Portsmouth Ship Owners
Compiled from the custom records of the Port of Ocracoke, 1815 - 1866, by Ellen Cloud.
Ocracoke was the Port of Entry for the years 1815 through 1866. The Collector of Customs was stationed at arid(?) and was a resident of Portsmouth Island. It was called Port of Ocracoke because of Ocracoke Inlet and not because it was located at Ocracoke.
There are no surviving records by the collector as far as cargo or tax levied on cargo´s of ships. There are no records of ships entering or departing through Ocracoke Inlet. The records that did survive are in the National Archives Records Group 41, Records of The Bureau of Marine Inspection & Navigation, Washington, DC.
The records are faded and very hard to read. I have copied here the Records of Ships owned or operated by men of Ocracoke and Portsmouth Islands. I am listing here the Portsmouth Island information.
ALERT, Owners: Earls Ireland & Thomas B. Wallace, built in Carteret Co. in 1816 – property change on part. 1 deck, 2 mast, 50 ft. long, 16 ft. wide, 6 ft. deep. sq. stern 1828.
VACATE, Owners: Comfort Dixon of Portsmouth, built in Straits 1822. 48 ft. long. 13 ft. wide, 3 ft. deep, enrolled 1833.
CONVOY, Owners: Samuel Dudley, Wallas Stypon & Thomas W. Styron, all of Portsmouth, Wallace Styron, Master. Built Saybrook, Conn. 1832. 1 deck, 2 mast, 65 ft. long, 21 ft. wide, 10 ft. deep. 75 Lon, square stern, Scroll Head. change of property and district. reg. Ocracoke 1835. Schooner
MELISSA, Owners: Samuel Dudley of Portsmouth, Jasper Martin-Master. Built at Currituck Court House in 1829, Reg. Ocracoke 1835, 1 deck, 2 mast, length 70 ft. 8 in., 17 ft. 8 in. wide, 7 ft. 8 in. deep, square stern. Schooner
WM R. SMITH, Owners: Samuhi, Dudley of Portsmouth & Russel of New Bern, 1 deck. 2 mast, 67 ft. long 17 ft. wide, 5 ft.deep, 51 ton, square stern, Billet Head. 1837.
PARAMOUNT, Owners: Wallace H. Styron & Simon H. Garrish, Wallace H. Styron - Master. Built at Ocracoke 1839, 1 deck, 2 mast, 52 ft., 17 ft. wide, 4 ft. deep, 36 ton. Enrolled 29 Nov. 1,839. Schooner
ERIE, Owners: Samuel Dudley, Simpson - Master. 56 ft. long. property change
MARTHA H. STYRON, Owners: Wallace H. Styron, Styron - Master. Built Carteret Co. 1849, 1 Deck 2 mast, 60 ft. long, 16 ft. wide, 5 ft. deep. 48 ton. Figure Head, May 1849. Surrendered Plymouth, NC 29 May 1851--license expired.
TWO MAY, Owners: Samuel Dudley, of Portsmouth, Alexandra B. Silverton - Master. Built in New Jersey 1843 64 ft. long, 1853
LORENA, Owners: Augustus Dudley & Christopher T. Styron, Styron - Master. Built in Carteret Co. 1846. Enrolled Ocracoke 1853
LORENA, Owners: Christopher T. Styron, Wallace Styron, & James Mayo, July 1853.
ATLAS, Owners: George Willis & Josephus Willis of Portsmouth each ½ owner. George Willis - Master Built in Carteret Co. 1835, 46 ft. long, 12 ft. wide, 4 ft. deep. 20 ton, Square Stern, 20 ton. 3 Sept. 1855.
JOHN BUNNING, Owners: Amasa Styron, George Dixon, Edward all of Portsmouth. Edward Dixon - Master. The vessel has two masts. length 57ft. breath 17ft. depth 5ft., 46 & 22/75 ton, no Gallery, no Figure Head, square stern, schooner. Feb. 1.821.
ELIZABETH, Owners: Thomas Robinson & Joseph Robinson of Portsmouth. Benjamine Robinson - Master. The vessel has two mast, 61ft. long, 19ft wide, 7ft. deep. 74 68/75 ton------1826.
MARIA, Owners: James Howard & Littleton Sytron, Portsmouth, Richard Wood - Master. Built at New Bern in 1823. Registered Ocracoke July, 1826.
NONPARERT, Owners: George W. Styron & William W. Dixon of Portsmouth. Built at Straits in Carteret County in 1825. Enrollment Ocracoke 30 Sept. 1826.
JOHN WALLACE, Owners: Richard Gaskill - Owner & Master, Surrendered Jan. 1822. Vessel completely lost.
JOHN BURNEY, Owners: Amasa Styron, George Dixon. Changed papers 15 July 1820, 26 ton. Surrendered Ocracoke, May 2, 1822. Vessel Entirely Lost
EXPEDITION, Owners: Richard Winslow, Samuel Casey - Master. Change of papers, issued 30 Aug 1821 Ocracoke, 44 ton. Surrendered New Orleans 25 Feb. 1822. Vessel total lost at sea.
SALLY ANN, Owners: Samuel Casey - Owner & Master. Papers transferred, 6 Jul 1820, Ocracoke, surrendered Edenton, 50 ton papers transferred.
SHELL CASTLE, Owners: James Bradly, Joseph Wade - Master. Papers change partly, Oct. 1817, 41 ton. Surrendered at Beaufort, new owner, 21 Mar. 1825.
MARY, Owners: John Mayo. William Williams - Master. Vessel stranded Nov. 1822. Surrendered Ocracoke 5 May 1823, new owner.
ALBERT, Samuel Dudley - Master. New vessel, surrendered Elizabeth City 4 Feb. 1833, property changed.
POST BOY, Owners: William Austin - Owner & MASTER. New papers, 11. Nov-1824 issued Washington. Surrendered Washington 15 Jun. 1825, new owners.
UTILITY, Owners: Mary Styron. Wallace Sytron - Master. New vessel, 49 ton. Surrendered New Bern 12 July 1829, new owner.
ZILPHA, Owners: Samuel Dudley. B. Styron - Master. New vessel, 60 ton.
THREE SISTERS,
Owners: S. Dixon, W. Gilgo, 1854
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