Topic starter
13/12/2011 3:06 am
I recently acquired a steamboat ticket from September, 1850. It is for a Lawrence & Blood Grocers who apparently operated a packet out of New Orleans. The ticket also reads, "No. 19 New Levee." Could somebody out there check in the Way's Packet Directory for me since I do not yet own one. Any information about the company and the steamer itself is appreciated!
Thanks!
Liam
16/12/2011 1:27 am
Nothing in Way's
Sorry you haven't gotten any responses, but it is probably due to the fact that nothing is in Way's Packet Directory regarding the info you listed. What was the name of the boat?
Topic starter
16/12/2011 2:41 am
The name as far as I know is the "Blood." The paddle box on the side says "Lawrence Blood." It also says something about "Number 19 New Levee," could that have been a possible landing spot?? Thanks!
Liam
16/12/2011 5:34 am
hi Dancey
I had a look in Lytle's list and did not fine a Lawrence or a Blood or combination that seems to work for the boat you are looking for. So now you are left with looking in the New Orleans newspapers for 1850. I don't know as I have looked in those papers but there is likely a section of steamboat ads that will give you a clue. The papers might be on Line. And fore sure they are on microfilm in several Louisiana Universities.
16/12/2011 4:17 pm
Way's again
I looked again in Way's and there is nothing. I was surprised to see only one entry starting with Lawrence, and there is no Blood at all. Yes, the other info would most probably be the boat's docking area. A possibility for no mention in Way's is that he covers from 1848 on, and perhaps this boat was built prior to 1848 since the ticket is for 1850.
Topic starter
16/12/2011 11:46 pm
Judy Patsch;28458 wrote: perhaps this boat was built prior to 1848 since the ticket is for 1850.
What I figured, and a steamboat of that type and times average lifespan was about five years?? so that puts me roughly between 1845 and 1850, give or take a few years. Since I know it was in existence in 1850, I think my best bet, like Carl Jones said, is see what I can find in some old newspapers. Thanks for the help!
Liam
18/12/2011 6:29 am
hi Liam and all
I have been doing a little research on Lawrence & Blood Grocers. in the 1850 New Orleans city directory I found H. S. Blood "of the firm Lawrence & Blood 19 New Levee" Are you sure that the ticket you have is for a passenger and not for a shipment of goods.
H. S. Blood is Hannibal Sewell Blood b. 1811 in Washington, New York married first Lucy Jane Reed (1814-1852) Their first son George S. Blood was b. in 1841 in Missouri. In 1856 He married Mary A. Perks (1838- died after 1890 in in Missouri City, Fort Bend, Texas)
They had 7 children. H.S. died in 1873 in New Orleans a retired? wholesale grocer.
Lawrence I have not been able to get a handle on. He may have been a money partner and didn't live in New Orleans. The company may have been short lived as in the 1851 New Orleans City directory H. S. was working for Converse, Kennett & Co. locate at 39 New Levee. I have been working with the City directories as transcribed. If one has the printed directory there maybe an ad that sheds more light on the Company.
Utah riverrat
Topic starter
18/12/2011 5:55 pm
Carl,
The ticket is for a freight shipment I believe. It's difficult to make out the writing on it, but i'll see what I can do. Thank you Carl and all for the information so far!
Liam
18/12/2011 7:59 pm
W. R. : Put your ticket on a copier. Sometimes they can "see" things you cannot. Cap'n Walnut.
Topic starter
19/12/2011 2:25 am
This is what I was able to decipher:
MR. ATALE PROOF CH ORMSBEE (SIGNATURE)
11 PIX CODFISH $0.90
RECEIVED BY
NOVEMBER 9/50 CH ORMSBEE (SIGNATURE)
I did this to the best of my abilities. Also, my mistake on the date. To me it seems like a Mr. Atale had 11 pix?? of codfish for Charles Ormsbee, who must have been an employee of Lawrence & Blood Grocers. The steamer must have had them aboard. Any insight as to what on earth a "pix" is? Would it have been like a barrel full or some kind of quantity to measure fish? Would the fish have been transported alive or dead (might be a dumb question)? Any information on the two names would be nice. Wish there was some sort of employee documentation I could look at.
Tom, I did run it through a copier but, sadly, did not see much of anything that was different from the original. However, there was part of a fingerprint that proved to be very nostalgic!
Thanks again!
Liam
21/12/2011 6:49 am
Hi W.R. and all
here is my latest findings: from New Orleans 1846 City Directory. H.S. Blood was with the firm Labeaume, I & Blood 16 New Levee. I found Charles Ornsbee in the 1846 directory as Ornsbee, Charles & Co grocers, Com & forwarding Mer, In 1861 it was Kennett, Blood & Co, with principles A.Q. Kennett, H.S. Blood and M. Miller.
In 1870 H. S. Blood was a steamboat Agent. Only the 1846 city directory is completely on line with photo copies of each page. No boats were listed in that directory. Since the shipment was Codfish one must assume that the boat came from New England area.
so a check of passenger lists which gives the name of the boat where it embarked from and the surname of the Master. might shed some more light on the matter. I hope my history and Genealogy sleuthing is not too boring.
Carl
21/12/2011 3:43 pm
According to the online dictionaries, a pix could be a box or container, so the fish were probably pickled or salted or dried. So very appetizing.
Topic starter
21/12/2011 9:16 pm
Carl Jones;28499 wrote: Since the shipment was Codfish one must assume that the boat came from New England area. I hope my history and Genealogy sleuthing is not too boring.
Carl
Carl, would the shipment of codfish have come down the Mississippi to New Orleans, and the Blood have just bought it from another vessel?? This is just my uneducated guess but I don't think that a New Orleans based freighter would have ventured that far upriver and into the north like that. Please correct me if i'm wrong.
Also, that makes sense that a Pix is like a crate or a barrel. That's what I thought it must have been. And as far as the history sleuthing goes, IT IS NEVER BORING! If it was, then none of us would be here on this website! I appreciate it! And again thanks to all that have been able to help!
Liam