Clarke, John, b. 1817.
On board the ship Governor Morton1852 March 10-1852 December 20
MSS 097, Item 013
1 v. (ca. 200 p.) ; 15
cm.
Journal kept by the passenger John Clarke aboard the ship Governor
Morton documenting the trip from New York to San Francisco between March 12, 1852 and
December 20, 1852.
Materials entirely in English.
University of Delaware Library - Special
Collections
Source
Purchase, 1951.
Access Restrictions
The collection is open for research.
Terms Governing Use and Reproduction
Use of materials from this collection beyond the exceptions provided for in the Fair Use and
Educational Use clauses of the U.S. Copyright Law may violate federal law. Permission to publish
or reproduce is required from the copyright holder. Please contact Special Collections, University of Delaware Library, http://www.lib.udel.edu/cgi-bin/askspec.cgi
Citation
MSS 097, Item 013, John Clarke, On board the ship Governor Morton, Special
Collections, University of Delaware Library, Newark, Delaware.
Shelving Summary
- Item 013: Shelved in SPEC MSS 097
Materials Available in Alternative FormatA digitized copy of the journal is available at the University of Delaware Digital Institutional Repository.
Processing
Processed and encoded by Norieta Hagerty, January 2007.
Historical Note
John Clarke was a passenger on the ship Governor Morton traveling from New
York to San Francisco around Cape Horn from March 10, 1852 to December 20, 1852. The journal
contains a list of the second cabin passengers including such details as name, age,
occupation, and city and state from which they hailed. John Clarke (b. 1817), a carpenter, was
a second cabin passenger from Providence, Rhode Island, traveling with a relative, Joseph
Clarke, a laborer.
The Governor Morton was a clipper ship that made many voyages around Cape Horn
to California between the years 1851 and 1855 and after 1866. The Mystic Seaport G. W. Blunt
White Library has records of registry for this ship from 1858 to 1878. The captain, John A.
Burgess, was well known for his cruelty to sailors and passengers alike.
The journey was taken during the California Gold Rush. Gold was discovered at Sutter’s Mill in
1848 and many people flocked to California to make their fortune, leaving their families behind.
The author of the journal wrote, "I have left the dearest I have on earth for paltry gold."
"Governor Morton (ship)." Mystic Seaport.
http://www.mysticseaport.org/library/initiative/VSearchIndex.cfm (accessed February 7, 2007).
Additional information derived from the collection.
Scope and Content Note
The journal documents the journey on the clipper ship Governor Morton from
March 12, 1852 to July 15, 1852 from New York to San Francisco around Cape Horn. The journal
is a personal narrative, including some navigational data such as the weather and knots as
well as a few entries concerning marine life (whales, sharks, flying fish), but most of the
entries are dedicated to life on the ship.
The quality of the food, homesickness, and the cruelty of the captain are frequent
topics. The journal contains a list of the second cabin passengers including such details as
name, age, occupation, and city and state from which they hailed. After the author disembarked
in San Francisco, he used the journal as an account book for his wages and to list the tools he
bought for his trade as a carpenter.
The journal is a small leather bound volume, circa 200 pages, 136 of which are filled in
pencil and ink entries.
Selected Search Terms
Corporate Names
Governor Morton (Ship)
Topical Terms
Clipper ships--19th
century--Sources.
Ocean travel--19th
century--Sources.Voyages to the Pacific coast--19th
century--Sources.
Form/Genre Terms
Diaries.
Occupation
Carpenters--Diaries.
Travelers--Diaries.
Related Materials in this Repository
This item forms part of MSS 097 Diaries, Journals, and Ships' Logs collection.
Detailed Contents List
013
On board the ship Governor Morton1852 March 10-1852 December 20
PDF (45.02 MB)