Posted on April 27, 2008 by Greg Stone
In the shipyard behind the Cory store, Frank Sisson and Eli Allen built the Kate Cory in 1856. The specifications have been transcribed from the original document in the collection of the New Bedford Whaling Museum. Carpenter’s certificate for the Mermaid built for Andrew Hicks in 1855. [Courtesy New Bedford Whaling Museum] Kate Cory Specifications […]
Continue ReadingPosted on April 27, 2008 by Greg Stone
[Drawing of the Harbinger courtesy of the NBWM] This colorful drawing adorns the cover of a logbook of a voyage on the Harbinger. The same logbook records multiple desertions of the crew, a common occurrence, although not always to the extent shown here. Boredom, discomfort, cruelty and violence onboard or the temptations of paradise were […]
Continue ReadingPosted on April 27, 2008 by Greg Stone
[Crew list for 1805 whaling voyage courtesy of NBWM] The first officially recorded whaling voyage from Westport Point is that of the sloop Union in 1775, Thomas Case master. This document lists the crew of the Union in 1805 making a 6 month voyage to the North Atlantic, Jonathan Mayhew master. One of the last […]
Continue ReadingPosted on April 26, 2008 by Greg Stone
Westport’s whaling activities consisted of over 300 voyages made by Westport registered vessels over a period of about 100 years between 1775 and 1879. By 1855 Westport was homeport for between 18-22 whaling ships, employing hundreds of men. With the discovery of petroleum in 1859, the whaling industry gradually declined. The voyage of the Andrew […]
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