DON - blockade runner

DON - Bespoke fast steamship

for blockade running in the American Civil War 1863

Source: TNA: PRO BT 99/184

Form A - ‘Agreement for Foreign Going Ship Office Copy’

This is the only surviving version (unless others are held within prize records in the United States of America).

(Vessel’s) Official number:	47,380
Managing Owner:	Francis Muir of ?30? Pudding Lane, London
Master:	W G Pinchon of 81 Porter St, Hull (cert. no 7590)
Date and Place of first Signature of Agreement, including Name of Shipping Office:	13 July 1863 London - Minories

‘The several Persons whose Names are hereto subscribed, and whose descriptions are contained below, and of whom eleven are engaged as Sailors, hereby agree to serve on board the said Ship, in the several capacities expressed against their respective Names, on a Voyage from London to Nassau, N.P, calling at any places in the United Kingdom en route thence if required to any other of the West Indies, States of America and British American Provinces, and back to the port of final discharge of cargo in the United Kingdom Probable length of voyage ?Twenty? months,

And the said Crew agree to conduct themselves in an orderly, faithful, honest, and sober manner, and to be at all times diligent in their respective Duties, and to be obedient to the lawful Commands of the said Master, or of any Person who shall lawfully succeed him, and of their Superior Officers, in everything relating to the said Ship and the Stores and Cargo thereof, whether on board, in boats, or on shore: in consideration of which Services to be duly performed, the said Master hereby agrees to pay to the said Crew as Wages the Sums against their Names respectively expressed, and to supply them with Provisions according to the annexed Scale: And it is hereby agreed, That any Embezzlement or wilful or negligent Destruction of any part of the Ship’s Cargo or Stores shall be made good to the Owner out of the Wages of the Person guilty of the same: And if any Person enters himself as qualified for a duty which he proves incompetent to perform, his Wages shall be reduced in proportion to his incompetency: And it is also agreed, That the Regulations authorised by the Board of Trade, which in the paper annexed hereto are numbered (none shown)

are adopted by the parties hereto, and shall be considered as embodied in this Agreement: And it is also agreed, That if any Member of the Crew considers himself to be aggrieved by any breach of the Agreement or otherwise, he shall represent the same to the Master or Officer in charge of the Ship in a quiet and orderly manner, who shall thereupon take such steps as the case may require: And it is also agreed, That The seamen and firemen shall render mutual assistance in the general duties of the vessel when requisite.

In witness whereof the said parties have subscribed their Names on the days against their respective Signatures mentioned.

Signed by William Glentford Pinchon Master, on the 13 day of July, 1863.’

Name	Age	Born	Capacity	Last Ship
Fred Cory	32	York	Mate	CECILIA of London
Robert Roach	21	Hull	2^nd Mate	NAUTILUS of Hull
Frederick ?Ligar?	21	Beverley	3^rd Mate	ADRIATIC of Southampton
Wm Ed? Bench	28	Berkshire	Engineer	ARMENIAN of Calcutta
James Pollock	25	London	2^nd Engineer	GENL GORTISCHACHOFF of Russia
Edwin Bennett	23	Deptford	3^rd Engineer	MT PICKERING of London
John Smith	28	Newcastle	4^th Engineer	First ship
John Seager	37	London	Steward	PENINSULA of London
Joseph Barwick	23	Dulwich	2^nd Steward	???? ROYAL of London
Thomas Gillies	26	London	3^rd Steward	First ship
John Bryant	39	London	Cook	???? ROYAL of London
J W Brown	19	Gravesend	Boatswain	ALEXANDRIA of London
William Taylor	47	?Shoreham?	AB	Unidentified of London
James ?Moss? or ?Nash?	34	Aberdeen	AB	MIRIAM of London
Thomas ?Bantt?	50	Colchester	AB	ELEANOR of Shields
John ?Harrys?	33	London	AB	Apparently same vessel as William Taylor
John May	23	London	AB	ELIZ YOUNG of ?Stockton?
Stephen ?Godda?	23	London	AB	AVOCA of Waterford
Thomas Harper	24	Essex	AB	VICTORIA of London
Charles Manning	23	London	AB	ESR of London
James Harris	20	Poole	OS	DUNDEE of London
William Reardon	21	London	OS	CLARA LOUISA of Bideford
Jas. Clarke	37	New Plymouth	OS	AUDAX of London
John Kelly	45	Ballinsloe	Leading Fireman	FLORA of London
John Cunningham	47	Wigton	Leading Fireman	MELITA of London
Robert Selby	27	London	Fireman	POWERFUL of London
William Lawrie	43	Dundee	Fireman	BRITANNIA of London
Roger Hall	28	Newcastle	Fireman	BEN of Newcastle
Jas. McBride	27	Glasgow	Fireman	MELITA of London
James ?Fitzgerald?	24	Queenstown	Trimmer	First ship
Wm. Cairns	35	Mayo	Trimmer	BERMUDA of Liverpool
Thos. Hull	31	Chipham	Trimmer	First ship

Pay per month:-
Mate:	£16	Steward:	£5 10s
2^nd Mate:	£10	2^nd Steward:	£4
3^rd Mate:	£ 7	3^rd Steward:	£3
1^st Engineer:	£24	Cook:	£4 10s
2^nd Engineer:	£18	Boatswain:	£5 5s
3^rd Engineer:	£14	ABs:	£4
4^th Engineer:	£10	OS: (two)	£3
		OS: (two)	£2
		L/Firemen:	£6
		Firemen:	£4 10s
		Trimmers:	£4

All signed on 13^th July 1863 and to be onboard for 14^th July 1863

Provisions similar to other examples of the period - no spirits allowed

Click on icon below to see a page from a family photograph album:-

The upper photograph is of DON, possibly at Savannah, Georgia, although I have found no record of her having been there. However, this was undoubtedly taken during sometime in 1863. The lower photograph is a group shot of her officers. I am indebted to a client for her kind permission to show these pictures.

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