From the Archives - Did the ship's log record the birth of the Captain's son?

[@davidgrim5990]

I think the culture was different then. They had a very professional idea of what should or should not be in the log book. I'm sure marriages would also not be in the log book. Only thing I think they might have included was the death of a passenger.

[@PenobscotMarineMsm]

Yes, the logbook was the official record of the voyage and many stick to professional observations. However, some logs (and charts!) in our collection do include personal experiences, such as the leather-bound logbook of the ship STATE OF MAINE from September 6, 1896-April 17, 1898 kept by Henry Griffin Curtis. It includes the ship leaking badly in a gale, not making progress across the equator, son George is on board and catching fish, has purple stamp "* Opened. Crew. Beef *", celebrating his 46th birthday, Manila stowaways, sending mail ashore by bumboatmen, steward confronted mate with a knife, adventures of daughter Hope and Miss Gordon (may be Grace Gordon, his second wife) making desserts and being seasick, and Hope's 16th birthday.