Handbill

A printed hand bill from May 1808 advertising the ship 'Neptune' which was loading at Beal's Wharf in Southwark on the south bank of the Thames. The hand bill gives the name of the ship's master, George Lonsdale, and lists places the voyager could travel on to once the ship reached Stockton-on-Tees on the north-east coast of England. The paper could also be used as a 'Bill of Lading' or a receipt for goods loaded on board.
Although the handbill depicts a small three masted sailing ship, the 'Neptune' is more likely to have been a small two-masted brig, and may have been used to carry coal to London before returning with mixed cargo.