CAPTAIN’S JOURNAL SKETCHES BELGENLAND 1881 RED STAR LINE
CAPTAIN’S JOURNAL & SKETCHES SS BELGENLAND 1881 RED STAR LINE
OF >S.S. BELGENLAND, 1881
SAMUEL
JACKSON, MASTER COLLECTION
OF HISTORIC
Passenger
salutations and drawings
Feb, Mar, 1881 and other later years
Includes many hand drawn portraits and seascapes by passengersLetters, Poems, Recipes
Other miscellaneous papers
Presented is a collection of very unusual
documents from the personal journal of Samuel Jackson, Captain of the Red Line steamer Begenland
during one of its early voyages, likely Antwerp – New York or return. This
is the first BELGENLAND that was built by the Barrow Shipbuilding Co,and launched for the Red
Star Line in Antwerpon 24th Dec.1878
The leather bound
book was made up from pages of passenger’s autographs and greetings to the captain, numerous pencil drawings and other scenes>. It has poems,recipes, and letters,

all handwritten, that the passengers gave the captain to include.
The pages are not numbered,
and some are blank. It has entries through June 12, 1881 and some documents
with dates as late as September 3, 1885 and as early as May 30,
1879.Some clever new owner will have the drawings removed, matted
and framed for display. They will make a standout wall treatment displaying ocean travelers in the late 1800’s.The leather-bound log
book is titled:Captain Samuel Jackson S.S. “Begenland” Feb. 26th March 14th 1881< CONDITION: Except for the cover which is separated from binding all the interior pages are in good shape.>would make an outstanding arrangement if framed and displayed individually.THE SHIP: BEGENLAND, 1878
3,692 gross tons, length 402.9ft x beam 40.2ft, one funnel, four masts, iron hull, single “screw, speed 14 knots, accommodation for 150-1st and 1,000-3rd class passengers. Built by Barrow Shipbuilding Co, she was launched for the Red Star Line, Antwerp on 24th Dec.1878. Her maiden voyage from
Antwerp to Philadelphia started on 30th Mar.1879 transferred to Antwerp – New York sailings on 20th May 1879. Her last voyage on this service started 6th Jul.1895 and she>was then chartered to the American Line.

Reclassified to carry 150-2nd
and 1,000-3rd class passengers,she commenced Philadelphia – Liverpool sailings on 31st Jul. 1895. Her last sailing on this route startedsize:17th Oct.1903. Returned to Red Star Line, she was put on the Antwerp – Philadelphia service with 3rd class passengers only. Her last Philadelphia – Antwerp crossing started 7th Dec.1904 and she was then sold to
Italian owners and renamed VENERE. Scrapped in 1906.
[North Atlantic Seaway by N.R.P.Bonsor, vol.2,p.850]THE RED STAR LINE: The Red Star Line was a passenger ocean line that existedbetween its founding in 1871 and its amalgamation into the International Mercantile Marine Co. in 1902. The line was a joint venture between the International Navigation Company of Philadelphia, which also ran the American Line, and the Société Anonyme Belgo-Américaine of Antwerp, Belgium. The company’s main  ports ofCall were New York City and Philadelphia in the United States and Antwerp in Belgium. The company was founded by Clement
Griscom, who led it from its founding until its merger into the IMM. Red Star ships generally were given names ending in “-land”. Notable Red Star ships included >Belgenland, Finland, Kroonland, Lapland, Vaderland, and Zeeland. Some of the artists were:William H. LippincottY. Cromwell Beckwith, June 10, 1881 B. Lyn, 1881 of W.M.Chase
Walter Scott H.M. Lawrence, June 15, 1981 Douglas L. Decker, Aug 25th
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