Both AOWV and American Offshore Whaling Voyages (Lund et al) record Francis Davis (AM1520) as master of the 1826-1827 voyage of the ship JONES (AS1723). AV07833. However, as has been shown by several other sources, including the original crew list of the voyage, the master for both this and the subsequent voyage of JONES was not Francis Davis, but James Davis (AM1526). [See James Davis in New London Whaling Masters]
JONES (AS1723): (ship, altered to bark in 1839, 338/336 tons, length 98 ft., place and date when built unknown, broken up in New London in 1842?). “The Jones, a British ship captured in 1814 during the war of 1812, made sixteen voyages after joining the New London fleet in 1822” (Colby, p. 7).
Colby and Decker both attribute the 1826-1827 and 1827-1828 voyages to James Davis as master. The Connecticut Ship Database lists James as being master of JONES from 1826 to 1828. New London Crew Lists and the crew list for each individual voyage show James as master. Starbuck records the master of these two voyages of JONES as well as James’s other voyages only as “Davis.”
Upon further examination, this writer has also concluded that Francis was probably not the master on any whaling voyage and his time at sea may have been of short duration. There is no reference to Francis in either Colby, Decker, or Starbuck. New London Crew Lists shows Francis Davis as a crew member on the 1825 voyage of the schooner PENGUIN (AS2167), home port Stonington, commanded by William Pendleton (AM3814). He is listed as 21 years of age, 5’4” tall, with “colored” skin and black hair.
Given the evidence cited above, it can be stated with some certainty that Francis Davis was not a New London whaling master.
Sources used: see sidebar and sources cited in text.
Maija M. Lutz
American Institute for Maritime Studies
Mystic Seaport Museum
April 2025