Capt. Lyman Allyn was born May 13, 1797 in Gales Ferry (Montville according to New London Crew List) to Alexander Allyn and Sarah Latham Allyn. He grew up in a house at the head of the lower wharf on the Thames River in Gales Ferry. He is described in New London Crew List as having light complexion and dark hair. He had three siblings: Sarah Allyn Brown and two brothers, both engaged in whaling and shipping: Christopher (AM0119) (the subject of a brief bio for the author’s New London Whaling Masters series) and Latham who died at sea at age 27 aboard the sloop CHERUB. The Lyman family genealogy shows that he did not marry.He died on November 24, 1869, possibly in Jersey City, NJ, and is buried with other Allyn relatives in the Gales Ferry Cemetery on Hurlbutt Road. Gravestone found at Find a Grave.
Lyman was master for several voyages of four vessels with New London as home port:
COMMODORE PERRY (AS1137): (ship, 270 tons, built E. Greenwich 1815), Departed in 1827, returned 1829. Agent “L Allyn”. AV13293.
FLORA (AS1369): (ship, 338 tons, built Mystic CT 1811). Departed in 1829, returned 1830. Connecticut Ship Database shows FLORA as having been built in GrotonCT; Peterson’s Mystic Built does not list FLORA as having been built in Mystic.AV04958
GENERAL PUTNAM (AS1440): (ship, built Beaufort, NC 1810). Departed 1830, possibly for sealing. AV05504
JOHN AND EDWARD (AS0325): (ship, 318 tons, built Glastonbury CT, 1807). Departed June 1830 for South Seas, returned 8/20/31 (3/23/31 according to Starbuck. Agent “Allyn”. AV07643.
JOHN AND EDWARD: Departed for South Atlantic, 10/15/1831. AV07635.
Lyman’s brother Christopher (AM0119) was master of three subsequent voyages of FLORA (1831-2, 1832-3, and 1843-5).
This Lyman, “Capt.” Lyman can easily be confused, and often is (see the following paragraph), with another Lyman Allyn whose daughter, Harriet Upson Allyn, provided the funds to establish the Lyman Allyn Art Museum in New London in his honor. “Museum” Lyman, also with New London connections, was born three weeks earlier than “Capt.” Lyman (4/25/1797), married Emma Turner, produced several children, died in New London April 8,1874, five years after “Capt.” Lyman, and is buried in Cedar Grove Cemetery in New London.
Sources: See Sidebar. See also: Avery’s History of the Town of Ledyard, gravestones in Gales Ferry Cemetery, Decker’s Whaling Industry of New London, Decker’s The Whaling City, Godfrey’s Whaling Industry of New London, Caulkins’ History of New London.
George Shaw (Mystic Seaport Museum), December 2019