The Jeff Eldredge Collection included photocopies of ship registrations and ships’ accounts from vessels owned in part in or commanded by masters from Chatham, Massachusetts, as well as a journal written by Captain Elijah Crosby, the shipmaster of the Bark SHAMYL.

Eldredge describes the collection as being, “various vessels that were commanded by Chatham men and owned in part in Chatham. None of the vessels that are listed were built at Chatham. All of the listed vessels hailde from Boston except the Bark VELOCITY, which hailed from Chatham. The barks JUSTICE STORY and YOUNG TURK (I) were owned entirely in Boston, Alpheus Hardy, a prominent Boston merchant, being the managing owner, was also a native of Chatham.

The master of the STORY and YOUNG TURK were usually from Chatham. There were two YOUNG TURKs. The first was built in 1853 and sunk in 1856. The second YOUNG TURK was built later in the year in 1856 and was owned in part by her regular master, Capt. Harding, who did live in Chatham.”