NRS-13695 | Cash book of merchant ship "Britannia"

(5/1125). 1 vol.This is an account book for the British merchant ship Britannia. The vessel was used in the West India trade and made trips between England and Port Jackson. It also made voyages between Port Jackson and the Cape of Good Hope.The early part of the volume (1792-1797) was used as a ledger for the Britannia noting the ships’ disbursements and credits. The ledger appears to have been kept by the master of the ship William Raven who was also part owner of the Britannia.By 1799, the Britannia was back in NSW. Thomas Abbott, a local merchant, began to use the Cash book for his personal use. He recorded his customers’ debts as well as promissory notes and bills of exchange.The cashbook records several transactions for a variety of goods and services. For example, the purchase of fish, coal, clothing, spirits, and medical services.Reference:Gary L. Sturgess, “The Botany Baymen: Notes on Australia’s Early Maritime Trade in the Britannia Cashbook” Journal of the Australasian Association for Maritime History, 46, 1 (2024), pp. 34-44.Note:This description, as amended, is extracted from Concise Guide to the State Archives of New South Wales, 3rd Edition 2000.