Find A Grave contains a photo of the gravestone for Capt. Wm Fitch showing his date of birth as August 14, 1815 and his date of death as September 18, 1903. That source contains other information about his family, not otherwise verified: His parents were James Fitch (1768-1820) and Abigail (Fox) Fitch (1773-1852). William was one of several children, including his brother Joseph (AM1768) who died at sea while master of SUPERIOR (AS2448). William married Lucy Fox (1819-1909) in April 7, 1845 in Montville where they both lived. They had three children: James William (1846-1909), Frank (1849 – ), and Lucy (1855-1858). Find A Grave shows Frank dying in 1853; a family tree (see Sources) records Frank dying in 1832. Census records for Montville for 1850 record William (then age 35, “farmer”), Lucy (age 31), James (age 4) and Frank (age 5/12 [months]. The 1870 and 1880 reports show only William and Lucy.Find A Grave recites that “[he] farmed and attended school until 1834, when he commenced going to sea. He was captain of three voyages on a whaling ship. Around 1853 he resumed farming”. The information below about his service at sea confirms this story: he first sailed as crew in 1834, his last voyage as master ended in 1853.
\William served as a crew member of at least four voyages on three ships, all with New London as home port: TUSCARORA (AS2518) for its 1834-1835 voyage; JULIUS CAESAR (AS1737) for its 1835-1836 voyage; and PHOENIX (AS2188) for its 1837-1838 and 1841-1842 voyages.
William sailed as master on two, possibly three voyages on two, possibly three ships, all with New London as home port:
ROBERT BOWNE (AS2303): (ship, 505 tons, length 123 ft., built in Stonington CT in 1832). BOWNE sailed on October 5, 1842 for the Pacific and returned on February 25, 1845. Colby (p. 19) mentions BOWNE at 505 tons in his description of some of the largest whalers that sailed from New London. Colby (p. 128) quotes from a letter from William Allen (AM0102): “[In regard to whales I have caught myself: The largest right or black whale made 275 barrels, caught on Kamchatka in 1845, in the ship Robert Bowne of New London”.BOWNE’s crew lists show Allen as crew member for its 1842-1845 voyage and the following 1845-1948 voyage. Since the first voyage returned on February 25, 1845, it is likely that Allen took his large catch on his second voyage that sailed on June 10, 1845. Dennis Wood Abstract 1-443. N. & W.W. Billings was the agent. AV12416.
ARMATA (AS0912): (ship, 414 tons, length 108 ft., built in New York NY in 1811, rebuilt in 1832). ARMATA sailed on July 4, 1846 for the NW coast and returned on April 2, 1849. AOWV lists the master of this voyage as “Fitch, J” (AM1906), presumably James Fitch (AM1906). New London Crew Lists records William Fitch as the master of this voyage. Colby shows this voyage under the name of William Fitch. Decker, Starbuck, and Dennis Wood Abstract 2-009, not helping the issue, show the master as “Fitch”. Reference is made to the author’s paper on James Fitch in New London Whaling Masters. In the author’s opinion, Colby’s entry naming William as master outweighs the vague “Fitch, J” of AOWV, suggesting that William was likely the master. Abner Bassett was the agent. AV01249.
MOGUL (AS1958): (ship, 395 tons, length 114 ft., built in Medford MA in 1823 (Connecticut Ship Database says that after 1847 records show that MOGUL was built in New Bedford). MOGUL sailed on August 6, 1851 for the N. Pacific and returned on June 25, 1853. Dennis Wood Abstract 2-474 show “French” as the master. Williams & Barnes was the agent. AV09945.
William died in Montville where he lived for most of his life. The Day (New London, 9/18/1903) records “Capt. William Fitch, a retired whaler died at his home in Montville …of general debility incident to old age…He followed the sea for nearly 30 years, afterward returning to his farm in Montville”. He left a widow and daughter. His gravestone is in Montville’s Comstock Cemetery.
Sources used: see sidebar and sources cited in text. Lawther Family Tree contained in Find A Grave.
George Shaw
American Institute for Maritime Studies
Mystic Seaport Museum
September 2025