In the London Custom House there are two manifests or reports made by John Paul Jones to local customs officials when he was master of the ship John. These bear the signature "John Paul," which is exceedingly rare, as nearly all the Jones papers in existence were written subsequent to the time when he changed his name. One of these manifests is dated August 30, 1769, and is the earlier of the two, if my memory serves me right. Through the kindness of Mr. Henry Atton, librarian of the customs library in London, who used this manifest in his book, "The King's Customs," it is here reproduced in facsimile.
From the manifest we learn that the John was a Dumfries ship (not a Kirkcudbright ship as given by most authors), of about 75 tons burden, British plantation-built and British owned, and carried a crew of seven men—on this voyage all British. She had recently arrived from Jamaica at Kirkcudbright, in southwest Scotland, with a cargo of rum, sugar, mahogany, logwood, pimento and cotton. Part of the cargo was consigned to Currie, Beck & Co., owners of the John. An endorsement on the manifest shows that she sailed from Kirkcudbright to Whitehaven, England, to complete the discharge of her cargo.
The John, a brigantine, was the first ship commanded by Jones, and in 1769-1770 he made two voyages to the West Indies as her master. It is said that he obtained his command in this way: He was returning home from a slaving adventure, and sailed on the John as a passenger. During the voyage both the captain and the mate died of fever, and he took charge of the ship and brought her into port, being the only one left on board capable of navigating and commanding her. For this service he was appointed master of the John by her owners, Currie, Beck & Co., a Scottish firm, of Whitehaven, Cumberland, England (according to Mr. Atton), or of Kirkcudbright, Scotland (as usually stated).
Jones's second voyage was made in 1770, in the course of which he became involved in a difficulty, with Mungo Maxwell, the carpenter of the vessel, whom he flogged for neglect of duty. In May of that year the John was at Tobago; in August, at Grenada; and by November, in Scotland. Shortly after the end of this voyage Jones gave up his command, the vessel was sold, .and the firm of Currie, Beck & Co. was dissolved (Robert C. Sands, Life and Correspondence of John Paul Jones, pp. 17-22; Atton and Holland, The King's Customs, II., 439; Charles W. Stewart, John Paul Jones Commemoration, p. 115).