Eleazer was born in Windham CT on June 28, 1775. His parents were Bela (died in 1819) and Philena (Fitch) (born in 1755, died on 11/8/1796 in Windham). They had at least eight children: Jedediah (1/1/1774 -), George (11/2/1774 -), Bela (Jr.) (9/30/1782-1820), Thomas (10/5/1778-1808), Henry (8/2/1780 -), Anthony (12/9/1786-1830), Amie (11/1789-1855), and Mira (7/19/1793 -). All of the children were born in Windham. Eleazer’s first wife, Harriet Sabin, who he married on September 20, 1803, died on June 11, 1807 in Providence RI. He then married Anstis Davis on November 27, 1808. An 1810 census shows Eleazer living in Providence. An 1824 directory of Providence records him as “mariner, Ship”. (“Capt.)” Eleazer died in Providence on July 11, 1829 and is buried in the North Burial Ground. According to a genealogy of the Elderkin family, found in Ancestry.com and not otherwise verified, Eleazer was “commander of a vessel that sailed out of Providence for many years, sometimes in the employ of the late Cyrus Butler”. It continues, “They died many years since in Providence, leaving one daughter who is married and lived in New Bedford.”
The only record for Eleazer shown in AOWV shows him sailing as master for one voyage on one ship, home port New London:
SUSANNAH (AS2461): (ship, lost in Brazil Banks). It sailed in 1800; no return date recorded. AV13614. SUSANNAH is not listed in the Connecticut Ship Database.
Decker and Colby record an earlier voyage of SUSANNAH. Decker records it sailing on October 1, 1799 to the Brazil Banks under James Munsell (AM3517) as master. Under “date in” is written “(lost in Brazil Banks)”. AOWV shows the return code for this voyage as “L” meaning “lost”. The agent for the 1799 voyage is listed as “X Co.” The text (p. 23) states that X Co. was “the first company organized expressly for whaling and sealing which operated out of New London port.” It was formed in 1799 in Norwich CT. It outfitted four ships, including SUSANNAH, for the Brazil Banks, “with unfortunate results, causing the venture to end in failure.” Caulkins (p. 640) writes about a Norwich group forming a company and sending out a “small new ship” that sailed on September 15, 1800. That ship was one of the ones listed in Decker but not SUSANNAH.
Colby (p.3) writes, “The ship Susannah, which sailed from New London in October of 1799, was wrecked on the Brazil Banks.” Colby does not otherwise list this ship or this voyage. Starbuck does not record this voyage or any ship named SUSANNAH.
The specificity about the 1799 voyage under Capt. Munsell and the code “L” compared with the lack of information about the 1800 voyage raises a serious doubt about the validity of the 1800 voyage and hence the role, if any, of Eleazer. There is no reference to him in New London Crew Lists and no other reference to him in AOWV.
It is beyond the scope of this paper to explore the experience of Eleazer sailing as master of ships from Providence that apparently were not whaling voyages.
Sources used: see sidebar and sources cited in text. Also, Frances Caulkins, History of New London.
George Shaw
American Institute for Maritime Studies
Mystic Seaport Museum
May 2025