There is confusion and uncertainty about the identity of this Capt. Fordham.AOWV shows his name as Nathaniel Fordham, Jr. The author was unable to find in other sources references to another “Nathaniel Jr”. His father’s name in the sources was Nathan, not Nathaniel. Numerous refences and records in genealogical and whaling sources about “Nathan” Fordham indicate that there were two generations by that name and that both generations had a “Nathan” who was a whaling master. “Nathan” could be an abbreviation of or nickname for Nathaniel. The author believes that Nathaniel was the younger of the two named Nathan and that he warrants a “Jr.” after his name. To distinguish him from his father (to the extent possible), the author will refer to Capt. Fordham Jr. as Nathan Jr.
Find A Grave and other records identify a Nathan Fordham who the author believes is probably Nathan Jr. He was born on July 23, 1795. His parents were Capt. Nathan Fordham (denominated here as Nathan Sr.)(1757-1858) and Mary (Howell) Fordham, known as Polly (died 1818). AOWV shows Nathan Sr. (AM1992) as master of POLLY (named after his wife?) for its 1790 voyage. The Find A Grave site for Nathan Jr. shows his father (Nathan Sr.) as “Capt.”
Nathan Jr. married Elizabeth (Payne) Fordham, known as Betsey (9/5/1799-9/14/1870. They appear to have had two children: Find A Grave shows one child, Samuel (1819-1910) and the New York Daily Herald reports the death of Maria Louise, daughter of Capt. Nathan Fordham at age 35. Census records for Southampton NY from 1790 through 1840 record “Nathan Fordham” as a resident (the 1800 report lists “Nathaniel”), but the census reports do not distinguish between the two Nathans. Nathan Jr. died on January 13, 1869 in Sag Harbor NY. He and Betsey are memorialized on an obelisk in Oakland Cemetery in Sag Harbor. The New York Evening Post (1/26/1867) records that for many years “Captain Nathan Fordham was one of the Marine Inspectors of the Sun Mutual Insurance Company of New York”.
Nathan Jr. was master for one voyage on one ship with New London as home port:
OSPRAY (sometimes OSPREY) (AS2120): (brig, 153 tons, length 74 ft., built in Kennebunk ME in 1821). The ship sailed in 1834 (no date shown) for the So. Atlantic and returned about June 10, 1835. Colby does not show a Nathaniel or Nathan Fordham as a New London master. Decker shows the master of this voyage as “Fordham, Nathan Jr.” Starbuck shows only the last name. E.M. Frink was the agent. AV11080.
According to AOWV, prior to Nathan Jr.’s service on OSPRAY, he was a master of FRANKLIN (AS1409, home port Sag Harbor NY) for its 1831 and 1832-1833 voyages. AOWV also shows “Nathan Jr.” with a different master number (AM1993) serving as master of NINUS (AS2048, home port Lynn MA) for its 1835-1837 voyage.
Starbuck consistently shows only —– Fordham as the master for the above voyages.
Nathan Jr. was issued Citizenship Affidavit of U.S.-born Seaman on August 3, 1824. It shows that he was then age 25 and born in Suffolk County NY (Southampton and Sag Harbor are in Suffolk County).
Sources used: see sidebar and sources cited in text.
George Shaw
American Institute for Maritime Studies
Mystic Seaport Museum
October 2025