James was born On March 14, 1839, son of James Monroe Buddington (AM0710) and his first wife, Lydia Bicknell Waterman. He married Maria Treadway of Groton in April 1, 1866. They had three children, James H., Annie (died in infancy in 1867) and Walter (born in October 1875). He was described as stocky with great strength in his arms and shoulders but in his later years was tall and lean (Colby, For Oil and Buggy Whips, p.168). Maria died in 1913 at age 68, James in Staten Island NY (like his father) on March 11, 1928. Note the gravestones for this family and some official records show the last name with a single “D”.With his father’s maritime background, it is not surprising that James followed in his father’s footsteps. Described as “Waterman” Buddington, he was issued Seamen’s Protection Certificate #6394 in New London when he was 16. It recorded him as 5’ 3” with dark hair and blue eyes. At age 16 he joined the crew of GEORGE HENRY (AS1456) then commanded by his father for her 1855 voyage to the Davis Straits.
He was served as master of four voyages on three ships with New London as home port:
U.D. (AS2523): (schooner, 77 tons, built in Eagle Island ME in 1855, condemned and sold in the Barbados in January 1880). She sailed on June 6, 1866 for the Davis Straits, returned on September 25, 1866. Dennis Wood Abstract 4-316 records that the ship returned with cargo “taken from the wreck of the Hudson Bay Company Ship Prince Arthur, ashore on the north of the Mansell Islands at the entrance of Hudson Bay. The Ship was wrecked in 1864.” He had sighted the wreck while serving on the crew of the 1864-1865 voyage of LEADER (AS2728). Simeon Chapman was the master. AV14229.
FRANKLIN (AS1406): (schooner, 99 tons, built in Eastport ME in 1833, condemned in 1893 and broken up in 1895.) She sailed on August 5, 1872 for the North Atlantic and returned on May 13, 1873. AV05258) She sailed again on July 15, 1874 and returned May 29, 1865. AV05260. Williams, Haven & Co. was the agent for both voyages.
ROSA BAKER (AS 2315): (brig, 109 tons, built in Scituate MA in 1867, condemned in the Falkland Islands on January 17, 1890). She sailed on June 1899 to the Atlantic and returned in 1890. Robert Palmer, Jr. was the agent. According to Colby (p. 167), by the time James left of this voyage he was the last active whaling master in New London. AV12526.
AOWV records that he served as master of thirteen other ships with home ports other than New London: VALENTINE DOANE (AS2548, home port Groton CT) for her 1866 voyage; LIZZIE P. SIMMONS (AS2655, home port New York NY) for five voyages from 1875-1881; PALMETTO (AS0553, home port New Bedford) for her 1866 voyage;SARAH E. HUNT (AS0768, home port Stonington CT) for four voyages from 1887-1892; STAR KING (AS0769, home port New Bedford) for her 1895-1896 voyage; and MARGARET (AS0762, home port Norwich CT) for her 1908-1909 voyage. Colby shows several of these voyages on a list of voyages by whaling masters from New London.
Colby (p.165-7) describes James serving as master or crew on several ships for a variety of purpose, including whaling and sealing. His last voyage as master was MARGARET’s 1908-1909 voyage. Colby records (p. 168) that he sailed on about 55 vessels during his long career.
Sources used: see sidebar and sources cited in text. Also, Edward E.R. Wood, Jr. The Ports of Old Rochester.
George Shaw (Mystic Seaport Museum) June 2024