Isaiah Larabee Collection (Coll. 255)

An Inventory of the Collection at the G. W. Blunt White Library, Mystic Seaport

Biography of Isaiah Larabee

Isaiah Larabee was a ship master from the Penobscot region of Maine. Between 1855 and 1878 he commanded the Bark AMANDA (captured by the Confederate raider C.S.S. ALABAMA), the Bark MONITOR, and the Brigs EUGENIA, CAROLINE EDDY, and HARRY STEWART. Most of the vessels found in this collection were built in Maine and registered at Bangor. Many were owned or managed by firms like Thomas J. Stewart, Albion P. Veazie & Co., or A. Littlefield & Co., and they are prominently represented in Larabee's papers.

These vessels sailed from ports in Maine as well as Boston, New York and Philadelphia; and traded at cities like Buenos Ayres and Montevideo, Cardiff, London, Kingston, Jamaica, Mayaguez, Palermo, Messina, and Genoa, Italy.

Internal evidence suggests that Larabee may have built a house or "farm" at Winterport, Maine in 1869, too which he retired ten years later. His wife, Mary died in 1878, and Isaiah probably died in 1886, leaving children Mary E., Alice, and Isaiah L. Larabee. Papers for other Larabee family members make up the remainder of this collection, ca. 1886-1940.

Scope and Content

This collection contains bills, receipts, cargo invoices, charter parties, articles of agreement, bills of lading, and crew lists, in addition to a lesser amount of correspondence received by Larabee from various agents, charterers, merchants, etc. There are also several papers and documents regarding an Alabama Claims case filed by Larabee and the owners of the bark AMANDA, in addition twenty-one seamen's protection certificates issued between 1845 and 1861, seven of which were issued to black seamen.

The bulk of the material is concentrated between the years 1855 and 1889, and it is this portion which produces a comprehensive look at the life and activities of this ship master from Winterport, Maine. Records of the Barks AMANDA and MONITOR, and the Brigs EUGENIA, CAROLINE EDDY, and HARRY STEWART are well represented.

There are some family papers, including a property deed, fire insurance polices, tax receipts, grocery bills, estate papers, and numerous miscellaneous items relative to Larabee's descendants into the 1900's.

Detailed Description of the Collection

The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.