With only Capt. Breath’s last name and first and middle initials and without any known relevant life event dates, searches of online genealogical sites did not reveal any useful information about him. Whaling sources did not add helpful information. AOWV and Colby show only “Breath, A.L.” as master of the 1836 voyage. Decker shows the 1836 voyage but no name of the master. Starbuck lists information for the 1833, 1834 and 1835 voyages of OSPRAY but does not list the 1836 voyage. No record was found of issuance of Seaman’s Protection Certificate, and his name does not appear on a New London crew list.
Capt. Breath was master for one voyage on one ship with a home port of New London.
OSPRAY (AS2120): (brig, other information not located). She sailed in 1836 with neither destination nor return date reported. AV11082.
Capt. Breath and his brief career as whaling master must remain mostly mysteries pending further information becoming available.
Sources used: see sidebar and sources cited in text.
George Shaw (Mystic Seaport Museum) December 2023