The Ships of Salem Harbor
by Anna Ruane
Summer has arrived at The House of the Seven Gables and as the temperature has increased, so have the number of boats in the harbor. Nearly two hundred years ago, this harbor would have been a bustling port, with merchants bringing in goods from all over the world. The House of the Seven Gables site has had a strong connection to the mercantile history of Salem. The mansion itself was built from the wealth earned by generations of the Turner family during their involvement in the Atlantic trade. As the years continued, sailing and shipbuilding techniques advanced. This enabled Salem merchants to travel further, bringing back luxury goods from various ports throughout Asia and Africa. Museum founder Caroline Emmerton is related to several merchants who took advantage of these new routes. Both of her grandfathers and her uncle would become involved with trade in Madagascar, Zanzibar, and other regions. They brought back materials such as gum copal to processing facilities on Turner Street, directly across from where the Turner-Ingersoll mansion stands. To learn more about Caroline Emmerton’s grandfathers and other merchants associated with the site, keep reading!
Painting of Clipper Ship John Bertram
Circa 1880. Material: Oil on Canvas. Origin: American. Artist: Attributed to Clement Drew.
A painting of the clipper ship John Bertram, flying an American flag in stormy waters. On the bottom left are the words “Ship John Bertram.” The bottom right says “Commanded by Frederick Lendholm.” The clipper ship was owned by John Bertram, the maternal grandfather of Caroline Emmerton, and was subsequently named after him. It was built in East Boston in 1850 in just 61 days. On January 10, 1851, it sailed from Boston for San Francisco carrying supplies to service the California Gold Rush. In 1854, it was sold to an individual in Hamburg, Germany, and served as a passenger vessel. It was lost at sea in March 1883. The painting is attributed to Clement Drew (1806–1889), a Massachusetts-born artist whose work focused on stormy marine imagery. He also worked as a frames dealer in Boston.
John Bertram, maternal grandfather to museum founder Caroline Emmerton, was born on the Isle of Jersey in 1796 and immigrated with his family to Massachusetts in 1806. As a young adult, he worked as a cabin boy on the ship Hazard during the War of 1812. After the war, he returned to sea, earning himself enough money to purchase his own sailing vessels. By 1836, Bertram was sailing and trading out of Aden, Bombay, Madagascar, Zanzibar, and other foreign ports. While Bertram was not the first merchant to make the voyage to Zanzibar, he certainly was the first to bring back large quantities of gum copal to Salem to be processed and used for varnishes. Near the foot of Turner Street, across from The House of the Seven Gables, John Whipple established a business manufacturing gum copals. At the height of the gum copal trade, Whipple’s business was processing 1.5 million pounds of gum copal a year. By 1861, tariffs were placed on unprocessed gum copals, leading to the decline of the gum copal trade.
Later in life, John Bertram donated much of his time and money to the city of Salem, funding homes for aged men, Salem Hospital, and donating his mansion to be used as Salem’s Public Library after his death. His shipping businesses were carried out by his successors Ropes, Emmerton & Co., partially run by the brother of his son-in-law, Ephraim Augustus Emmerton. His granddaughter, Caroline Emmerton, would follow in her grandfather’s footsteps, working as a philanthropist and preservationist in Salem, Massachusetts.
Ship Sophronia of Salem Painting
Circa 1850. Material: Oil on canvas. Origin: Chinese. Artist: Unknown.
An oil on canvas painting depicting a full side view of the ship Sophronia, a three-masted bark, at full sail. The bottom edge of the painting has a black band with gold lettering “E.A. Emmerton, Master, Sophronia Salem, Painted Nov. 1850.” The painting sits in its original frame. The ship was owned by museum founder Caroline Emmerton’s paternal grandfather, Ephraim Emmerton (1781-1877), and mastered by Caroline Emmerton’s uncle, Ephraim Augustus Emmerton (1826-1901). After the death of her grandfather, ownership of the Sophronia passed to E.A. Emmerton.
The Sophronia was heavily involved in the trade of gum copal, which after processing is used as a base for varnishes. Both Ephraim Emmerton and Ephraim Augustus Emmerton would work alongside Caroline’s maternal grandfather, John Bertram, with E.A. Emmerton acting for Bertram’s interest in Aden in the 1850s. After returning to Salem, E.A. Emmerton became the president of the Merchants National Bank.
Membership Certificate: Salem Marine Society, E.A. Emmerton 1883
Circa 1883. Material: Paper. Origin: American (Salem, Massachusetts).
A framed Salem Marine Society membership certificate made out to E.A. Emmerton, son of Ephraim Emmerton, one of the original owners of the Sophronia. After Ephraim’s death in 1882, ownership of the Sophronia was passed down to his son. The certificate is numbered 576 and dated October 30th, 1883. The engravings of the certificate were designed by Abijiah Northey, Jr. in 1797. The top of the certificate features a detailed engraving of Salem Harbor, showing warehouses along the wharf with ships docked along the sides. This is one of the earliest known depictions of Salem Harbor. Below the harbor image is a decorative frame with writing made out to E.A. Emmerton. The certificate was signed by the secretary of the Marine Society, B. Bates and Geo. W. Pousland, a ship master. To either side of the frame are four engraved images. The top left image is of two men packaging salted cod into barrels or screw-fishing. The bottom left features men breaming a vessel. This is the process of repairing ships by bringing them to shore. The ships were often cleaned with fire, as it would soften the tar for repairs and make removing items like barnacles and seaweed easier. The top right engraving features a smaller sailing vessel used to unload and transport cargo on a smaller scale. The bottom right engraving depicts a ship being launched.
The Salem Marine Society was founded in 1766 by sea captains to provide mutual aid to captains and their families. The purpose was to provide families with assistance in case of accident or illness. In addition, members also worked to map the coastline of Salem to improve navigation.
Chest/Document Box
Circa 1826. Material: wood, pigskin, metal, cow leather, brass nails, paper lining. Origin: American (Salem, Massachusetts)
A two-part brown leather and pig skin domed document box with an iron-hinged lid. Boxes like this were useful to businessmen and merchants alike when it came to storing important documents. The interior is lined in newspaper from the North Shore area of Massachusetts. Printed in black ink on the unfinished wooden base is the owner’s name “EPHRAIM”, Emmerton’s property 1826.”
Photograph of Retire Beckett Model Ship
Circa 1950. Material: Paper, Photograph. Origin: American, (Salem, Massachusetts).
A black and white mini photograph of a Retire Beckett model ship with the sign “Retire Beckett House, 1655, Antiques for Salem.” The model ship was at one point situated outside of the Retire Beckett House, a portion of which was relocated to The House of the Seven Gables campus in 1924. Originally, the structure was used as a two-story antique store before it was enlarged to be used as a tearoom. Today, the first floor of the building is accessible to the public and contains the Museum Store.
The Retire Beckett House was originally built in 1655 by John Beckett, a prominent Salem ship builder. His great-great grandson, Retire Beckett, would become known as one of Salem’s most famous shipbuilders. His most notable ship, Cleopatra’s Barge, was a yacht built for the Crowninshield family of Salem, Massachusetts, and is often thought to be the first American yacht. The barge was eventually purchased by King Kamehameha II, the king of Hawaii at the time. In 1824, Cleopatra’s Barge wrecked in the Hanalei Bay.
Henry Barr Portrait
Circa 1825. Material: Oil on Canvas. Origin: French (Marseilles). Arist: Unknown
Portrait painting of Captain Henry Barr (1800-1836). Barr has wavy, brown hair with short sideburns, blue-grey eyes, and is wearing a white stand-up collar, white cravat, yellow vest, and a blue lapelled jacket. It is marked “Painted in Marseilles.”
Captain Barr was involved in the Sumatran pepper trade and a member of the Salem Marine Society, along with E.A. Emmerton. He financially contributed to the erection of the Seamen’s Bethel, once located on Turner St., in Salem, Massachusetts. The goal of the Bethel was to increase church attendance among sailors and merchants. However, continued lack of attendance led the building to being sold to Caroline Emmerton for use in her Settlement programs with local immigrants in the Derby Street neighborhood. In 1914, the building was moved from its original spot on the seaside lawn to the opposite side of the mansion, closer to Derby Street. Emmerton increased the size of the building to add an additional classroom for the Settlement Association. By 1968, the structure was no longer in use and in an attempt to prevent any natural disasters from affecting the Turner-Ingersoll Mansion, the Bethel was demolished. Today, the bell of the Bethel remains on campus and is located in the building’s original spot on the seaside lawn.