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Whaling owner's flags displayed on the "Charles W. Morgan" - Part 5 (U.S.)

Last modified: 2020-01-11 by rob raeside
Keywords: whalers | charles w morgan |
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Flags on "Charles W. Morgan"

The restored "Charles W. Morgan" was enshrined on 21 July 1926. For the ongoing season, a different flag was hoisted every day at the mainmast of the ship, as described by press reports published in "The New Bedford Standard".
Ivan Sache, 31 January 2019

21 July - Dedication
21 July - Henry S. Hutchinson
24 July - Henry H. Crapo
25 July - Edward R. Hathaway
26 July - Clark W. Holcomb
27 July - J. and W. R. Wing
28 July - John Duff
29 July - Andrew G. Pierce
30 July - James Henry Howland
31 July - William A. Robinson Jr.
1 August - Rotch
2 August - Swift and Allen
3 August - James Henry Howland
4 August - Captain George Fred Tilton
5 August - John Avery Parker
6 August - George Howland
7 August - Jonathan Bourne Jr.
8 August - Abraham H. Howland
9 August - Harry Neyland
10 August - Jireh Perry
11 August - J. B. Wood
12 August - David R. Greene
13 August - Henry Taber
14 August - Lemuel Kollock
15 August - Abraham Barker
16 August - Rodney French
17 August - J. Dunbar / Henry F. Thomas
18 August - William Gifford
19 August - Benjamin Cummmings
20 August - T. and A. R. Nye
21 August - Edmund Wood
22 August - Isaac Howland, Jr.
23 August - J.D. Thompson
26 August - Charles H. Tucker & Co.
27 August - B. B. Howard
28 August - Edward W. Howland
29 August - Gideon Allen
30 August - Pope and Morgan
31 August - Nathan Church
1 September - Captain John A. Cook
2 September - I. H. Bartlett
3 September - Thomas Wilcox
4-5? September - Charles S. Ashley
6 September - William Watkins
7 September - West and Paine
8 September - Isaac B. Richmond
9 September - Gibbs and Jenney
10 September - Atkins Adams
11 September - Ezekiel Sawin
12 September - Philips and Ashley
13 September - William O. Brownell
14 September - Frederick Parker
15 September - Richmond and Wood
16 September - William R. Rodman
17 September - Andrew Robeson
18 September - Ship "Globe"
19 September - Philip Anthony
20 September - Asa Swift
21 September - O. and G. O. Crocker
22 September - Lemuel C. Tripp
23 September - T. and A. R. Nye
24 September - Alexander Gibbs
25 September - Captain James F. Avery
26 September - Sheffield Reeve
27 September - Lemuel Tripp
28 September - Warren Delano
29 September - Jabez Delano Jr.
30 September - Fish and Huttlestone
1 October - Zenas L. Adams
2 October - W.G. Blackler
3 October - Dexter Jenney
4 October - Furman Read Whitwell
5 October - Andrew Hicks
6 October - Reuben Fish
7 October - Zeno Kelley
8 October - Seth A. Mitchell
9 October - Lorenzo Peirce
10 October - Charles Hitch and Son
11 October - Kelley and Swift
12 October - William Wilcox
13 October - James H. Slocum
14 October - O. & E. W. Seabury
15 October - Oliver Ricketson
16 October - Azel Howard
17 October - Chapman and Bonney
18 October - F. and G. R. Taber
19 October - Wood and Nye
20 October - Tucker and Cummings
21 October - Cook and Snow
22 October - Lawrence Grinnell
23 October - Charles Almy
24 October - Allen Lucas
25 October - Abraham Ashley 2d
26 October - Weston Howland
27 October - Russell Maxfield
28 October - William Potter 2d
29 October - David B Kempton
30 October - Cornell and Penniman
31 October - John Arnold Macomber
Joseph Little

1 October - Zenas L. Adams

[Zenas L. Adams] image by Ivan Sache, 10 December 2019

"The house flag of Zenas L . Adams [...] was copied from the illustration in the New Bedford and Fairhaven shipping Signal Book for 1869. The flag was white, bordered all around in red, and the black "H" in the center was the initial of one of the ships for which Mr. Adams was agent."
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l030634/24/
Ivan Sache, 10 December 2019


2 October - W.G. Blackler

[W.G. Blackler] image by Ivan Sache, 10 December 2019

"Ships for which W. G. Blackler was agent in 1852 flew red flags lettered in white. That illustrated is the flag of the "Atkins Adams". Ships "Java", "Martha" 3d, and "Navigator" had their names in full on the flag, so did the bark "Lagrange".[...]"
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l030634/24/
Ivan Sache, 10 December 2019


3 October - Dexter Jenney

[Dexter Jenney] image by Ivan Sache, 10 December 2019

"When the ship "Hesper" and the bark 'Winthrop" sailed from Fairhaven in 1855, they carried the flag of Dexter Jenney, a white swallow-tail pennant bordered and lettered in blue [...]"
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l030634/24/
Ivan Sache, 10 December 2019


4 October - Furman Read Whitwell

[Furman Read Whitwell] image by Ivan Sache, 10 December 2019

"Ships for which F. R. Whitwell was agent, according to the old New Bedford signal books of 1848, flew a blue flag bearing the initial of the ship in a white diamond. [...]"
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l030634/24/
Ivan Sache, 10 December 2019


5 October - Andrew Hicks

[Andrew Hicks] image by Ivan Sache, 10 December 2019

"Quaker simplicity distinguished the house flag which Andrew Hicks, Westport, flew over the ships, for which he was agent, a plain square of white with a black "H" for "Hicks" upon it. The Hicks flag [is] reproduced from the design in the New Bedford signal book of 1869 [...]"
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l030634/25/

Andrew Hicks was born in Westport, Massachusetts on 17 June 1799, and resided on the home farm until he was 13 years of age. In 1812, Hicks moved to Adamsville, Rhode Island and took a job as a clerk in a store, where he remained for 8 years, until he opened a store of his own, which he operated for 3 years, then returned to the home farm. In 1836, he fitted out a vessel and began an extended whaling business, which he continued with marked success for more than half a century.
At one time he owned interests in 11 vessels, including the "Andrew Hicks" and "Mermaid", out of Westport, and during his career built at least 8 vessels. He also owned Hicks' block in New Bedford. Mr. Hicks in former days was a Whig and after the formation of the Republican Party was active in supporting its principles. He represented Westport in the Legislature of 1866, and for at least 25 years, served as a justice of the peace. Hicks also began serving as a director of the Merchants' National Bank of New Bedford in 1854. He died at Westport Point, 4 February 1895 in the 96th year of his life.
https://www.whalingmuseum.org/explore/library/finding-aids/mss105
New Bedford Whaling Museum

Built in 1855 for Andrew Hicks, the "Mermaid" was one of the last large vessels to be built in Westport. She made six whaling voyages from Westport between 1855 and 1876. She was eventually transferred to San Francisco and in 1880 was lost in a gale at Unalaska. The stern carving of the Mermaid is now in the collection of the New Bedford Whaling Museum.
http://wpthistory.org/2008/04/the_whaling_emp/
Westport Historical Society blog, 26 April 2008
Ivan Sache, 10 December 2019


6 October - Reuben Fish

[Reuben Fish] image by Ivan Sache, 10 December 2019

"There were a good many red house flags in the old days of New Bedford shipping. The big red swallow-tailed flag with a white "P" on it [...] was distinguished from other red flags both by its shape and by the initial. It was used by Reuben Fish, shipping agent in 1855."
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l030634/25/

Reuben Fish will be remembered as a most successful ship builder, some of the finest ships owned in New Bedford and Fairhaven were the products of his skill.
https://www.whalingmuseum.org/explore/library/publications/old-dartmouth-historical-sketches/odhs-no-27
Old Dartmouth Historical Sketch, No. 27
Ivan Sache, 10 December 2019


7 October - Zeno Kelley

[Zeno Kelley] image by Ivan Sache, 10 December 2019

"[...] The red and white flag of Kelley's shipping agency was copied for Colonel E. H. R. Green from the 1855 New Bedford and Fairhaven signal book."
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l030634/25/

Zeno Kelley was an able horologist; he conducted an astronomical observatory where chronometers could be cleaned, repaired, rated, rented and sold. In addition, watches, clocks and jewelry could be purchased.
At the age of thirty-eight and with an apparently a bright future before him, Zeno had dreams of quick wealth from a blackbirding operation. His prime partner was Jabez S. Hathaway who was also enthralled with the idea of a fast dollar.
Blackbirding involved sending out a whaleship that was then used illegally as a slave ship. After completing its delivery of humans such a ship was often scuttled and the owner claimed it was lost at sea. The ship Kelley was involved with was called the "Tahmaroo", which left for a supposed Atlantic trip on July 13, 1860. The "Tahmaroo" took on neither slaves nor whale oil but the government was able to gather enough evidence about the true purpose of the voyage for Zeno Kelley to be charged with fitting out a ship for slave running. He was eventually tried three times and on the third attempt convicted. He was fined $1,000 and sentenced to four years in Dedham jail. After serving time but not the full sentence, he was pardoned and came home to New Bedford.
The trial and resulting time in jail (not to mention living with the opinions of his neighbors) destroyed Kelley's health and he died on November 24, 1868
http://www.southcoasttoday.com/article/20020829/opinion/308299925
South Coast Today, 12 January 2011
Ivan Sache, 10 December 2019


8 October - Seth A. Mitchell

[Seth A. Mitchell] image by Ivan Sache, 10 December 2019

"A big "H" for "Herald" on a white ground , distinguished the ship "Herald", for which Seth A. Mitchell, Fairhaven, was agent in 1853. The flag was tipped in blue [...]"
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l030634/25/
Ivan Sache, 10 December 2019


9 October - Lorenzo Peirce

[Lorenzo Peirce] image by Ivan Sache, 10 December 2019

"Among the house flags of New Bedford shipping agents in 1855 was that illustrated above [...] It belonged to Lorenzo Peirce, agent for the ship "Pantheon" and the bark "Harvest". The stripes were, in order, blue, white and red."
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l030634/26
Ivan Sache, 10 December 2019


10 October - Charles Hitch and Son

[Charles Hitch and Son] image by Ivan Sache, 10 December 2019

"A goodly list of ships and barks flew the blue, red and blue flag of Charles Hitch and Son, New Bedford shipping agents in 1855. They included the ships "Enterprise" and "Neark" and barks "Cleora", "Cossack", George Washington", "James Andrews" and "Vernon" [...]"
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l030634/26/
Ivan Sache, 10 December 2019


11 October - Kelley and Swift

"Very striking was the house flag of Kelley and Swift, New Bedford shipping agents. With its equal squares of red and white initials for the two partners. In 1855, the colors were displayed by the ship "Joseph Meigs". [...]"
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l030634/26/
Ivan Sache, 10 December 2019


12 October - William Wilcox

[William Wilcox] image by Ivan Sache, 10 December 2019

"[...] The flag of William Wilcox, shipping agent, had a dark blue ground and white "W". The design was recorded in the signal book of 1848."
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l030634/27
Ivan Sache, 10 December 2019


13 October - James H. Slocum

[James H. Slocum] image by Ivan Sache, 10 December 2019

"[...] Mr. Slocum was agent in 1855 for the barks "Kathleen", "Keoka", and "Moctezuma". The flag displayed a diamond on a white ground, the right half of the diamond blue, the left half red, upon which a white disc was superimposed. The upper and lower edges of the flag were bordered in red."
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l030634/27
Ivan Sache, 10 December 2019


14 October - O. & E. W. Seabury

[O. & E. W. Seabury] image by Ivan Sache, 10 December 2019

"The O. and E. W. Seabury flag [...] carried out in red and white a design similar to that of the blue and white Ezekiel Sawin house flag flown some time ago. The initial "S" for "Seabury" also fitted their vessels, the ships "Scotland" and "Breeze" and the bark "Sappho"."
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l030634/27/

Members of the Seabury family of New Bedford, were active in the whaling industry from 1834-1886. Otis Seabury (1808-1880), in partnership with his brother, Edward W. Seabury (1810-1884), formed O. & E. W. Seabury, a merchant firm that outfitted whaling vessels and later acted as agent for such vessels as the ship "Scotland" and the bark "Sea Breeze". Otis' brother, Humphrey W. Seabury (1817-1891), started in the merchant service as a seaman in 1834 and by 1842 had worked his way up to captain of the whaling ship "Coral". He continued sailing both merchant and whaling vessels along with acting as outside agent for his brother Otis until his retirement in 1872. Another brother, Charles Pinkney Seabury (1820-1890), started working in O. & E. W. Seabury's store before sailing aboard whaling vessels for fourteen years. He then commanded steamships running between New York, California, and China. Brothers William Harrison Seabury (1813-1897) and Jason Seabury (1822-1853) were also captains, the former commanding steamships and the latter commanding the whaling ship "Monongahela" for his brothers Otis and Edward, when it was lost in the Arctic in 1853.
https://www.whalingmuseum.org/explore/library/finding-aids/mss62
New Bedford Whaling Museum
Ivan Sache, 10 December 2019


15 October - Oliver Ricketson

[Oliver Ricketson] image by Ivan Sache, 10 December 2019

"[...] His square banner with a red "R" on a green ground was especially designed for Mr. Ricketson by Harry A. Neyland [...]"
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l030634/27/
Ivan Sache, 10 December 2019


Continued in Part 6