59 School Street, Box 1310, Edgartown MA 02539 - 508.627.4441
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A Finding Aid to the Worth Family Papers, 1792-1848, 2011

Descriptive Summary

RepositoryMartha's Vineyard Museum, Gale Huntington Research Library
59 School Street
P.O. Box 1310
Edgartown, MA 02539
(508)627-4441
Call NumberRU 402
Creator Worth family
TitleWorth family papers
Date1792-1848, 2011
Extent1 box + 1 1/2 box + 4 oversize folders
LanguageThe materials are in English.
AbstractThe collection contains the papers of members of the Worth family including, Benjamin Worth, 1764-1805, his wife Betsey Worth, 1771-1858, and his son, Benjamin Worth, 1800-1865. The papers are largely related to merchant and whaling voyages undertaken by Benjamin Worth senior and Benjamin Worth junior, and to the administration of the Worth family household in Edgartown, Massachusetts.

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Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Use and Reproduction Restrictions

Requests to reproduce material from this collection should be directed to the library's staff. Reproduction fees may apply.

Preferred Citation

Martha's Vineyard Museum, RU 402, Worth Family Papers.

Acquisition Information

Gift of the Edgartown National Bank in 2008. (Accession no. 2008.025). The Edgartown National Bank on South Water Street in Edgartown, Massachusetts acquired this collection when they purchased the house next door to the bank in order to expand. The Worth family papers along with the Grafton N. Collins papers (RU 403) were found in the house. The bank retained the materials until 2008 when they were donated to the museum.

Publication Information

Martha's Vineyard Museum

Gale Huntington Research Library
59 School Street
P.O. Box 1310
Edgartown, MA 02539
(508)627-4441

Processing Information

Finding aid prepared by Sarah Hutcheson in August 2011. Revised by Insley Julier in April 2013. Machine-encoded by Nathaniel Janick April 2014.

 Creation of this finding aid was sponsored by the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

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Related Materials

Related Materials

See also, RU 403, Grafton N. Collins papers.

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Index Terms

Corporate Name(s)

  • Boston (Sloop)
  • Ceres (Brig)
  • Champion (Ship)
  • Energy (Schooner)
  • Federal Eagle (Brig)
  • George (Sloop)
  • Montano (Ship)
  • Peggy (Schooner)
  • Shepherdess (Ship)
  • Sophia (Brig)
  • Vineyard (Ship)

Genre(s)

  • Accounts
  • Correspondence
  • Invoices
  • Objects
  • Receipts
  • Silhouettes

Geographic Name(s)

  • Edgartown (Mass.)

Personal Name(s)

  • Norton, Grafton, 1777-1862
  • Worth, Charles, 1810-1884
  • Worth, Benjamin, 1764-1805
  • Worth, Benjamin, 1800-1865
  • Worth, Jethro, 1753-1829
  • Worth, Betsey, 1771-1858

Subject(s)

  • Seafaring life
  • Shipping
  • Ships
  • Ship captains
  • Whaling--Massachusetts--Martha's Vineyard
  • Whaling masters
  • Whaling ships

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Biography/Historical Note

Benjamin Worth was born in 1764 to John Worth, 1725-1802 and Sarah Athearn, 1721-1805, of Edgartown, Massachusetts. He had seven siblings; Ann, John, Jethro, Jonathan, Sarah, William and Thomas. Worth became a master mariner and was hired by various merchants to captain vessels and carry cargo around the world. He resided in Edgartown. In 1793 Worth married Elizabeth Norton, 1771-1858, nicknamed Betsey, with whom he had six children; Betsey, Dorcas, Sophia, Benjamin, Hiram and Angelina. While Worth was away at sea his wife managed the household affairs. She was widowed in 1805, when Benjamin Worth died at sea, apparently of fever.

Benjamin Worth, 1800-1865, the son of Betsey and Benjamin Worth was a master mariner and ship owner. He was primarily involved in the whaling industry. Many of his business relations were conducted with Grafton Norton, 1777-1862, his maternal uncle, who was unmarried and childless. Worth married Louisa P. Coffin, 1811-1890, in 1833 and the pair had seven children; Thomas C., John B., Mary C., Elizabeth N., Benjamin B., Margaret S. and William. Benjamin Worth died in 1865.

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Scope and Content of Collection

This collection contains the personal papers and business records of members of the Worth family including, Benjamin Worth, 1764-1805, his wife Betsey Worth, 1771-1858, and his son, Benjamin Worth, 1800-1865. The records are largely related to merchant and whaling voyages undertaken by Benjamin Worth senior and Benjamin Worth junior, and to the administration of the Worth family household in Edgartown, Massachusetts. There are a small number of documents related to other members of the Worth family, including Jethro Worth, 1753-1829, and Charles Worth, 1810-1884. Additionally, there are several unidentified silhouettes and miscellaneous objects in the papers, all of which are filed at the end of the collection.

The Worth family papers were donated to the Martha's Vineyard Museum with the Grafton N. Collins papers, see RU 403. These two collections were separated at the time of their initial processing in 2011. The Grafton Norton Collins, 1820-1889, materials are primarily concerned with the Martha's Vineyard Railroad and they date from the 1870s and 1880s.

Arrangement

  • Series I: Benjamin Worth, (1764-1805), 1792-1806, undated
  • Series II: Benjamin Worth, (1800-1865), 1829-1838
  • Series III: Miscellaneous Worth Family, 1794-1848, 2011, undated

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Collection Contents

Series I. Benjamin Worth, (1764-1805), 1792-1806, undated 

Scope and Content

Series I relates to Benjamin Worth, 1764-1805, a merchant vessel captain. Marine documents include sailing orders, letters of passport, sea letters and letters of reference and protest. The papers also include accounts, invoices and receipts related to various vessels, including the sloop Boston, brig Ceres, brig Federal Eagle, sloop George, schooner Peggy, ship Shepherdess and brig Sophia. Some documents related to Benjamin Worth senior are located in Series III.

Arrangement

Materials are arranged by record form and therein in loose chronological order. Records related to the same vessel have been filed together regardless of date.

BoxFolder

Sea Letter for the Peggy (Schooner), 1792 

OS GEN 49

Bill of Health from Lisbon, Portugal, 1795 

OS GEN 49

Sailing Orders, 1795-1806, undated 

11

Letters of Reference, 1799, 1806 

12

Complaints and Protests, 1795, 1803 

Note

Note: Two are related to a shipment of muslin in 1803 and one is a 1795 protest against Mr. Charles Grice and Mr. John Mitchall.

13

Financial Documents and Letters, 1795-1802 

14

Accounts of the Peggy (Schooner), 1795-1796 

15

Accounts of the Peggy (Schooner), 1796 

OS GEN 49

Business Receipts for the Peggy (Schooner), 1795-1796 

16

Accounts of Other Vessels, 1803-1804 

17

Business Receipts for the George (Sloop), 1803, undated 

18

Business Receipts for the Federal Eagle (Brig), 1804 

19

Miscellaneous Receipts, 1795-1806, undated 

110

Letter of Passport from the First French Republic, 1797 

Note

Note: Includes an accompanying letter from Stephen Higginson.

OS GEN 49

Marine Insurance for the Sophia (Brig), 1798 

OS GEN 49

Retail License, 1798 

111

Clearance Certificate and Permit to Land Cargo, 1802, 1806 

Note

Note: Relates to the Boston (Sloop) and Ceres (Brig).

112

Sea Letter and Passport and Roll of Equipage, 1802 

Note

Note: Relates to the Boston (Sloop).

OS GEN 51

List of Cargo Bound for Messina, 1804 

OS GEN 49

Letter regarding Death of Benjamin Worth, 1806 

113

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Series II. Benjamin Worth, (1800-1865), 1829-1838 

Scope and Content

Series II contains documents related to the mariner, Benjamin Worth, 1800-1865. These materials primarily consist of legal records, such as, deeds and powers of attorney, but also contain documents related to various voyages and vessels, including bills of sale and marine insurance. Among the vessels mentioned are the ship Champion, ship Vineyard, schooner Energy and ship Montano. Some documents related to Benjamin Worth junior are located in Series III.

Arrangement

Materials are arranged by record form and therein chronologically.

BoxFolder

Bills of Sale (Vessels), 1832-1833 

Note

Note: Two documents are from Grafton Norton for part of the Champion (Ship) and part of the Vineyard (Ship)

114

Bill of Sale (Vessel), 1838 

Note

Note: Document is from Crocker Davis for part of the Energy (Schooner).

OS GEN 410

Marine Insurance for the Montano (Ship), 1832 

OS GEN 410

Accounts with Philip H. Folger of Nantucket, 1833 

OS GEN 410

Deeds, 1829, 1833 

Note

Note: Includes a pew deed for the Methodist Meeting House and a wharf deed.

115

Powers of Attorney, 1829, 1833 

116

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Series III. Miscellaneous Worth Family, 1794-1848, 2011, undated 

Scope and Content

Series III contains correspondence, bills and receipts of various members of the Worth family, many of which are addressed to Betsey Worth. Invoices and receipts of voyages of the two Benjamin Worths are intermingled with personal household bills and receipts. These materials have been retained in the order in which they were found by the processor instead of being integrated with the preceding series. The series also includes miscellaneous materials related to the construction of a new Methodist Meeting House, unidentified silhouettes, bundles of string, pigment, a lock of hair and a canvas bag containing two unidentified organic objects.

Arrangement

Materials are arranged by record form and therein chronologically. Transcriptions of documents created in 2011 have been filed at the end of the series, as they were not part of the original accession.

BoxFolder

Correspondence and Miscellaneous Paper Fragments, 1821-1822, undated 

117

Bills and Receipts, 1794-1809 

118-19

Bills and Receipts, 1808-1833 

Note

Note: Many of the bills and receipts in these folders are addressed to Betsey Worth.

120-21

Accounts, Bills and Receipts, 1819-1848, undated 

122

Accounts, Bills and Receipts, 1820, 1828-1839 

123

Accounts and Receipts for the New Methodist Meeting House, 1842-1848 

Note

Note: These materials may have belonged to Charles Worth, who was on the building committee for the meeting house.

124

Lithograph, Reformation John Adams: Born Feb. 14th 1791, Newington, N. H. Boston: J.H. Bufford & Co., circa 1855 

OS GEN 411

Empty Paper Enclosures, undated 

125

Silhouettes, undated 

126

Document and Lock of Hair, undated 

21

Objects, undated 

Note

Note: Includes bundles of string, a paper packet of red pigment and a canvas bag containing two unidentified organic objects.

22

Typed transcriptions, 2011 

23

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