None of the sites on AOWV that often give information or clues about dates and places of birth, marriage or death provides any information about Daniel. Online sites identified a few Daniel Chadwick’s with connections to southern CT and one was shown as “Capt.” but their birth and death dates relative to Daniel’s sailing dates exclude them. Absent further information being found, Daniel’s life will remain a mystery.
The records of AOWV show that Daniel was a replacement master for one voyage of a ship with New London as home port:
LARK (AS1770): (brig, 288 tons, built in Philadelphia PA in 1836). Sailed in September 1853 for the North Pacific under the command of Fisher Kibling(AM2988), returned April 12, 1857. Daniel is not shown on the crew list for that voyage. Under circumstances not found, Fisher left the ship, to be replaced as master by William J. Parsons (AM3739). In turn, William left the ship and was replaced by Daniel, again when and why not known. Perkins &Smith were the agents. AV08236.
Decker lists Daniel as master, making no reference to either Fisher or William. Dennis Wood Abstract 2-401 shows Fisher as master. His report on the voyage continues in another book, 3-560. That report begins “Kibling Master, Sailed Sept. 21, 1853 for the N. Pacific” and then references the earlier book. It continues “Chadwick Master, Arrived April 12, 1857” [the return date above].Unfortunately, Wood does not give any information about the two changes of command. However, he notes several ports where LARK stopped, each one being a place where a master might choose to leave the ship for one reason or another. Newspaper reports provide some time frames: Fisher was replacement master of BENJAMIN MORGAN (AS0970) when she returned to New London on September 5, 1856 (Salem Register, 9/11/1856). LARK “Ar at Honolulu Oct. 29 [1856], bark, Parson” (New London Weekly Chronicle, 7/1/1857). Whalemen’s Shipping List records Fisher as master of LARK through its February 17, 1857 issue; the next issue (2/24/1857) shows Daniel as master. A search of WSL for the three weeks prior to the change reveals no communication concerning the change of command. However, because of the fortuity of reports being delivered from other ships, the WSL dates often report events that happened months earlier. Whatever the dates, Daniel’s period as master of LARK was brief.
Sources used: see sidebar and sources cited in text.
George Shaw (Mystic Seaport Museum) September 2024