James was born in Montville CT on June 9, 1809 (the date on his gravestone). He married Sarah Ann Meech of Preston CT on March 8, 1841. Census reports, not always reliable or accurate, fill in information about the family. The 1860 census for Salem CT (adjacent to Montville) records the family of “J.M.” Fitch (age 51, occupation “farmer”), “S.A”. Fitch (age 49), “J.E.” Fitch (age 18) and Mary (age 4). The 1870 report is for Landis in Cumberland County NJ. where Ada (age 3) has joined the family. James and Elisha (“J.E.”) are both shown as “farmer.” By the 1880 census, still for Landis, Elisha is not reported and Ada is listed as “granddaughter”. James died on June 25, 1884 and is buried in Raymond Hill Cemetery in Oakdale CT.
James sailed as a crew member on FLORA (AS1369) for its 1829-1830 voyage and PHOENIX (AS2188), of which he would later be a master, for its 1830-1833 voyage. New London was home port of both ships.
With the experience of two voyages as crew member behind him, James became master for two voyages on two ships with New London as home port, although, as noted below, his service on the later voyage is questionable:
PHOENIX (ship, 404 tons, length 110 ft., built in Philadelphia PA in 1811, later became part of Stone Fleet 1). AOWV records it sailing on November 12, 1837 to the Pacific and returning on February 5, 1841. Secondary sources show this voyage as two overlapping voyages: Colby lists only two voyages under James’s name, departing in 1837 and 1838 with no end date for either; Decker and Starbuck record the 1837-1841 voyage as well as a November 1838-February 1841 voyage. Starbuck’s second voyage does not show a master. Dennis Wood Abstract 1-422, four lines long, gives no indication of a two-part trip. N. & W.W. Billings was the agent. AV11622.
ARMATA (AS0912): (ship, 414 tons, length 108 ft., built in New York NY in 1811, rebuilt in 1832). It sailed on July 4, 1846 for the NW coast and returned on April 2, 1849. AOWV lists the master as “Fitch, J”. New London Crew Lists records William Fitch (AM1916) as the master of this voyage. Colby shows this voyage under the name of William Fitch. Decker, Starbuck, and Dennis Wood Abstract 2-009 show the master as “Fitch”, not helping the issue. Reference is made to the author’s paper on William Fitch in New London Whaling Masters. In the author’s opinion, Colby’s entry naming William as master outweighs the vague “Fitch, J” of AOWV, suggesting that William was likely the master. Abner Bassett was the agent. AV01249.
Born in 1809, James would have been approximately age 40 when he returned from his final voyage, well young enough to leave the sea to start a life as a farmer, first in Salem, next to the town in which he was born, and later after the family settled in southern New Jersey.
Sources used: see sidebar and sources cited in text.
George Shaw
American Institute for Maritime Studies
Mystic Seaport Museum
September 2025