Daniel was born on September (or October? – two sources) 11, 1807 in New London. He was the son of Moses and Lucretia Crocker. He married Anna Strange of Norwich CT on August 12, 1844. They had at least two children, Alfred and Lucius. Daniel died on October 24, 1878. The Hartford Courant (10/30/1878) described him as “an old whaler.” The Meriden Daily Republican (10/28/1878) noted that “Captain Daniel Crocker… was one of the proprietors of the marine railway.”
Before beginning his service as master, Daniel served on the crew for six voyages on five ships, all with New London as home port. On June 23, 1828, just a few days before leaving on his first voyage as a crew member, at age 20, he was issued Seamen’s Protection Certificate #6707 in New London. He served as crew on ANN MARIA (AS0879) for its 1828-1829 and 1829-1830 voyages, FLORA (AS1369) for its 1830-1831 voyage, JULIUS CAESAR (AS1737) for its 1831-1832 voyage, COMMODORE PERRY (AS1137) for its 1832-1833 voyage, and NEPTUNE (AS2032) for its 1834-1836 voyage.
With his experience as a crew member, Daniel began serving as master for six voyages on three ships with New London as home port:
CONNECTICUT (AS1144): (ship, 398 tons, length 108’, built in Norwich CT in 1822). It went on four consecutive voyages with Daniel as master: (1) June 6, 1837 for the So. Atlantic, returned on March 17, 1839. AV03275. (2) June 10, 1839, again for the So. Atlantic, returned on May 5, 1840. AV03273. (3) June 29, 1840 for the Indian Ocean, returned on May 21, 1841. AV03274. (4) June 12, 1841, again the Indian Ocean, returned June 16, 1843. The records are inconsistent as to the agent(s) for these voyages: one or more of Frink, Chew & Co., Thomas W. Williams, and Haven & Smith was the agent for one or more voyages.
COLUMBUS (AS1125): (ship, 345 tons, length 105’, built in Kingston MA in 1821, lost in the Ochotsk Sea on February 8, 1858). It sailed on October 14, 1843 for the NW Coast, returned on May 19, 1846. Starbuck notes that COLUMBUS “bought from Nantucket 1843”, the year it sailed. Lyman Allyn was the agent. AV03099.
COREA (AS1152): (ship, 367 tons, length 116’, built in Duxbury MA in 1834, became part of Stone Fleet 1). It sailed on 1853, returned in 1854. Starbuck shows other voyages of COREA from New London but not its 1853 sailing. AV03344.
Sources used: see sidebar and sources cited in text.
George Shaw
American Institute for Maritime Studies
Mystic Seaport Museum
February 2025