Wage book for the slave trading ship True Blue captained by Richard Griffiths

Source catalog description

This description refers to material held by Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. Visual details below describe the original material.

This bound volume contains information regarding Captain Richard Griffiths and his crew aboard the slave trading ship True Blue, sailing from Liverpool, England to Benin and on to Kingston, Jamaica. The covers are made from a red marbled paper and the text [Ship / True Blue / Wages Book / Sail’d 6 april 1770] is written on the front cover in ink. The eighty-three (83) total interior pages have text pertaining to the 41 members of the crew, debits (including brandy, cloth, other goods, cash advances, and hospital money) and credits (including, to the Captain, "3 Privilige Slaves"). Most of the accounts concluding with an acknowledgement of receipt of the final sum due signed by either the crewmember or their beneficiary. It also recorded the 24 deaths and 1 desertion among the crew.

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