Legal Definitions - jerk note

A jerk note was a historical document in maritime law, essentially a formal permission slip issued by customs officials to a ship's captain. This permit authorized the captain to begin loading cargo onto their vessel in preparation for its departure from port. It ensured that customs had approved the ship's readiness to take on goods for an international or long-distance journey.

Here are some examples to illustrate the concept:

• Imagine a large sailing ship in the 1700s, docked in a bustling port like Bristol, England, preparing for a transatlantic voyage to the American colonies. Before the crew could begin loading barrels of textiles, tools, and other manufactured goods into the hold, the ship's captain would first need to obtain a jerk note from the local customs collector. This document served as official permission to commence the loading process for the outbound journey.

  This example illustrates the jerk note as a necessary permit from customs, allowing the captain to begin receiving cargo for an international journey, ensuring all customs procedures were followed before departure.

• Consider a 19th-century clipper ship in Boston Harbor, scheduled to transport tea and spices from China. The captain has just finished unloading incoming cargo and is preparing for the next leg of his journey. To avoid delays and ensure a smooth turnaround, he would need to secure a jerk note from the customs house. Once he had this document, his crew could legally start taking on new goods destined for the Far East, confirming that customs had approved the specific cargo for the outbound voyage.

  This scenario highlights the jerk note as the official authorization for a ship's master to begin receiving specific cargo for a new, outbound journey, emphasizing its role in the logistical flow of international trade.

• Picture a smaller coastal trading vessel in the early 1800s, making regular trips between different ports within the same country, but still subject to customs oversight for certain goods. Before departing from New Orleans with a hold full of cotton bales bound for New York, the captain would present his manifest to the customs collector and receive a jerk note. This document would officially clear him to load the specified cargo for his domestic, but still regulated, outbound voyage.

  This example demonstrates that even for voyages within a country, if customs regulations applied to the cargo or route, a jerk note was the official permission granted to the ship's master to load goods for the journey ahead.