About This Collection
Transcripts of arrivals and departures of vessels recorded at the Port of Philadelphia. Information provided is date of arrival or departure, type of vessel, name of vessel, name of master, place from whence arriving or to which departing, and tonnage of vessel. The letter E, L and R found on the lists stand for "Enrolled," Licensed," and "Registered." Enrollment permitted a vessel of not less than twenty tons to engage in domestic commerce or exploit the fisheries of the United States. A license was only issued to vessels of less than twenty tons and conferred the privilege of engaging in a specific trade, such as domestic commerce or mackerel fisheries, that were specified in the license. A register was issued as evidence of a vessel's nationality and was distinguished from an enrollment in that it applied only to American-owned vessels permitted to engage in foreign commerce. Images are arranged chronologically by date of arrival or departure. This collection is part of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission which was created in 1945.