New York State Comptroller's Office Appointment of Harbor Master of Port of New York

The position of Harbor Master was created by an act of the Legislature on April 1, 1796 (Chapter 41). Originally one person but increased to eleven in 1850 (Chapter 72), the Harbor Masters of the Port of New York had the authority to regulate and station all ships and vessels in the stream of the East and North rivers within the limits of the city of New York. They could remove ships or vessels not employed in receiving or discharging their cargoes to make room for other vessels that required more immediate attention. If their instructions were not followed, they could subject the individuals in charge of the vessels to heavy fines. Harbor Masters were also required to enforce the execution of all laws of the state along with those of the city of New York. They were compensated by the fees collected from ships and vessels entering the Port of New York. They held their position for two years or until another individual was appointed to their position. The Harbor Master position was vacated following the passage of Chapter 357 of the Laws of 1883.

This series contains nominations for the position of Harbor Master of the Port of New York. Being a residency appointment, many of these letters include the length of time the nominee had lived in New York City and his past experience in the maritime profession. The letters are either written by the individual seeking the appointment or by those who wish to see a certain individual fill the position. They are signed by those who are petitioning for the specified individual to receive the nomination. The nominees include Isaac Sheffield, Jr., Peter Davey, and Reuben Folger. Reuben Folger's letter states that he served in the American Revolution and was captured five times by the British Army. All letters are addressed to the Governor and the Council of Appointment of the State of New York.

These records were transferred by the Banking Department to the New York State Library in 1940, and then later to the New York State Archives. It is likely these records originated in the Comptroller's Office, which handled functions that were assumed later by the Banking Department when it was created in 1851.

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