Baldwin, first name not determined, was master for one voyage on one vesselwith New London as home port.
AMERICAN (AS1866): (ship, 381 tons, built in Portland, ME in 1842). Departed in 1857 on a voyage of undetermined destination, and no records were found about that voyage or her return date. (AV00850). This voyage is not listed in Starbuck.
The Directory of Whaling Masters Sailing from American Ports lists four voyages commanded by “Baldwin”, no first name given: three voyages of ROANOKE (AS2300), one of PIONEER (there is confusion as to the AS number for PIONEER because it may be confused with that of the New Bedford-based PIONEER). Both ROANOKE and PIONEER list Greenport NY as home port. AOWV identifies Smith Baldwin as the master of ROANOKE’s voyages and lists only “Baldwin” as master of the PIONEER voyage. However, it uses the master number AM0275 for Smith Baldwin as well as PIONEER’s master, thus at least suggesting that Smith was master for all four. Starbuck identifies the master of the 1845-7 voyage of ROANOKE only as Baldwin with no first name. Dennis Wood Abstracts (2-586) shows “Baldwin” as master the three voyages of ROANOKE.
With no first name or identified other information, his personal and family life are hidden from view.
Sources: see sidebar and sources cited in text.
George Shaw (Mystic Seaport Museum) April 2023