Edwin was born on November 11, 1827 in Montville CT. He was the son of Seth (1803-1935) and Lucy Whiting Brown Church. On October 15, 1850 he married Sarah F. Rogers of Montville, born June 13, 1828. They had four children whose dates of birth can only be approximated: Edwin W., drowned in the North Sea on December 31, 1877 at age 25 years, seven months; Jedediah, born 1852; James Edwin, died August 25, 1855 at age one; and Edith, born 1855. The 1850 census report for Montville shows Edwin as age 22 and a “mariner”, living with Lucy M. Church (presumably his mother), age 47. Edwin and Sarah married later that year. The 1860 census records Edwin (“seaman”) and Sarah and two new children, Jedediah (8) and Edith (5). Edwin registered for the Civil War Draft in June 1863 at age 34, describing himself as “sailor.” Edwin died at sea on September 22, 1868. An obituary quoted on Find A Grave records that he died of yellow fever contracted at the Cape de Verde Islands where the ship stopped on her voyage out. He is buried in Old Quaker Hill Cemetery in Quaker Hill, New London CT. His gravestone records his name, date of death and “Died at Sea”,age 40 years and ten months. Sarah died on June 12, 1913.
Edwin served as master of eight voyages on four ships with New London as home port:
FRANKLIN (AS1406): (schooner, 99 tons, length 72’, built in Eastport ME in 1883, condemned and broken up in 1895). Sailed on July 10, 1859 for Desolation Island, returned on June 4, 1862. The New London Daily Chronicle (9/17/1862) includes a letter from the president of Mercantile Insurance Co. of New York to Edwin concerning the passage of FRANKLIN from Desolation Island to New London. The letter reads in part: “We have learned that by your good judgment, energy, and courage, you succeeded in bringing your vessel home without incurring loss to her owners or underwriters; although you encountered a very severe gale and the schooner leaked badly, so as to render it necessary to keep pumping almost constantly from Cape Town to New London”. The grateful insurance company sent him a check for $100 in thanks. Edwin left FRANKLIN, when and why not disclosed, and was succeeded by William M. Chappell (AM0896). Dennis Wood Abstract 3-544 shows —- Chappell as master and makes no mention of Edwin. Richard H. Chappell was the agent. AV05250.
ALERT (AS0834): (bark, 398 tons, length 113’, built in Boston MA in 1828). Sailed on August 20, 1862 for Desolation Island. Dennis Wood Abstract 3-526: captured and burned “by the Rebel Steamer Alabama” in 1862. The New London Chronicle (11/6/1862) contains a detailed statement from Edwin about the incident with ALABAMA and the actions of its crew. Richard H. Chappell was the agent. AV00454.
ARAB (AS0039): (bark, 278 tons, length 96’, built in Bath ME in 1823, condemned in 1871). Sailed on December 12, 1862, returned on June 8, 1864. Sailed on August 14, 1864, returned on June 23, 1865. Sailed on August 9, 1865, returned on June 6, 1866. All of these voyages were to Hurd’s Island and/or Desolation Island. Starbuck notes “Bought from New Bedford 1862 to replace Alert.” Richard H. Chappell was the agent for the three voyages. AV01173-AV01175.
ROMAN II (just ROMAN in some sources) (AS0580): (bark, 379 tons, length 112’, built in Bath ME in 1833, lost near Magdalena Bay in 1878). Sailed on August 22, 1866, returned on June 3, 1867. Sailed on August 12, 1867, returned on June 6, 1868. Sailed on August 13, 1868, returned on May 18, 1869. All of these voyages were to Hurd’s Island and/or Desolation Island. Dennis Wood Abstract 4-344 records on Cape de Verds (spelling unclear) on September 24, 1868: “Capt. Church having died with Yellow Fever a short time previous…” AOWV records Richard H. Chappell as the agent for the three voyages. Wood Abstract 4-344 records Williams & Havens as agent for those voyages of ROMAN. AV12486-AV12468.
Prior to his service as a master, Edwin served on the crew of ZOE (AS2468, home port New London) for its 1855 and 1855-1857 voyages. The crew list for the 1855 voyage shows Edwin as age 27.
Sources used: see sidebar and sources cited in text.
George Shaw
American Institute of Maritime Studies
Mystic Seaport Museum
November 2024