, Mass: the Blacklers, Pedricks, and Hoopers.

This collection also contains a ledger, 1831-1849, and a day book, 1837-1842, which chiefly concern Adams' duties as agent of the ships Cadmus, Eliza Adams, Jasper, Java, La Grange, and Martha 2nd. These volumes also reflect his financial association with the Fairhaven Candleworks; the firm of Blackler & Hall; Samuel Russell Blacker (1805-1844); members of the Hooper family; and his brother, Barzillai S. Adams (1782-1842).

Arrangement of Collection

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Information for Researchers

Access to Collections

Unrestricted. Consult librarian for an appointment.

Preferred Citation

New Bedford Whaling Museum Research Library Mss 68, [sub-group, series, sub-series, folder/volume as appropriate], [item]

Copyright Notice

The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted materials. The Privacy Act of 1974 (5 United States Code 552a) governs the use of materials that document private individuals, groups, and corporations.

Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a reproduction if the document does not infringe the privacy rights of an individual, group, or corporation. These specified conditions of authorized use include:

If the researcher later uses a copy or reproduction for purposes in excess of "fair use," the researcher is personally liable for copyright, privacy, or publicity infringement and agrees to indemnify the New Bedford Whaling Museum from any legal action as a result of the error. Permission to obtain a photographic, xerographic, digital, or other copy of a document does not indicate permission to publish, exhibit, perform, reproduce, sell, distribute, or prepare derivative works from the document without permission from the copyright holder and from any private individual, group, or corporation shown or otherwise recorded.

Permission to publish, exhibit, perform, reproduce, prepare derivative works from, sell, or otherwise distribute the item must be obtained separately in writing from the holder of the original copyright (or if the creator is dead, from his/her heirs) as well as from any individual(s), groups, or corporations whose name, image, recorded words, or private information (e.g. employment information) may be reproduced in the source material. The holder of the original copyright is not necessarily the New Bedford Whaling Museum. The New Bedford Whaling Museum is not legally liable for copyright, privacy, or publicity infringement when materials are wrongfully used after being provided to researchers for "fair use."

This institution reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying order if fulfillment of the order is judged in violation of copyright or federal or state privacy law. This institution also places restrictions on the use of cameras, photocopiers, and scanners in the research room.

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Administrative Information

Provenance

Materials in this collection were donated to the Old Dartmouth Historical Society by the estate of Andrew Snow Jr. on 17 March 1919; Frank E. Brown on 28 March 1924; and Thomas B. Card on 7 May 1959.

Processing Information

Processed by: Judith Downey, ca. 1982

Encoded by: Kermit Dewey, 10 July 2012

Funds for processing this collection were provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

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Description

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Subject Headings

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Vessel Names

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