This master presents a quandary, in part because of the absence of a first name and in part because of confusing records in the public sources about two ships with similar names sailing on similar dates with “Chapman” appearing in different roles.
AOWV shows “Chapman” as master of one voyage on one ship with New London as home port:
ISABELLA (AS0423): (brig, built in Derby CT in 1845, lost in Hudson Strait on July 20, 1884), home port New London, sailing to Hudson [Bay?] on June 8,1864 and returning on October 4, 1864, Richard H. Chapell as agent. Dennis Wood Abstract 4-354 shows the same information. CT Ship Database shows this ship as a schooner, 191 tons, 85’ in length, with a notation that it was changed from schooner to brig in 1865. That same source shows it home port was Fairfield CT, not New London. AV07174.
To add to the confusion, Dennis Wood Abstract 4-354 shows that “Chapman” was the master of ISABELLA’s next voyage, sailed March 6, 1865 to Baffin Bay, returned November 8, 1866. Starbuck and Decker show that the master of the voyage was “Chapell”; AOWV shows that Christopher Chapel (AM0885) was master of that voyage.
AOWV records ISABEL (AS1661) (schooner, 95 tons) with Mystic CT as its home port and Samuel H. King (AM3009) as master. Decker shows that it sailed for Hudson Bay on June 8, 1864 and returned on October 28, 1864 with Saul H. King as master and “S. Chapman” as agent. Starbuck shows much the same information as Decker, but the master is identified only as “King” and New London is shown as the home port. AV07155.
“Chapman” was master of ISABELLA’s 1864 voyage and, according to Wood Abstract 4-354, also for its 1865-1866 voyage. “S. Chapman” appears agent for the 1864 voyage of ISABEL. The sailing dates of the 1864 voyage of ISABELLA and ISABEL are curiously similar: both departed on June 8, 1864 and both returned in October 1864, October 4 for ISABELLA, October 28 for ISABEL.
Without further information, who “Chapman” was and what ships he commanded remains uncertain.
Sources used: see sidebar and sources cited in text.
George Shaw
American Institute of Maritime Studies
Mystic Seaport Museum
October 2024