Eighteenth-Century Colonial American Merchant Ship Construction Has Advanced Primarily Through Archaeological Excavations
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EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY COLONIAL AMERICAN MERCHANT SHIP CONSTRUCTION A Thesis by KELLIE MICHELLE VANHORN Submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies of Texas A&M University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS December 2004 Major Subject: Anthropology EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY COLONIAL AMERICAN MERCHANT SHIP CONSTRUCTION A Thesis by KELLIE MICHELLE VANHORN Submitted to Texas A&M University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS Approved as to style and content by: _____________________________ _____________________________ Kevin Crisman Donny Hamilton (Chair of Committee) (Member) _____________________________ _____________________________ James Rosenheim David Carlson (Member) (Head of Department) December 2004 Major Subject: Anthropology iii ABSTRACT Eighteenth-Century Colonial American Merchant Ship Construction. (December 2004) Kellie Michelle VanHorn, B.S., Indiana University Chair of Advisory Committee: Dr. Kevin Crisman Past research on eighteenth-century ships has primarily taken one of two avenues, either focusing on naval warship construction or examining the merchant shipping industry as a whole in terms of trends and economics. While these areas are important to pursue, comparatively little is known about actual construction techniques used on the ordinary merchant vessels of the period. Most modern sources emphasize hull design and lines drawings; contemporary sources take a similar direction, explaining the theory of ship design but often leaving out how to put the ship together. In recent years, however, new information has come to light through archaeological excavations regarding Anglo-American merchant ship construction. In this study, several of these shipwrecks were examined in light of economic factors and the literary evidence from the period in an attempt to gain a better understanding of colonial American merchant ship construction in the eighteenth century. While the data set was not large enough to make conclusive statements, this type of comparative analysis should begin to establish a framework for the interpretation of future shipwreck excavations. iv For my parents, who taught me to pursue excellence, and for Jason, who never stopped believing in me. v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This thesis and my graduate work would not have been possible without the help of many people. My grateful thanks go to my advisor, Dr. Kevin Crisman, for his direction, patience, and many suggestions during the completion of this work, and also to my other committee members, Dr. Donny Hamilton and Dr. Jim Rosenheim, for generously giving their time to help me. Thanks also to Chris Sabick, who graciously allowed me to look at his thesis before it was publicly available. I also want to acknowledge my fellow classmates; I could never have learned so much without their help and the patient instruction from the faculty in the Nautical Archaeology Program. My thanks go to my parents, Gary and Denise, and my brother Matt, for their help in editing and their love, support, and faith. I also want to thank my parents-in-law, Marsha and Lee, for their encouragement. To my wonderful husband Jason, I give my deepest thanks. His patient help in editing, scanning images, and staying up with me on late nights was invaluable, but most of all I appreciate his love, strength, and gentle kindness. He probably knows more about ships than any other geographer. My thanks go also to my other writing companion, our little cat Madison, who faithfully kept me company by sleeping on my desk while I worked and only occasionally knocked all of my papers off onto the floor. Finally, if I have accomplished anything of merit, it is only because of the grace and strength of my Savior and King, Jesus Christ, who allowed me to do what looked like the impossible: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT .................................................................................................... iii DEDICATION ................................................................................................ iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS............................................................................... v TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................ vi LIST OF FIGURES......................................................................................... viii CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION.................................................................. 1 Research Questions.................................................... 3 Sources of Data.......................................................... 4 II HISTORICAL BACKGROUND: SHIPBUILDING IN GREAT BRITIAN AND THE AMERICAN COLONIES .... 8 III CLASSIFICATION OF EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY SHIPS: HULL AND RIG TYPES....................................................... 23 Chapman’s Hull Types.............................................. 24 Types of Rig............................................................... 29 IV HULL DESIGN: THE LITERARY EVIDENCE .................. 43 V COLONIAL AMERICAN AND ENGLISH SHIPWRECKS: THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVIDENCE ............................. 63 Merchant Vessels....................................................... 63 Naval Warships.......................................................... 126 Riverine Craft............................................................ 143 VI COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF EIGHTEENTH- CENTURY SHIPS................................................................. 160 Hull Shape and Size................................................... 163 vii CHAPTER Page Keel, Stem, and Stern Construction........................... 173 Framing...................................................................... 180 Keelsons and Mast Steps ........................................... 191 External and Internal Planking .................................. 196 Hull Protection: Caulking and Sheathing .................. 198 Ships’ Equipment....................................................... 199 VII CONCLUSIONS.................................................................... 209 Factors Related to Ship Construction ........................ 209 Construction Trends................................................... 212 Comparison with the Literary Evidence .................... 215 Divergence Between British and Colonial American Vessels ....................................................................... 216 WORKS CITED.............................................................................................. 218 APPENDIX A TABLES OF SCANTLINGS ................................................. 227 APPENDIX B GLOSSARY OF SHIP TERMS ............................................. 233 VITA ............................................................................................................... 238 viii LIST OF FIGURES FIGURE Page 1 Shipwreck locations......................................................................... 6 2 Two styles of English tucks used on square-sterned vessels........... 26 3 Ship rig c. 1760................................................................................ 31 4 Brig rig c. 1760................................................................................ 33 5 Snow rig c. 1760.............................................................................. 33 6 Bilander rig c. 1760 ......................................................................... 35 7 Ketch rig c. 1760.............................................................................. 35 8 Schooner rig c. 1760........................................................................ 37 9 Sloop rig c. 1760.............................................................................. 37 10 English cutter rig c. 1760................................................................. 39 11 English hoy rig c. 1760.................................................................... 39 12 Detail from William Burgis’ 1717 engraving of New York City.... 46 13 Detail from Burgis’ 1717 engraving................................................ 46 14 Hull remains of the Phips shipwreck............................................... 65 15 Hull remains of the Rose Hill shipwreck......................................... 75 16 Site plan of the Terence Bay wreck................................................. 80 17 Stern frames on the Terence Bay vessel.......................................... 82 18 Hull remains of the Reader’s Point vessel....................................... 85 19 Ends of the Bermuda collier wreck ................................................. 91 20 Hull remains of the Betsy................................................................. 98 ix FIGURE Page 21 Stem structure of the Betsy .............................................................. 99 22 Hull plan of the Otter Creek wreck.................................................. 107 23 Hull remains of the privateer Defence............................................. 113 24 Hull remains of the Nancy ............................................................... 118 25 Site plan of the Clydesdale Plantation vessel .................................. 124 26 Site plan of the Port Royal wreck.................................................... 127 27 Site plan of Boscawen...................................................................... 130 28 Hull remains of the Deadman’s Island wreck.................................