Daily AncestorShip chandler
A ship chandler was a dealer who sold supplies and equipment to ships, such as rope, canvas, tar, lamps and provisions.
A ship chandler kept a store near the docks and outfitted vessels before voyages. Stock might include rope, sailcloth, tar, paint, hardware, lanterns, and food and drink for the crew.
You find ship chandlers in port cities such as Boston, New York, Baltimore and New Orleans, and in whaling towns like New Bedford. Their account books sometimes survive and can show which ships a relative sailed on.
As seen in a recordOccupation column of the 1880 to 1920 census
Edw. Coffin, 44, Ship chandler, Mass.
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Daily Ancestor. "Ship chandler." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/occupations/ship-chandler. Last checked 2026-10-01.