156 Some Colonial Ships Built in Philadelphia SOME COLONIAL SHIPS BUILT IN PHILADELPHIA By HAKROLD E. GILLINGHAM Ship building was started in Philadelphia soon after the arrival of William Penn, who wrote, in 1681, in his Some Account of the Province of Pennsylvania, that "Shipwrights, Carpenters, Sawyers, Hewers, Trunnelmakers and Joyners" were among those who had already settled in the colony or who contemplated doing so. Penn even conditioned that in clearing the land or cutting timber, all good oak trees should be reserved for ship building, and vessels were being built in the city in 1685. A map of "Philadelphia in 1702'7 shows several shipyards along the Delaware Eiver shore, one of which was that of James West, who is said to have built a vessel for the Proprietor in part payment for the land. On 1 mo. 8,1689-90, James West requested from the Commissioners forty feet of the bank, as an addition to the sixty feet formerly laid out to him, "for a con- veniency to build Ships and Vessels upon, he haveing bought the penny pott House of the Widdow."2 West, in his Account Book,3 shows payments of quitrents for this lot, which was north of Vine Street, where he resided at the time of his death, in 1701. The same book shows that, in 1689, he charged William Mark- ham for "work done on the Constant." West, dying intestate, his widow, Prudence West, was appointed administratrix of his estate and by her will, proved August 14, 1702, bequeathed the property to her chil- 1 Philadelphia in 1102, F. J. Wade, Lith., Philadelphia (1875). 2 Pennsylvania Archives, Second Series, XIX. 29. 3 In the possession of The Historical Society of Pennsylvania. Some Colonial Ships Built in Philadelphia 157 dren, one of whom, Charles West, carried on ship- building, as will appear later on. James Parrock was styled a '' shipwright,'' when he married in 1698; Daniel James carried on the trade in 1720; William Hayes, shipwright is mentioned in 1722; Thomas Ashton advertised in 1726; Arnold Cassel, a ship-joiner, petitioned the Orphans Court to administer the estate of Susannah Cassel, and in 1731, his widow, Lidiah Cassel, was granted letters of ad- ministration for his estate. Philadelphia sail-makers were mentioned by Logan, in 1718 ;4 also, Step. Beeseley, a block-maker.5 Rope makers were also established early in the city, as the Proprietor wrote in 1683: "We have also a rope-walk, made by B. Wilcox." This was Benjamin Wilcox, who became Mayor of the city, whose plant was on Cable Lane (now New Market Street), near Front and Vine Streets, so called on account of the rope-walk. The Commissioners granted John Walker land for a rope- walk in 1705, and William Rakestraw and William Coats, Jr., were rope makers in 1748.6 Almost all the paraphernalia for a ship, such as ropes, blocks, sails, and iron work could be procured from local craftsmen. Penn mentioned the Trunnel makers. These were specialists in making the wooden trunnels or tree nails, as some called them; wooden pegs, to fasten ship or building timbers together, and usually made of hickory wood, but sometimes from locust trees. Philadelphia soon became such an important city and progressed so rapidly in ship building that many 4 James Logan's Account Book, p. 304; in The Historical Society of Pennsylvania. 5 Ibid., p. 312. 6 The Penn Manuscripts (XV. 81), in The Historical Society of Penn- sylvania, contain a letter from Robert Hiscox, English merchant and Treasurer of the "Naval Store Company for the raising of hemp in America," written May 6, 1717, which states that the company is rais- ing hemp in Kent County, Delaware. 158 Some Colonial Ships Built in Philadelphia vessels were built on the banks of the Delaware and sold to West Indian, English and European merchants. It is unfortunate that so few records exist showing the extent of this branch of the city's industry; as the ships were famed for their workmanship and the ma- terial from which they were built.7 It is well for those seeking information concerning Philadelphia's early shipping that some of the letters, books of account, and other records kept by one of the prominent shipping merchants of the City are avail- able. John Reynell seemed to have preserved much of his correspondence and many of his account books from the time he first entered the mercantile and ship- ping business, about 1729, until his retirement in 1784. It is from these books of record and corre- spondence, in a privately owned collection, that the following information relating to several ships, built in Philadelphia, has been obtained. John Reynell, the son of Samuel and Sarah Reynell, was born in Bristol, England, in 1708. Just when he came to Philadelphia is not recorded, but he early started in the shipping business and seemed to have had the confidence of many merchants of England as early as 1729. In 1736, he married Mary (w,ee Coates) Nicholas, widow of Samuel Nicholas, and daughter of Thomas and Buelah (nee Jacques) Coates of Phila- delphia. He was a member of the Society of Friends; first Treasurer of the Pennsylvania Hospital (1751-52); third President of its Board of Managers (1757-1780); President of the Friendly Association for Preserving Peace with the Indians, and a promi- nent and apparently successful shipping and commis- sion merchant. His wife died in March, 1773, and his own death occurred September 3, 1784, at his home, 7 A list of the ships registered at the port of Philadelphia, from 1726 to 1775, is published in The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography, XXIII.-XXVII. Some Colonial Ships Built in Philadelphia 159 the northwest corner of Front and Walnut Streets.8 On October 25,1763, Eeynell reported to the Managers of the Hospital that he had received a letter from Elias Bland, a London merchant, dated July 12, in which he said I have put on Board the Brittania, Captain Simble, a small fire Engine, which please present in my name to the Managers of the Pennsylva. Hospital, shall be pleased to hear it delivered in good order & works well the person who had the fitting it for Service Desires the inclosed directions may be regarded. This was the first fire apparatus of the Hospital, and on May 30, 1791, the Steward was directed to have "the fire engine played every month at the meetings of the Board/' The books of John Eeynell show that he had the ship Torrington built in Philadelphia for his correspondent, Eichard Deeble of Plymouth, England, in 172&-1729, but it is to be regretted that none of the correspondence ordering the vessel has been found. The following extract taken from Eeynell's Journal,9 dated January 6,1729, shows not only the total cost of the ship, but all of the several craftsmen who did work thereon. His receipt book confirms many of these pay- ments. Measurements of the vessel have not been found and her tonnage cannot be given; but most of the transatlantic merchantmen of the early seven- teenth century were small, some of not more than one hundred and fifty tons. Captain Thomas Warcup, who commanded the new ship, formerly had been master of the John and Anna owned by Eichard Deeble, which vessel arrived in Philadelphia, July 3, 1729, and sailed for England, August 28, 1729, according to the Pennsylvania Gazette- Captain Warcup must have immediately returned to the Quaker City in another 8 Thomas Coates and His Descendants, 1882; The History of the Penn- sylvania Hospital, 1897. •P. 7. 160 Some Colonial Ships Built in Philadelphia ship, so that he could sail the Torrington to Plymouth on her maiden voyage, which is recorded in the Gazette of December 4, 1729. When the Torrington was registered at Philadelphia she was classed as a fifty ton ship, owned by Eichard Deeble and Thomas Warcup, both of Plymouth, England.10 Entries in Keynell's Journal show the cost of this vessel. Eichard Deeble Merch1. In Plymouth his Accou. Curru. for the Building and Out Set of the Ship Torrington and for Sundry other Disbursements on Ditto Dr. To Aaron Goforth for Building the above said Ship &c. £487- 7- 0 To Joseph Oldman the Smith for the Iron Work of said Ship 110- 4- 4£ To Author Oliver the Eopemaker for his Bill being 22-14- 8 To Eob1. Ellis ye Ship Chandler for his Bill for Sundrys 13- 2- 8£ To Wm. Attwood for 289£lb Spikes @ 7J d. 9- 1- 0£ To Sam1. Bond Ship Chandler for his Bill for Sundrys 7- 4- 7 To Thos. Bourne Ditto for Ditto 2- 1- 3 To Edwd. Bradley the plumer for his Bill for Work done 7- 9- 2 To Thos. Welling for Spikes & Brimstone 5- 3-10 To Hugh Cordry Blockmaker for his Bill for Blocks &c. 7- 6- 6 To Stephen Beezley Blockmaker for his Bill for Blocks &c. 12-12- 2 To James Lewis for his Bill for Bread 21- 8- 3 To Carving a Lyon &c done by Ant: Wilkinson 4- 6- 6 To Sam1. Austin for an Oval Table for the Ship 1-15- 0 To Tho8. Peters for Nails & Sundry other Things for ye Ship 3-12- 9£ To paid Sam1. Nicholas Bricklayer for making ye fireplace 1-13- 1 To paid Wm. Saunders for Clensing Fire Arms for ye Ship 0- 6- 0 To Cash paid for an Iron Back 0- 8- 9 To John Noble for painting the Ship 12- 0- 0 To Mary Preston for Oyl and a Horses Hide 0-16- 3 To Cash for 9£ Gallons of Wine for the Launch at 5/ 2- 7- 6 To Cash for 3 bbs.