Please see external document for detailed finding aid, that covers the portion of the collection that has been processed.

The Newburyport Federal Custom House Records spans the entire 121 years of the existence of the Newburyport Federal Customs District (1789-1910). Most of the correspondence in this collection takes the form of circular letters. Impost records are complete from 1792 to 1911, and are the most significant records in this collection pertaining to imports of goods from foreign countries. Inspectors', weighers', gaugers', and measurers' returns, which provide more minute detail on imported cargoes, are extensive for the first half of the nineteenth century. These returns also shed light on exports, as do the abstracts of exports (1795-1841, 1847-1873). Documentary records pertaining to individual vessels (registers, enrollments, licenses, abstracts thereof, accompanying bonds, and bills of sale) are very extensive and in many cases nearly complete for the nineteenth century. Crew lists and registers of seamen's protection provide information on individual mariners. The collection contains a significant number of fishing vessel journals from the 1850s and 1860s. Drawback and bounty records are fairly complete for the first half of the nineteenth century. Warehouse records are scanty. Financial records are complete enough to form a highly accurate picture of business at the custom house throughout the nineteenth century. Other types of records in this collection have large gaps in sequence or are available only for short periods.

This first part of this inventory encompasses only the bound volumes of Newburyport Federal Customs Records. The Phillips Library also has 125 scrapbooks of loose papers from the Newburyport Customs District, as well as many bundles of papers. These loose papers, among which are various inspection certificates, manifests, etc., are presently uncatalogued. See external document for detailed finding aid.