The information contained in this volume has been obtained by careful and persistent research from widely distributed sources viz: the Marblehead and Salem and Beverly Custom House Records, original books of the Marblehead Marine Insurance Company, covering five thousand policies running from 1800 to 1840, list of Marblehead Soldiers and Sailors in the Revolutionary War (compiled in 1912-13 by the author), old log books, old letter books, old newspapers, list of Privateersmen of 1812 made up by Capt. Glover Broughton in a memorial to the 34th, 35th and 36th Congresses asking for grants of land for services rendered, and from the descendants of the men mentioned. This volume is intended to be a fairly accurate list of the Old Sea Captains of Marblehead, and the vessels in which they sailed, going to and from foreign ports. The list of the names of the men is very nearly complete, but the list of the vessels is not as satisfactory, it being at this late date practically impossible to obtain complete information. Of the five hundred men mentioned, but two are alive at this time, Captain John D. "Whidden, now living in Los Angeles, California, and Captain George W. Homan1, in New York, both of them over eighty years of age.
It will be noticed that quite a number of these men were in the Continental service as soldiers or sailors before entering the merchant service.
Nearly all of the following pictures (excepting thirteen, kindly loaned by the Essex Institute), were taken from the originals now in possession of their descendants, and are freely loaned for this work, and have never before been published. To each and everyone who has contributed in any way to the success of this volume, the compiler extends his most sincere thanks and earnestly hopes it may prove to be instructive and satisfactory. The quality of the Sea Captains were of such poor quality they were not used on these pages.
Abbreviations Used in This Book
S P Ship' Paper or Pass
C P Clearance Paper
M. V S Marblehead Vital Statistics.
G C. Capt. George Cloutman's Letter Book.
G. B Glover Broughton.
- Sea Captains Abraham, Woodward to Austin, William
- Sea Captains Bailey, James to Bessom, Joseph
- Sea Captains Bessom Phillip to Bridgeo, John
- Sea Captains Bridgeo, Phillip to Buntin, Charles
- Sea Captains Calley, Moses to Cressy, William
- Sea Captains Crowningshield, Edward to Cook, Samuel
- Sea Captain Davis, Tobias to Dixey, William
- Sea Captains Doliber, John to Evans, Richard
- Sea Captains Fabens, Samuel to Freeto, Francis
- Sea Captains Gardner, Benj. to Girdler, Robert
- Sea Captains Grant, Christopher to Graves, Samuel
- Sea Captains Gray, Henry to Griste, John
- Sea Captains Hammond, William to Homan, Phillip
- Sea Captains Hooper, Asa to Humphreys
- Sea Captains James, Ambrose to Lee, Joseph
- Sea Captains Lewis, Edmund to Lyons, Thomas
- Sea Captains Lindsey
- Sea Captains Mansfield, Isaac to Nicholson, William
- Sea Captains Olimore, Samuel to Prince, John
- Sea Captains Power, John to Quiner, Thomas
- Sea Captains Ramsdell, Nathaniel to Russell, William
- Sea Captains Salkins, John to Stacey, William
- Sea Captains Standley, William to Swett, Woodbury
- Sea Captions Thayer, Isaac to Tutt, Richard
- Sea Captains Union, John to Wormstead, Robert
- Ships and Sea Captains of Marblehead
- Illustrations
- Capt. Benj. Gardners Clearance Paper
- Captain John Hooper's Clearance Paper
- Capt. Samuel Stacey's Commission as Captain
- Clearance Paper of Capt. Thos. Mullett
- Dartmoor Prison
- Ganges Cup
- John Hooper's Commission as Captain
- Parole of Honor
- Privateers "Bond," Capt. Asa Hooper
- Russian Clearance Paper
- Ship Passes
- View of Marblehead Neck in 1797
- Baroque
- Baroque Albers
- Baroque Abbie Bacon
- Baroque Gipsy
- Baroque Keystone
- Baroque Leo
- Baroque Natchez
- Baroque Washington
- Baroque Zotoff
- Brigantine or Brig
- Brig Curlew
- Brig Increase
- Brigantine Mary Helen
- Brig. Mercury
- Brigantine Polly
- Brig Prudent
- Brig Uncas
- Schooner
- Ship
- Ship Albus
- Ship Arbella
- Ship Archer
- Ship Aurora
- Ship Austerlitz
- Ship Carnatic in a hurricane in Indian Ocean
- Ship Carnatic
- Ship Challenge
- Ship Columbus
- Ship Danube
- Ship Dashing Wave
- Ship Dromo
- Ship Ellen Brooks
- Ship Fame
- Ship Flying Cloud
- Ship Franklin
- Ship George West
- Ship Golden Eagle
- Ship Hope
- Ship Iris
- Ship J. P. Whitney
- Ship Liverpool
- Ship Mary
- Ship Nancy
- Ship Morea
- Ship Niobe
- Ship Oceana
- Ship Recovery
- Ship Robt. H. Dixey
- Ship Sapphire
- Ship Saracen
- Ship Siam
- Ship Snow
- Ship Sunny South
- Ship Tejuca
- Ship Thos. Perkins
- Ship Tiber
- Ship Tom
- Ship Ulysses
1. Capt. Homan died Aug. 22d, aged 82 years, 4 months, was buried in Marblehead.
Source: Old Marblehead Sea Captains and the Ships in Which They Sailed, Compiled and Published for the Benefit of the Marblehead Historical Society, By Benjamin J. Lindsey, Treasurer, 1915