Series I. Derby Shipping Papers covers the years 1717 to 1827, and incorporates ships owned by, mastered by, or which carried cargo for Richard Derby (1712-1783), his son Elias Hasket Derby (1793-1799), and grandsons Elias Hasket Derby Jr. (1766-1826), John Derby (1767-1831), and Ezekiel Hersey Derby (1772-1852). The shipping papers have been arranged into three subseries.

Subseries A. Ships' Papers are arranged alphabetically, and contain ships' orders, accounts of sales, disbursements, invoices, merchant house correspondence, port ledge bills, and crew lists. In addition, there is some captains' correspondence, mostly from Derby family members, bills of lading, and miscellaneous accounts and receipts while in foreign ports. This subseries includes papers of the Ranger and Volant, both ships that were mastered by Richard (1712-1783), the Grand Turk, Astrea, Henry, John, and Peggy, as well as other less documented vessels (see Appendix I). Several Derby ships were captured during the French and Indian War, Revolutionary War, and before the War of 1812. The correspondence or documents related to these captures are located with the ship's papers, or with the folder of spoliation claims (box 9, folder 9). Papers of vessels captured by Derby ships are located with the Derby privateer or letter of marque. Included in this series are papers of the sloop Union, mastered by Richard's uncle Samuel Derby (1673-1728), and the Mary and Restitution, both mastered by John Derby (1767-1831).

Subseries B. General Shipping Papers include all documents that either could not be identified, or that are related to more than one ship. These general shipping papers include financial papers, invoice books, account books, and Customhouse bonds. Accounts of Derby family members with each other or with their captains are included in the folders of miscellaneous shipping accounts (box 8, folders 7 and 8). Elias Hasket's (1739-1799) outbound invoice books, volumes 2 and 3, contain invoices of cargoes on ships sailing from Salem while the inbound invoice book, volume 4, records cargoes on ships sailing from foreign ports. Volumes 2 and 4 contain detailed indexes that list ship, master, and destination for all entries. Within the folder of miscellaneous account books are two account books with entries for privateers, and one pamphlet that records fishing voyages in the 1750s. The folders of outfitting accounts (box 9, folders 2-5) include all accounts, receipts, and contracts made for the building, altering, or outfitting of ships.

Subseries C. Shipping and Merchant House Correspondence is organized into four sub-subseries. The merchant house correspondence contains correspondence, accounts, and ship's papers for cargo shipped by the house. The correspondence, arranged alphabetically by name of the firm, has been divided into the correspondence of Richard (1712-1783), Elias Hasket (1738-1799), and of the grandsons: Elias Hasket Jr. (1766-1826), John (1767-1831), and Ezekiel Hersey (1772-1852) Derby. The majority of the correspondence in the latter groups is to John, either while he was in business with Benjamin Pickman, John Prince, Samuel G. Derby, or by himself. One folder (box 14, folder 5) contains letters to John Prince and Benjamin Pickman, sons-in-law of Elias (1739-1799) and partners of the Derbys in many shipping ventures. See Appendix II for a detailed listing of major merchant houses that the Derbys employed, and their locations.

The miscellaneous shipping correspondence (box 9, folder 8) includes letters of instruction and captain's correspondence as well as letters regarding cargo and general shipping business. Correspondence that deals with more than one vessel or appears to discuss more than the specifics of a case is located in the folder of spoliation claims (box 9, folder 9). Of special interest among the spoliation claims is the correspondence with John Gardner, 1761-1765, which refers to the corruption in the claims court, and the protest from Elias Hasket Derby (1739-1799) regarding duties on tea.