Witherle Collection

Business records for Witherle & Co., a general store and chandlery in Castine, Maine. Record types in this collection include invoices, receipts, letters, ship's papers, crew lists, seaman's protection certificates, copy letter books, account books, one log book, cargo manifests, bills of lading, and inventories related to operating a nineteenth century maritime business of general store, vessel ownership, international trade, shipbuilding, and fishing. The most predominant cargoes were salt and fish. The records include extensive correspondence between Witherle vessel owners and captains. Local militia papers includes general orders and company rolls for Castine, 1806-1837.Organized into the following eight series: I. Early Business Papers, 1806-1867; II. Bark Antioch 1858-1863; III. Ship Antioch, 1825-1841; IV. Ship Canova, 1823-1833; V. Bark Sarah L. Bryant, 1847-1854; VI. Other vessels owned by Witherle & Co., 1821, 1833-1858; VII. Other vessels owned by Witherle & Co., 1824-1873; VIII. Castine Militia and Hancock County documents, 1807-1837; IX. Bound Manuscript Volumes, 1825-1873.

Details

Object ID

PMM 1

Object Name

Record, Shipping

Collection

Witherle Collection

Creator

Hook, Benjamin
Jarvis, John Head
Witherle, William
Witherle, William Howe

Administrative/Biographical History

William Witherle (1784-1860) and Benjamin Hook (1783-1862) operated a general store in Castine, Maine, as Hook & Witherle from 1806 to 1808 when Witherle took over operation as sole proprietor. John Head Jarvis (1787-1850) became his partner from 1810 to 1844 and the company was called Witherle and Jarvis. It was William Witherle & Co. for the years 1844-1855 at the end of which time a son, William Howe Witherle (1821-1906), joined the business and the elder William retired in 1855. Witherle and Co. was operated 1855-1875 by William Howe Witherle and George H. Witherle. Over the years the store business, which supplied Castine residents and fishermen and which acted as a chandlery, expanded to vessel management. The day-to-day business records in this collection reflect activity in shipbuilding, fishing voyages, coastal trades, and deep sea commercial sail voyages, as well as involvement in the local militia pre 1840.

City/Town

City/Town:

Castine

State/Province:

Maine

Subjects-1