A slide deck from presentation made at the November annual conference meeting of the NC Maritime Council in Elizabeth City NC

1. 1300th Anniversary

2. 2
Letter to the Governor of North Carolina
Charles Eden
From the Lords Proprietors
August 1st 1716:
…We have consented that Bath Town according to the
Petition sent by you shall be made a Sea Port Town,
and we have given our Secretary Orders accordingly.
But how or after what manner it shall be made a
Corporation we have taken time to consider of. We
wish you all happiness and success in your
Government and are,
Your very loving Friends,
CARTERET Palatin,
JA: BERTIE for BEAUFORT,
FULWAR SKIPWITH for CRAVEN,
M. ASHLEY, J. OLLETON, J. DANSON

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Barnwell’s 1717 map of NC
and SC, showing towns,
Indian trails, Indian
villages, Forts. COPY 1744

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Homann’s 1714 map of Virginia, Maryland and
Carolina, Courtesy of Tryon Palace, New Bern
NC

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BRIEF PORT BATH DISTRICT TIMELINE

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BATHTOWNE

11. CarolinaCharters
1663 and 1665
•Note the original
southern boundary of
the Virginia Charter
which originally
included most of the
populated Albemarle
County.
•The 1665 southern
border of the Carolina
Charter included all of
Georgia North Florida
below Spanish St.
Augustine south down
to Dayton and west
along the Gulf Coast
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BATHTOWNE

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Moseley’s 1708 map sent to
Lambeth Palace. Map was
delivered by a missionary
petitioning the London
Bishop for a new Edenton
church . Note Landgrave
Gov. Daniel on Archbell
Point & Leigh the customs.
Collector on the south
shore. 350 tytheable adult
white males 16 + yo vs. 1250
males Albemarle County.

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733 map, drawn
urtesy of ECU
rary 4th Floor

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1729
1704
1702

15. Thereareports,
littlep … and
ThenThere Are
PORTS….
CAPITAL P
In early 18th c. There
were ports and landings
on every navigable creek
and river. The Port of
Bath was much more
than just a small
peninsula town with
five wharves. This map
shows the boundaries of
the later 1730 Port Bath
district as well as shows
the vast region Bath
County covered down to
the Cape Fear River.
15
1.
N. CAROLINA FIVE COLONIAL PORT REGIONS
1733 - 1775

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1766 map of Bath
showing five Water St.wharves
1807 copy John Forbis
Bath town plan by John Lawson
1706-1710, no wharves only sandy
landings , vessels anchor out in the
creek or tie mooring lines to trees

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The 1766/1807 Forbis Map
showing 5 wharves in old
Bath
1. Marsh
2. Scott’s
3. Adams
4. Willis
5. Oden’s
Town Point

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Great Britain, the mother country followed economic principles of
Mercantilism, the predecessor to Laissez Faire/Free Market Supply
and Demand…. Mercantilism was also known as bullionism

21.  All the Navigation and Trade Acts of Parliament with approval of British royal sovereigsn
(below King Charles II, Queen Anne, King George )mandated by were accepted in theory
but defied in practice by most New England and Carolina planter-merchants selling
surplus crops, livestock, and lumber. Planters, merchants, common farmers and pirates
all knew full well avoiding Customs could result in fines, penalties like jail or hanging, at
best seizure and sale of both vessel and cargo if caught.
21

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Navigation Acts of 1650— Trade conducted on English vessels with English
captains only
Navigation Acts of 1660—Crews had to be ¾ English (or American),
enumerated products (tobacco, sugar, etc)could only be shipped from colonies to
England
Navigation Acts of 1663— all raw goods and commodities shipped first to
England. Ships continued to violate shipping directly between British colonies and
Holland, Spain, Venice and other foreign ports..by 1671 The first royal customs
officer was appointed by King Charles to Virginia
1673 – The Act of 1673 detailed new duties for enumerated goods levied by the
Commissioners of the Customs under the Authority of the Lord Treasurer, or
Commissioners of the Treasury. The first customs officers were assigned to
only Maryland, the Carolina, Virginia, Bermuda and a few West Indies Islands.
1696 -The Act of 1696 re-organized the Colonial Customs Service and new Vice-
Admiralty courts established in 11 districts. New powers of enforcement were
granted, proceeds from seizure one-third to the king, one third to the governor
and one third to the prosecuting agent.

23. TheLONDON
CUSTOMS
HOUSE
All customs service
officials ultimately
reported to a branch
of the British
Treasury and all
reports of vessels and
cargo clearing customs
were submitted
quarterly. The
London Customs
House located on the
north shore of the
Thames River just east
of the old London
bridge and near the
Tower of London .
23Colored Engraving of London by Probst 1740 Courtesy Tryon Palace, New Bern North Carolina

24.  Mercantilism, British economic theory of the day:
 The amount of gold in the world is essentially fixed
 A nation increases its power by increasing stockpiles of gold
 Gold supply at home is increased by minimizing imports (importing or bartering for raw goods)
and maximizing exports (selling finished or manufactured goods )
 Colonies and building an empire best way to supply raw materials to the mother country
 The mother country can reduce sending gold payments to a foreign country by making all
colonies buy English products
 Mercantilist Policies—making sure through the
Navigation and Trade Acts that port officials monitor
trade involving North America and Caribbean Island
colonies to the benefit of England
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Albemarle
County
Bath
County

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Customs Collectors, Comptrollers, Naval Officers, Tidewaiters,
Riding surveyors, Ocracoke pilots, stevedores, slaves, navigation
apprentices and port tradesmen
In 1715 A packing and shipping inspection system was set up for pork, beef, pitch and tar . Initially the
warehouses were near Core Point, by `1743 they moved to Bath and upstream to Red Banks. The
commodities warehouse also stored the powder and lead duties payments, sometimes paid in powder or
swanshot, sometimes paid in equivalent commodities.
In 1723 The General Assembly set up a self-perpetuating Port Bath Board of Commissioners. They were
instructed to take duties collected on powder and lead entering the district, use the money marking
channels between Ocracoke Inlet and Bath with buoys and beacons.
In 1739 “powder money” was used to hire people to mark routes from Edenton, Bath and New Bern to
Ocracoke. Two boats were to be outfitted and the pilots were to bring ships through the inlet and lead
them to port and report changes in the channel.
In 1750 additional inspection items were added: hemp, flax, flax seed, rice flour, butter, turpentine,
indigo, tanned leather, deerskins, staves, shingles, lumber1752 a tonnage duty, was imposed on clearing
ships. These funds were used to stake and mark channels. The governor appoint pilots but they were
paid by the sea captains who used them. Michael Coutanche, a Boston captain and merchant, built the
Palmer Marsh house around 1751. He married the daughter of a successful Bath Merchant and by 1758
operated two stores to sell merchandise. owned 7 Bath lots, 600 acres and other properties along the
Pamlico River and Pantego Creek

28.  James Lee/Leigh 1703 Customs collector to Port Pamtico
Source Beaufort Co. Deed Book Vol. I
 Wm. Barrow 1704 Appointed deputy customs collector
by James Leigh
 BelowPort Bath official names from Alan D. Watson’s 2005 book about Historic Bath:
 Wm. Alexander To 1724 Also served Port Currituck
 Isaac Ottiwell 1724-1731 Council papers Apr15 1724
 Wm. Owen 1731-1735 Exec Council Minutes, Oct 17 1732
 Roger Ormond 1735-1736
 John Rieusset 1736-1739
 George Gould 1739-1753
 Robert Palmer 1753-1772
 Wm. Palmer 1772-1776
 Wm. Brown Last Royal Collector appointee
 Nathan Keais 1776-1790 Appt’d by NC Gen Assembly
28

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Example of Customs Operations Record keeping 1767
INCOME Revenue collected 20 Pound Sterling GB
EXPENSES:
Customs Collectors Salary 40
Boats and Workers 10
Stationary 20
Postage 1
Office rent 10
Total Expenses 81 Pound Sterling GB

30.  The practice is, so soon as Ships arrive, the
Commanders first wait on the Governor, then go to the
Secretaries Office and give Bond and Security … after
which they go to the Comptroller of the Customs to pay
a fee of 6s 3d: from thence they go see the Naval Officer
and lodge their Cockets (cargo lists), they receive two
certificates, one directed to the Collector, the other to
the Receiver General who grants a permit and then the
Ship is allowed to deliver her cargo. This process
generally takes three days.
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Imports ledger Jan 1-March 8, 1790 includes
columns for vessel name, master name, from
whence, cargo, duties paid
Type merchant vessels: 6 sloops, 4
schooners, 1 brig.
Total Duties collected, ledger sheet in pounds,
shilling, pence L 288 s 14 p 3 ½.
Eight From Where ports: Martinique,
Boston, Norfolk (4), Demerara, Baltimore,
Cape Francais, Barbados and Guadeloupe.

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Data source St. Eustatius* and
Port Bath: a state archives bar
chart dated 16 July 2004 by
Richard Lawrence, retrieved
Raleigh state archives and
history 7/7/15. Percentages of
top six ports listed in Port Bath’s
1761-1790 records, based on
vessels clearing Port Bath
customs inbound/outbound by
city:
New York 18.3/12.2%
Philadelphia 16.5/14.2%
Baltimore 8.6/ 7.7%
Charleston 6.2/11.4%
Boston 4.4/ 2.4 %
St. Eustatius 2.5/ 6.0% *
The Penny University: A History of the Coffee-
Houses. London: Seeker & Warburg, 1952.

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34. September 1773
The Brig Elizabeth
Col. Robert Palmer, the former
Port Bath CustomsCollectorand formeraideto
GovernorTryon. chartered from the London
merchantThomas Walters, theowner, and was to
sail from London to Bath Townwhereshewasto
takeonacargoof tarand turpentineon joint
account of Palmerand Walters.
Brig Elizabeth, 160 tons burden, crew of 8.
Captain Scott master. Sailed from
London in ballast. Forced by bad weather
into Isle of Wight. A Cowes merchant
consigned cargo of hoes, axes, canvas,
strong beer to be bartered for NC Tar.
Temporary Repairs from storm damage
made in Beaufort Dec 1773-Mar 1774, five
day sail to Bath. Captain executed a
bottomry bond witnessed by two Bath
merchants Richard Nassau Stephens,
formerly of NY, and William. Tyler Kilby.
.Departed Bath June 12 1774, arrived
Plymouth Aug 13. Arrived London Aug 29.
Significance: Robert Palmer after moving back to
England in 1772 still was cooperating in trade with his
son William, who by then had inherited both the Port
Bath collector post and his father’s home, the Palmer-
Marsh House. The events were recounted in English
High Court Admiralty 1775-1778 in a dispute related to
the captain selling the goods to pay for repairs, versus
using letters of credit as instructed to William Palmer
of Bath, son of “Robert Palmer of London, Merchant.”
34
PILOT SCHOONER GUIDING
A MERCHANT BRIG

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9 June 1755 the “Dunluce” under Captain William Palmer, son of
Col. Robert Palmer, arrived in Whitehaven
England from Edenton with cargo of naval
Stores , rice, staves, and black walnut logs.
The “Dunluce” was of 120 tons and carried a crew of 12.
William Palmer lived in the Palmer Marsh house and served as Port
Bath customs collector 1772-1776 after his father moved back to
England. William Palmer died in 1786 leaving a wife and five
children.

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Northerly and Southerly routes to Britain relied on
trade winds and currents. Bath to Boston to
London was the shorter route, a 7-12 week voyage.

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Vessels from Port of Bath passing through Port Roanoke
12 April 1704 The Pamtico Adventure under Captain Levi Truewhite
bound from Maryland To Port Roanoke with cargo of meat, lard, and feathers.
9 May 1704 brig Martha under Captain Henry Munfort bound from Boston
to Port Roanoke with cargo of rum, molasses, and ships rigging.
She was registered At North Carolina in 1699, was of 40 tons burden,
and carried a crew of 2…. Also 25 August 1704 Brig Martha under Captain Jeffry
Bedgood bound for Boston with cargo of furs and skins.
3 August 1704 sloop Tryall under captain Joseph Mind bound for Maryland.
1751 Michael Coutanche Bath Merchant bought the 100 ton New Bern, frequently
sailing between Liverpool and Bath with hundreds of barrels of tar.

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Flour, 8s. 9d. to 9s. per C.
White Bread, 15s. per C.
Middling, ditto 13s.
Brown, ditto 10s. to 11s.
Tobacco, 9s. to 10s.
Moscovado Sugar, 25 to 35s.
Turpentine, 9s.to 10s.
Rice, 14s. to 15s.
Ginger, 18s. to 20s.
Rum, 2s.4d to 2s.6d.p.Gal.
Melasses, 1s.3d. to 1s.4d.
Salt, fine, 14d. to 18d.per Bush.
Ditto, Course, 1s.
Wheat, 3s.2d. to 3s.6d.
Rye, 2s.3d. to 2s.6d.
Indian Corn, 20d. to 21d.
Barley, 1s.8d. to 2s.
Pale Malt, 2s.9d.
Ditto, High-colour'd, 2s.6d.
Pork, 25s. per Barrel.
Beef, 30s.
Pitch, 13s. to 14s.
Tar, 10s.
Gun-Powder,
Bohea-Tea, 25 to 30s.p.Pound
Whalebone, 3s.6d. to 3s.9d.
Pipe-Staves, 3 l. per Thous.
Hogshead, ditto, 45s.
Barrel, ditto, 22s.6d.
Pine Boards, 3 l.
Mad. Wine, 19 to 22l.p.Pipe
The American weekly Mercury Gazette 1722,
Philadelphia market prices

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Ho ho ho
RUM and SPIRITS, kegs,
barrels,
glass and ceramic
containers
Surviving Port Bath records from the years from September 1761 –
September 1769 162 vessels entered Port Bath bringing alcoholic
beverages of some type: West Indian rum, Madeira wine, French
brandy, English, Irish and Scottish gin and whiskey . Tariffs were
collected on 41, 848 gallons of rum alone.
Rum duties alone supposedly paid for the building of Tryon
Palace and funded the North Carolina government in general in
the decade before the American Revolution.

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The main small craft work vessels were shallops, periaguers, rafts, skiffs and
canoes. Colonial sailing vessels with cargo passing through Port Bath were
primarily sloops and schooners, less than 50 -70tons. Less frequent were
brigs, snows, pinks and larger merchant ships of maximum 200-250 tons.
Colonial Merchant Sailing Vessels
1768-1790 PORT BATH RECORDS
Vessel Size
# Tons Burden
Count
Percent
% min avg max
sloop 1080 0.44 10 33 95
schooner 1006 0.41 6 41 126
brig/snow 335 0.14 40 80 178
ship 22 0.01 90 136 250
2443
sloop
schooner
brig/snow
ship

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Danish merchant ship with Spanish pink
Merchant ship, Brig, Sloop

47. 47Drawings courtesy of Michael Alford

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Merchant Ship, Brig, Sloop Port of New York 1790
South Street City Seaport Museum, NYC

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Governor Daniel- Brig Martha
Edward Salter- Brig Luke
Col Robert Palmer-Brig
Elizabeth
John Gray Blount –Brig Tulley
Chesapeake Sloop- Governor Cary name
unknown built by Shipwright Harding
Sloop Adventure 1718
Blackbeard’s Jamaica Sloop
Brig or
brigantine

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La Chaleur, 1768, 2 masted
Schooner
Sloop with Oars

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According to records in Raleigh approx. 2443 known vessels paying customs going
through Port Bath: 1080 sloops, 1006 schooners, 335 brigs/snows, and 22
merchant ships.
Smaller sloops and schooners were equally common clearances at Port Bath,
representing together approximately 85% of vessels recorded and averaging under
33 and 41 tons respectively. Larger brigs and ships averaging 80 and 136 tons
respectively were the exception. Although large brigs and ships over 150 ton were
rare, large brigs as large as 186 tons and at least one ship as much as 250 ton
could and did sail over the Ocracoke bar and up to Port Bath.
The few early 1700-1730 early era Port Bath sloops whose specs this editor was
able to identify, approx. 25 vessels, seem very much at the small end of the sloop
and schooner range, varying from 7 tons to 30 tons. Tonnage was an important
feature to capture because customs duties were paid based on 3 shillings and 4
pence per ton for example, called “powder duties” because the taxes were collected
in powder and ammunition to protect the ports.

54.  Non customs house legal records reveal at least twenty one known vessels with
either names, size or ton burden specifics mentioned in the 1700-1730 period
with respect to likely Port Bath clearances . They are as follows: Town Clerk
Levi Truewhitt’s Sloop Pamlico Adventure (1704) 30 tons, Capt. James Beard’s
The James of New York 10 ton sloop, (1704) , Governor Daniels’ brig Martha
(1709) which held 100 barrels of Tar, each 250 pounds, the sloop Speedwell 7
tons, (1710), Governor Cary’s nameless sloop 46 feet length built by Harding
with an 8 foot hold (1709/1710), Fowler’s Eagle 13 ton sloop, (1725/26) , John
West’s large sailing periaguer built by a local shipwright Harding named The
Adventure (1725). Edward Salter also had a larger brigantine named The Happy
Luke (will probate 1734). For small craft we also know that Edward Teach (1718)
and Edward Salter had unnamed two masted sailing pirogues, Thomas Morris
had an unnamed 17.5 foot shallop (1707). Teach also had a 64 foot sloop named
Adventure with 8 foot draft. Other names of sloops known to have passed
through Bath with diligent owners or master leaving records include Batchelor,
Content, Fortune, Frances, Rachel , Thomas and John, Tryall…. and schooners
Ranger, Seaflower, and Virginity.
54

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Sarah Depuis a French widow, William Christopher Gale Fur
Trader,
Seth Pilkington,Merchant and father in law of Michael Cotanche
Col. Robert Palmer Port Collector and Merchant, his son William
Palmer, Port collector and Merchant

56. 56
That your petitioners with Gods blessing on
their hard labours have made such
improvements in their said respective
plantations that they are able yearly to supply
her majesties shipps with great stores of
victualling stores and of pitch and Tarr and
with great quantities of Extraordinary good
masts and Plants of Oak. And had your
petitioners Iron there and by her Majesties
Countenance and Assistance they could carry
on a very considerable trade there and much
increase her Majesties’ customs and had
Immediate Government and protection they
could be enabled to pay their duty to her
Majestye in diver other perticulars of Publick
importance.

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August 5, 1703
Vol 22, p 732-735
Hon’d Father…. I cood wish Bro. Miles were with me just
now, for Tomorrow’s light I sett out upon an Indian Voiage,
in ord’r to follow a shallop’s load off Indian goods, w’ch I
sent away about 2 months ago for Cape Fare River. W’ch
Voiage wood make him an expert Carolina Coaster, & inure
him soe far to ye Customes & Language off ye Heathen, as to
make him a well qualify’d Ind. Trader, by w’ch Imploym’e he
may secure for himself a Comfortable being in ye world. If
he comes, he shall not want Imployment, butt I wood advice
y’u to lett him marry before he comes away, provided he can
marry a Fortune that wood encounter ye dangers off ye
Atlantick Ocean, one penny in England is 3 w’th us, iff well
laid out, & iff he cood butt bring w’th him 2 or 300 ll w’th a
wife, I cood putt him in ye way to live as happy as ye day is
long. Marriage att ye best is butt a happy or unhappy
chance . … Christopher Gale, Bath resident,
First NC Chief Justice

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Gentlemen,
Here so many disappointments attend this
trade that it’s enough to discourage any
person that has a fortune …. Here’s such
swarms of N.E. pedlars, running from house
to house, that I am afraid these lazy planters
will not easily be reconciled to any other way
of business. … enclosed you will find account
of what I have sold…the scooner is fitted as
well as our country will admit, but could not
put any oak plank aboard without great loss
in storage.
I will dispatch her in about 12 days, with beef,
pork and tallow. I shall keep a periaguer
running to collect and bring to a storehouse I
have rented.

59.  This fall has proved hotter than usual made me afraid to kill beef till October,
then Rantree (his captain) has been sick, or the Negroes running away
continually, which has given one more uneasiness than you can imagine. This
three months past I’ve been hurried about to pick up this little modicum (and
lumber for the sloop). However, I’ve brought the better sort to despise N.E.
stinkabugs, which gives me encouragement. …I’ve provided an able seaman and
artist to bring you the new scooner which I hope you will have the pleasure of
seeing next May. If you send again, please send 5 hhds rum, 3 hhds malt, 4 carls
sugar, 5 bolts ozenburg, 3 ps garlix, 3 ps, checks, and 1 ream of paper. I’ve sent
your peas in carls. That will serve for rum and be more handy than hhds. I am,
gentlemen, your most ob’t humble serv’t,
 S P
 P.S. I should have sent you more livestock of the feathered kind
but Rantree would not carry them.
 To Messrs. Pilkington & Wilson
 At St. Christophers, per Capt. Rantree
59

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Firstly Firsts
of Bath Town
 First town in NC
established 1705, earlier
known as Pamticoe
named after local Indians
 First official port of entry
1715/1716
 First lending library
 First free school
 First Indian school
 First church
 First Post Road
 Second oldest county in
the state of North
Carolina created 1696
 Second oldest surviving
courthouse built 1787
 Included the largest
inland body of water in
the 13 original colonies,
Pamlico Sound.
The old Extinct Bath
County

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PSA please do come to this year’s May 28th merged event Port Bath 300th/BathFest
where Art meets History . Also July’s Pirates in the Port held annually on Bonner Point

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 He that keeps a Plantacon Custom house
 One year, may bee a man, the next a Mouse.
 Your Brother Dyer hath the Divell played, Made the New Yorkers at the
first affraide,
 He vapoured, swagger’d hector’d (whoe but hee?)
 But soon destroyed himself by Villanie.
 Written by Bostonians welcoming Edward Randolph as Port of Boston royal customs collector.
 Dyer was a disgraced Port of New York customs official
 Gillian Hookway Jones
 My Email: gillian1007@hotmail.com
 THANKYOU!!

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PORT BATH TIMELINE –
Proprietorial Era Port Officials Through 1729
1715 - After biennial Assembly meeting Governor Eden carries new laws to the
Lords Proprietors for approval and a petition to London seeking a new port
1716, August 1 - Lords Proprietors’ decree from St. James Palace creates Port
Bath, part of the British Colonial Customs Service under the Treasury
1720, Nov 23 – On NC trade, Joseph Boone and John Barnwell, agents for South
Carolina in a letter to the Lords Proprietors.... “Trade is carried on by small
sloops from New England who bring them cloathing and Iron wear and
exports Port and Corn. Of Late they made about 6000 barrells of pitch and
tarre which the New England sloops carry first to New England and then to
Great Britain. “ (Col. Rec. of NC Vol. 2, p. 3, 96)
1723 - John Dunston received his commission as naval officer for North
Carolina, including everything north and east of Cape Fear.
1724 - Isaac Ottiwell was deputized and empowered as “Collector of all the
Rates and Duties and Impositions at Bath Towne in the Province of North
Carolina.”
1729, July 29 - The proprietary period ended, making North Carolina a royal
colony and Port Bath a royal customs district.

67. 67
By the 1750s, Gov. Dobbs said “Port Bath so declined that it was of small
importance. “Governors George Burrington and Arthur Dobbs often suggested
that a port of entry be established at Ocracoke, (because all shipping to or from
Albemarle or Pamlico sound passed there) and that ports of New Bern Bath and
Edenton be abolished. (Crittendon, 1936). The five ports continued on as before.
1753 Successful Scottish Bath merchant Scottish Col. Robert Palmer held the
customs collector office in the eighteenth century and served nearly two decades.
The Palmer-Marsh House where he lived and conducted business still stands.
Originally built by Channel Island merchant Michael Coutanche in 1751, the
impressive colonial home is part of the Bath State Historic site and is open to the
public today.
1755 The Assembly met after county inhabitants complained Bath “the place
where Court is held is very inconvenient … and the Court House is being very
ruinous.” A commission was appointed to build a courthouse, pillory and stocks
on the land of Thomas Bonner on the north side of the Pamlico.
1758 – Gov. Dobbs ordered a shipping embargo due to trouble with France, French-
Indian War.

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1760 Pitt County was divided from Beaufort County.
1764 General Assembly through influence of Col Robert Palmer Surveyor General,
swayed court to be moved back to Bath. Effective Jan 1, 1765 inhabitants of Pitt,
Beaufort, Craven, Dobbs and Johnston counties were notified “all entries for land
would be taken 1767, Jan. 30, Gov. William Tryon reported to the Board of Trade
that shipbuilding was not considerable, the largest built vessel not exceeding 200
tons burden.
1771 – Nov. 30, Major James Bonner petitioned for a town to be established on his
plantation, sixty lots on 30 acres of his farm were laid out but a bill was not
passed.
1776 The center of colonial commerce moved upriver as evidenced in the Journal
of the Council of Safety, Halifax, minutes from Oct 21st 1776: Resolved That…The
Armed Brig, General Washington now lying at Washington do proceed with all
possible dispatch to Ocracok Bar and to remain within the said Bar in order to
protect the Trading vessels which may be coming into or going out of the port….
1777 Capt. Nathan Keais, who served in the Second Regiment of the NC
Continental Troops, was last known Port Bath collector . He and family, the Bath
courthouse and the customs officials moved to Washington. He and his wife
bought a lot and built a house beside John Gray Blount a Port Bath commissioner
and one of the most successful Beaufort County Merchants of the late 18th c.

69. 69
1782, April 13 Hillsboro, Town of Washington incorporated (State Records XXIV
p. 458).
1783 – Act of Navigation and Pilotage: “Whereas the commerce of this state has
been greatly injured by the insufficiency and negligence of pilots and for want
of staking out channels.” Nathan Keais, Thomas Alderson, Richard Blackledge,
John Bonner and John Gray Blount of Washington were appointed
Commissioners for Port Bath...”to contract with proper persons to examine
situation of the swash and keep channels from Occacock bar to Washington,
staked out. Said taxes at Port Bath were 20 s[hillings] per 50-100 tons, 30
s[hillings] for vessels above 100 tons.”
1784 - an Act passed to set pilot fees in Washington: “to establish in the towns
of Edenton, Washington, New Bern and Wilmington, courts for speedy
decisions of Mercantile Transactions with Foreigners and Transient Persons
and Maritime Affairs.“
1785-1787- Shipping lists and Accounts of Duties Received Submitted by
Nathan Keias, Port Bath Collector
1788 - Jonathan Loomis Esq. appointed “Judge for Marine court” in Town of
Washington.
1790 - Congress declared Washington a federal Port of Entry. First quarter of
1790 is the last time Port Bath appears in use on Continental impost collection
shipping lists and correspondence. In 1794 Keias submits a document settling
up fees collected from 1790. Keias is buried at St. Peter’s Church in Washington.

70. 70

71. 71
1730’s Port of Philadelphia

72. 721739 Charleston

73. 73York Virgina 1755

74. 741756 Port of Philadelphia

75. 75Charleston 1767

76. 76Boston 1768 by Paul Revere

77. 77
Model of a colonial merchant ship
loading at a wharf

78. 78Salem Mass

79. 79
Sketch of Charleston’s Tradd
St. Wharf 1793

80. 80William Hogarth “Sent to Sea” 1748

81. 81
HMS Frigate Squirrel, Port of Charleston

82. 82
From Frye & Jefferson Cartouche
Map of Virginia and MD

83. 83
John Gray Blount,
Port Bath
Commissioner’s
house on Water
Sreet. Washington
NC. Capt. Nathan
Keias Port Bath
Customs Collector
bought a next door
lot and built a home
Nixonton Customs House, built 1820, photo taken 1940, Pasquotank River.
Perhaps the Beaufort County Customs Houses in Port Bath and Port of
Washington looked similar?

84. 84

85. 85

86. 86

87. 87
The naval ensigns of both lack the blue and Scottish saltire element in the upper quadrant, which may just be an
unfinished detail. A naval lugger (possibly a launch or longboat) is in the foreground.. The ship on the left flies the
red ensign often signifying one on independent commission, while the white one suggests the frigate on the right is
from a command under a flag officer of the white squadron. This vessel also shows a rare example of the use of a
long square driver (sail) hoisted in a following wind to the peak of the lateen mizzen yard, which normally carries a
fore-and aft sail. PT2030 © National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London
Two small
British Royal
Navy frigates,
1775
watercolor by
Gabriel Bray.
The ships
mount 11 guns
per side, small
frigates
carried approx
26-28 guns.