Little definitive information about William could be discovered. Most likely he was born in New London about 1814. He first married Jane Leeds of New London on May 3, 1836, and she appears as his wife in the 1850 census. They had at least four children.She died about 1850 in Groton. He married Mary E. Edgecomb of Groton on June 3, 1853. Census reports describe him as “shipmaster” (1850) and “farmer” (1860, 1870); amarriage record refers to him as “mariner”. Mary is shown as ten years younger than William. William died in Groton on April 23,1888
William was master for one voyage on one vessel with New London as home port.
HALCYON (AS1510): (bark (converted from ship for 1842 voyage), 258 tons, built Philadelphia in 1806). Departed on August 2, 1843 for the Indian Ocean. According to Starbuck and Wood’s Abstract 1-602, she was lost during a gale on August 5, 1844 in Geographe Bay on the west coast of Australia. She dragged her anchors and was driven on the beach. She had 500 barrels of whale oil that were sold at auction with the wreck. Nothing could be discovered about how and when William returned from this ill-fated voyage. Her agent was Havens & Smith. AV06062.
William was also master LEANDER (AS1781) with a home port in Mystic for her 1841-1843 voyage.
Sources: see sidebar and sources cited in text.
George Shaw (Mystic Seaport Museum) November 2022
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