George R. Dearborn commonplace book : manuscript.

Format:

Book

Manuscript

Author/Creator:

Dearborn, George R., compiler.

Language:

Arabic

English

Subjects (All):

Commerce (Ship).

Great Britain--History.

Merchant ships.

Genre:

codices (bound manuscripts)

commonplace books.

dictionaries.

excerpts.

Manuscripts, English -- 19th century.

Manuscripts, American -- 19th century.

Penn Provenance:

Sold by DeWolfe and Wood, 2020.

Physical Description:

1 volume (112 pages) ; 22.5 x 9.5 cm + 3 leaves

Production:

Charleston, South Carolina; Antwerp; Jakarta; Mukhā, Yemen, 1805-1806.

Biography/History:

George R. Dearborn was a supercargo on the ship Commerce and was from the Dearborn family of New England (specifically Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine) who were prominent military figures from the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812; and public servants and politicians in the United States in the 19th century. From 1805 to 1806, Dearborn sailed on the Commerce from Charleston, South Carolina in February, 1805, and arriving in Mocha in January 1806. It appears that he remained there until at least July 22, 1806.

Summary:

This commonplace book probably documents Dearborn's voyage as a supercargo on the ship Commerce to Mocha, Yemen. The voyage likely started in Charleston, South Carolina, in February, 1805; and made stops in Antwerp in June and Batavia (Jakarta) in November, before arriving in Mocha in January, 1806. The volume contains excerpts from readings, recipes, trivia, a dictionary of Arabic to English words, a single diary entry from June 24, [1806], a list of ships leaving Mocha from 1805 to 1806, and a list of expenses incurred during the trip. The excerpts from readings are largely about England and Europe, some reflecting on colonialism and slavery, and about indigenous populations in North America. None of the sources of the copied quotes and notes are certain, although one passage is attributed to James Robertson (1742–1814), an American explorer, soldier and Indian agent. About one half of the volume is blank (p. 44-108), pages have been ripped out of the volume (between p. 62-63), there are what appear to be practice GRD monograms (p. 1), and there is a pencil sketch of a bust of a man (p. 28). Some of the writings are written parallel to the spine as in a notepad. Two pages of writing, the expenses incurred during travel, start upside down at the end of the volume (p. 110). Three leaves are laid into the back of the volume, including a receipt stating that George R. Dearborn, supercargo (along with Mess. [Hess]) of the ship Commerce, payed for 127 bales of gum Arabic on May 19, 1806, in Mocha.

Notes:

Title supplied by cataloger.

Cited as:

George R. Dearborn Commonplace Book (Ms. Codex 2090). Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts, University of Pennsylvania.