Table of Contents

Biographical Note

Scope and Content Note

Information for Researchers

Administrative Information

Description

Subject Headings

Inventory of the Almon L. Stickney Papers

In the New Bedford Whaling Museum Research Library

Biographical Note

Almon L. Stickney was born in Whitingham, New York in ca. 1837. He came to New Bedford, Massachusetts, from North Adams, Mass., and began his career in the whaling industry aboard the ship John P. West in 1858 as a boatsteerer. Stickney then went out on the bark Mary Frazier of New Bedford as second mate in 1865 and again in 1867 as the first mate. He assumed his first command of a whaling vessel, the bark Leonidas of New Bedford in 1869. Stickney appears to have left the area for a while and returned in 1879 to Dartmouth. He resumed his whaling career as the master of the bark Mattapoisett of New Bedford in 1881. All of Stickney's voyages as master were to the South Atlantic Ocean.

His wife, Mary J. Stickney (fl. 1880), travelled to St. Helena in 1880, aboard the schooner Lottie Beard to join Stickney on his whaling voyage aboard the bark Cicero.

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Scope and Content Note

Papers in this collection primarily reflect Almon L. Stickney's involvement in the whaling industry as master of several vessels, 1869-1885. Records for the bark Leonidas include crew accounts and disbursements at foreign ports for the 1869-1871 voyage. This volume also includes accounts of goods for sale, 1891. The bark Cicero is represented by crew accounts and disbursements at foreign ports for the 1879-1881 voyage. Records for the bark Mattapoisett contain crew accounts, disbursements at foreign ports, and accounts of oil stowed for the 1881-1885 voyage. Also included are diary entries for 1902 relating to card parties, Ladies Aid suppers, and lodge meetings possibly kept by Stickney's wife.

Papers for Mary J. Stickney, his wife, consist of a diary, 1880, kept at sea. The diary records her voyage to St. Helena aboard the schooner Lottie Beard to meet her husband, the time spent at St. Helena awaiting his arrival, and her voyage with her husband whaling aboard the bark Cicero. There are also several lists in the volume including things to do prior to her departure, messages to pass on, personal items taken, articles of clothing and sewing finished while at sea, accounts of sperm and humpback oil aboard, names of persons she doctored, number of buttonholes made, and names of persons she wrote to.

At the beginning of Mrs. Stickney's diary are the records of School District No. 11, Dartmouth, Mass., kept by Phillip H. Devoll and Benjamin Maxfield, clerks, 1858-1866. Included are warrants for meetings, minutes for said meetings, and accounts of expenses for the school district. There are also numerous recipes which were copied into the volume at the beginning.

Materials in this collection have been arranged by individual and then in chronological order.

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 95, [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

The papers in this collection were donated to the Old Dartmouth Historical Society as a bequest from the estate of Ethel Blaisdell in October 1985.

Processing Information

Processed by: Judith M. Downey, 13 October 1989

Encoded by: Mark Procknik, 27 December 2011

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Description

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Subject Headings

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Vessel Names

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