1755 - DUBLIN MERCHANT SHIP - Manuscript Ledger - FINE WINE - Swift and Co

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Signed & Inscribed
Sir Richard F. Burton
Merchant Ship Dublin
Manuscript Ledger
Fine French Wine Claret
And Possible Connection to
Notable Massachusetts Settlers
Swift & Co. Meats
1755
Ireland, France. A fascinating manuscript ledger from an eighteenth century merchant ship called 'Dublin', dated 1-29 January 1755, naming British firms dealing in fine French linens and wine. 8vo. 2 pages of text written recto and verso on a single leaf watermarked with a fleur-de-lis, measuring approximately 22 x 23 cm. Age-toned, small chips to extremities, otherwise in very good condition for its age and origin.
Trading merchandise such as fine Bordeaux wine known as claret, and French linen cloth, to affluent British clients and brokers
, the merchant and his vessel have yet to be identified, although this simple document
attests to the interests of both middle and upper classes of Great Britain in the eighteenth century
.
In this period, fine claret was a symbol of wealth and power in England, both in political and religious sectors, subsequently creating a significant revenue source for the Crown. The Bordeaux wine was prominent in both court and church, consumed heavily by high society aristocrats, while playing a central role in the Eucharist.
During the 1750s, the French were favouring cotton, calico, and some silk over the traditional wool and linen textiles. French style was defined by elaborate court dress, colourful and rich in decoration, worn by such iconic fashion figures as Marie Antoinette. Britain, however was characterized by a propensity for practicality. Simple and modest, durable and inexpensive fabrics were best suited for the popular outdoor lifestyle and portraiture. The shift in styles in France provided an excellent purchasing opportunity for the English to purchase linen at a desirable cost.
Recto:
Verso:
The merchant/captain's document begins on January 1st 1755, presumably at the onset of a world voyage
, with
"Cash to Stock £2000 Received from my Father to Begin the World... [Trade/Voyage?]"
Ports of call include Roan [Roan, County Tyrone, Ulster, Northern Ireland], and Nanz [Nantes, France]. Claret and linen are purchased from France, and pure Irish butter brought for trade on consignment. Barrels of beef are also sold on consignment. Sundries and repairs to the ship are further noted. Transactions are dated at the center top of each entry, and tallied in Pounds Sterling to the right.
This early document appears to have an interesting American connection as well, as two of the transactions involve Swift & Company, one of these being a purchase of beef.
The captain first takes a deposit of £1000 on January 2nd, then charges the company on the 29th for 125 barrels of beef consigned by a Charles Curry.
The final entry reads as follows, and suggests a possible link to British settlers in America who founded a leading meat company:
"January 29 1755.
Voyage to Nantz [Nantes] w/ the Tenny gally Arthur Neal... 107 for the cost &c of 125 Barrels Beef Cons'd [consolidated] to Patt Archer Mr.
to sell for M:A - To Mess Swift & Com. for my Bill on them Fav. Charles Curry for the Beef: £100
.
To Cash paid Duty &c: £7."
[
In 1855, 16-year-old Gustavus Franklin Swift (1839-1903) founded a butchering operation in Eastham, Massachusetts
, an enterprise which would become a renowned meat-packing empire in the Midwest. In addition to meatpacking, Swift sold various dairy and grocery items. He is credited with the development of the first practical ice-cooled railroad car, which allowed his company to ship dressed meats to all parts of the country and even abroad. His firm was incorporated in 1885 as Swift & Co. [purchased by JBS USA Holdings, Inc. in 2007].
Gustavus was a son of William Swift and Sally Crowell, descendants of British settlers who landed at New England in the 17th century.
The family lived and worked on a farm in the Cape Cod town of West Sandwich, Massachusetts (present-day Sagamore), where they raised and slaughtered cattle, sheep, and hogs. It is conceivable that Gustavus' ancestors had first established a meat raising or producing firm called Swift & Co. in Great Britain.]
[A Charles Curry, aged 18 years, is on a muster roll dated June 1762 for the New York Provincial Troops, Westchester County. The Charles Curry named on the present ledger, who evidently sold beef to Swift & Co., and who purchased French claret, could be his father. Further research is warranted.]
Close-up cropped views of some of the text: