Shipyard tools
Within the shipyard communities, ship joiners and caulkers were the more specialized
trades and typically followed work throughout the lower Connecticut River Valley,
while ship’s carpenters, who performed more generalized work, tended to remain
more stationary, working for one yard. Excerpts from surviving account books describe
workers’ wages – an average worker made about 4 shillings a day in the early 19th
century; a skilled caulker could make 9 or 10 shillings a day.
Others were paid by piece, such as 3 shillings per hundred trunnels. Census records
show that many shipyard workers maintained farms to supplement their yard work, or
also worked as house wrights or cabinet makers. Samuel Williams’ account book cites
examples of workers being paid in kind, as Gideon Pratt receives, “...one bushel rye, 2
quarts molasses, 1 bushel salt...” etc., presumably from the Williams’ stores of supplies
on or near the shipyard. Some workers entered the shipyard simply as “laborer”, learned
trades and elevated themselves to more skilled, better paying positions over the years.
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