Jacob Anderson, Jr., was born in 1822 in New London, son of Jacob (born in Virginia or Delaware) and Eliza (born in Pennsylvania). They came to New London prior to 1830. Jacob Sr was a carter and Methodist minister. He died on December 3, 1862; she died August 9, 1871. Jacob was the second of their eight children. He died February 22, 1897. His wife was Esther of whom little is known. They had two daughters, Mary (died in infancy in 1861) and an unnamed daughter born May 9, 1862. He was buried in Cedar Grove Cemetery in New London.
Black Roots in Southeastern Connecticut, the source of the information above, describes Jacob as “a mariner on whaling ships out of New London” (p. 7). New London Crew Lists describe his skin as “dark.” HIs February 24, 1897 obituary in the New London Day revealsadditional information about Jacob, “the Popular Old Colored Citizen.” The text noted that the attendees included “many seafaring men” and “an old shipmate who sailed on the Peruvian, Captain Butler, just 40 years ago today, February 24, 1857.”
Jacob was master of one vessel on one voyage with New London as home port:
JOHN E. SMITH (AS1711): (schooner, 119 tons, built Brookhaven, NY. 1845, withdrawn in 1858). Departed July 14, 1856 for the Atlantic, returned August 17, 1857. R.H. Chappell was agent. AV 07733.
He was master of four voyages on three vessels with home ports other than New London: SOLON (AS0631) 1845 – ?, home port Mattapoisett MA; ELLEN RODMAN (AS0425) 1872-3,home port Fairhaven MA, and CLARA LIGHT (AS1108) 1883 and 1884, home port San Francisco CA.
In addition to serving as master, Jacob was a crew member on several vessels: CONNECTICUT (AS1144) 1841-1843, PERUVIAN (AS2173) 1855-1856 (Lucius Butler, master; MSM has logbook for this voyage), ATLANTIC (AS0924) Aug-Sept 1861, and FRANKLIN (AS1406) 1865-1866. Note: AOWV shows the voyage of PERUVIAN as part of her voyage from 1852-1856.
The New London Democrat (November 13,1869) reports “Capt. Jacob Anderson has arrived home from a whaling voyage.” Its October 5, 1872 issue reports “Capt. Jacob Andersons has been placed in command of the schooner Ellen Rodman, now fitting at Fair Haven for a whaling and sealing voyage”. That same paper, July 23, 1879, reports “A youngster named George Field fell overboard yesterday, from a yawl-boat, in which he was going from one of the wharves to the marine railways at Shaw’s Neck. Captain Jacob Anderson, who was an occupant of the same boat, sprang over after him and saved his life.”
Jacob had a rich and full life with a wide and varied career at sea.
For sources see sidebar and sources mentioned in text, including: Barbara Brown, Black Roots in Southeastern Connecticut, p. 7, and newspaper articles quoted above.
George Shaw (Mystic Seaport Museum) December 2019