The John C. Nelson Papers consist of shipping papers and some personal receipts for ship captain John C. Nelson. The collection has been arranged into two series.

Series I. John C. Nelson Papers consist of financial accounts to vessel owners, receipt for successful delivery of goods, and bills and receipts for services and supplies (especially from Hicks & Bailey and Grant & Kimball). Some receipts appear to be for personal items. The papers provide insight into the career of one captain and the day-to-day running of the vessels. The papers in this collection are financial in nature. The papers relate to Nelson's activities as captain of four vessels from 1850 to 1874: the brigs Naratiske, Nuevitas, Crocus, and Nellie Mitchell, as well as those which do not name a specific vessel. The papers mention stops in several ports: Ponce, Mayaguez and Arecibo, Puerto Rico; Vera Cruz and Minatitlan, Republic of Mexico; Havana and Caibarien, Cuba; Aspinwall (now Colon), Panama; Bissau, Portuguese Guinea; Gambia and Rio Pongo, West Africa; and New York, New York, New Haven, Connecticut, Hallowell, Maine, Gardiner, Maine, Brunswick, Georgia, Pensacola, Florida, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Series II. Maritime Records consist of four folders. The first folder consists of six of William Fabens' financial receipts from 1841 to 1857. The second group consists of receipt forms for items unloaded in New York from the bark Roderick Dhu over a two day period in 1849. The third group is a collection of blank shipping forms. Finally, there are several miscellaneous receipts and letters dated 1839 to 1904.