Written by
Captain Mitchell, Robert
Subject of
Davenport, William, English, 1725 - 1797
Date
1774-1775
Medium
ink on paper, bast thread
Dimensions
Closed: 12 1/2 × 8 1/2 × 11/16 in. (31.8 × 21.6 × 1.7 cm)
Open: 12 1/2 × 16 5/16 × 1 3/4 in. (31.8 × 41.4 × 4.4 cm)
Caption
Fox’s Wages Book
This volume contains information regarding a voyage of the ship Fox, a 146 ton brigantine that left Liverpool on March 8, 1774. The ship stopped first in the Cameroons, West Africa, where 148 African people were enslaved and brought aboard. The ship then crossed the Atlantic Ocean westward, landing first in Dominica. Seventeen (17) of the enslaved people died during the Atlantic crossing. After likely making other landings in the Caribbean to sell enslaved people the ship returned to Liverpool, completing the trip on February 22, 1775. The wages book recorded wages and debts of the crew, desertions, and several deaths of crew members by drowning. There are also records of enslaved people who worked on the ship and were paid in clothing.
Source: Nancy Bercaw, Curator, Slavery and Freedom
Description
This bound volume contains information regarding Captain Robert Mitchell and his crew aboard the slave trading ship Fox. The covers are made from a brown paper and the text "Fox's Wages Book / Feb.y 1775 Capt Mitchell" is written on the front cover in black ink. The thirty-six (36) total interior pages have text pertaining to wages and debts of the crew, desertions of the crew, and several deaths of crew members by drowning, all written in black ink. There are also records of enslaved people who worked on the ship and were paid in clothing. Most pages have writing on the front and back sides, but there are some blank pages toward the back of the volume. The pages are bound together with bast fiber thread.
Transcription Center Status
Transcribed by digital volunteers
Place used
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, Europe
Place depicted
Haiti, Caribbean, Latin America, North and Central America
Barbados, Caribbean, North and Central America
Jamaica, Caribbean, North and Central America
County Cork, Ireland, Europe
Cameroon, Central Africa, Africa
Classification
Documents and Published Materials
Slavery and Freedom Objects
Type
account books
Topic
Clothing and dress
Commerce
Finance
Health
Labor
Medicine
Middle Passage
Slavery
Trans Atlantic slave trade
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number
2012.5.1
Restrictions & Rights
Public domain
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
GUID
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd58740e938-c1d4-4213-92aa-f6a409ca2d08

Cataloging is an ongoing process and we may update this record as we conduct additional research and review. If you have more information about this object, please contact us at NMAAHCDigiTeam@si.edu

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