A remarkable archive of over eighty items summarising in detailed documents the history of a mid-19th century trading circumnavigation, including stops in Melbourne, Sydney, San Francisco and Honolulu.

A remarkable archive of over eighty items summarising in detailed documents the history of a mid-19th century trading circumnavigation, including stops in Melbourne, Sydney, San Francisco and Honolulu.

The collection includes bills of lading, purchase receipts, shipping documents, pay ledgers, harbour masters' certificates and other official documents which chronicle the voyage of Captain Thomas Henry Armstrong as he circumnavigated the globe between 1849 and 1852 in his merchant bark the Avondale. The three-year voyage took Armstrong from Nova Scotia to Liverpool, Melbourne, Sydney, San Francisco, Honolulu, Valparaiso, Montevideo, New Orleans and back to Nova Scotia. Tragically, Captain Armstrong died at sea in October 1852 during the final leg of the voyage from New Orleans to Nova Scotia. His wife Melinda's mourning brooch with a tintype of Captain Armstrong is included in this archive as well as a daguerreotype of him. Melinda was part of the Mounce family, a family of notable Avondale ship builders. Over a dozen items relate to the Avondale's stay in Melbourne and Sydney in July & August 1850 mainly receipts (including one for charts of the Northern Pacific) and a printed leaf "Code of Signals, in Use at Melbourne". A Chalmers & Co memorandum marked Liverpool February 1850 notes that the Bark is insured to Sydney and no further "not knowing where you might next go to".

Further details are available online at hordern.com: search 4504252.

Included in the archive is a letter from Armstrong's brother dated 10 October 1852 addressed to New Orleans, speaking of family matters and referring to heightened political tension: referring to supporters of slavery as "that great curse of our land…they will ere long hear a voice which will make then tremble". This letter is a mournful inclusion, given Armstrong's death at sea in the same month. The small ledger detailing for the most part wages and provisioning obviously passed into the hands of Armstrong's daughter Annie Elizabeth and was used as a scrapbook.

The collection also includes: A receipt from Oct. 1849 for duty paid in Windsor, Nova Scotia on the newly built bark Avondale; Mariners' tickets including persons with distinguishing features such as "Crooked Nose" and "Growing Boy;" Many purchase receipts; An ink sketch of most likely the Avondale; Ten items (Nov. 1850 - March 1851) from the first call in San Francisco, mainly receipts including one from the "Alta California Newspaper" for an announcement that the Avondale was sailing for Panama; Six items relating to the Avondale's first call in Montevideo Aug. 1851; Four items relating to the Avondale's stay in Honolulu in Nov. 1851 including a printed pictorial letterhead certificate of clearance; Five items from the second call in San Francisco Dec. 1851 & Jan. 1852; Sixteen items relating to the Avondale's stay in Valparaiso April 1852; Three items relating to the Avondale's second call in Montevideo May & June 1852.

This rare collection of ephemera and the Barque Avondale itself spring from what was referred to as Nova Scotia's "Golden Age of Sail".