Albert was born on July 29, 1834 in Tristan da Cunha, an island in the South Atlantic Ocean. His parents were William Glass (1787-1853) and Mary/Maria Glass (1801-1858). Find A Grave for his brother (Robert H. Glass (AM 2238) records that both parents were born in Tristan da Cunha, but the 1890 census for Waterford CT records that both of his parents born in Scotland. Another report shows that Maria was born in Africa at the Cape of Good Hope. He appears to have had two wives. The New London Bulletin (6/6/1866) contained one of a series of notices published under Albert’s name reciting “I hereby forbid all persons harboring or trusting my wife Frances Jane, as I shall pay no debts of her contracting”. Later he married Nancy, no last name known, born in 1856 in Connecticut. She would have been about age ten when the notices about Albert’s first wife were published. He appears to be living by himself in census reports for New London and Waterford (CT) in 1870 (“mariner”) and 1880 (“sailor”). By 1890, the Waterford census records a family consisting of Albert (age 65 and “barge captain”), Nancy (age 44), and two children, Nellie (age 17, born in June 1882), and Isabel (age 6, born in August 1893.) Find A Grave shows a child name Ellen, not otherwise identified or confirmed. Albert died on September 29, 1904 in Waterford and is buried in Cedar Grove Cemetery in New London.
Albert’s only service as a master was acting as replacement master for two voyages on one ship, home port New London.
FLORENCE (AS13720: (schooner, 56 tons, length 64 ft., built in Wells ME in 1851). FLORENCE sailed on August 6, 1872 on a sealing voyage to the Atlantic, returning on April 19, 1879. Albert was replacement master for for the first master, George Athearn (AM0175). The schooner sailed again on July 22, 1876 for a three month voyage to the Atlantic, returning on October 22, 1876. He was replacement master for Sanford Miner (AM3454). Williams, Haven & Co. was the agent for both voyages. AV04975 and AV04977 respectively.
Alfred served as a member of the crew on six voyages on six ships, all with New London as home port: JOHN & ELIZABETH (AS1707) for its 1850-1855 voyage, EXILE (AS1333) for its 1859-1861 voyage during which he was registered for the 1860 New London census as a seaman through its Customs House; ARAB (AS0039) for its 1862-1864 voyage; ROSWELL KING (AS2313) for its 1864-1867 voyage; J.D. THOMPSON (AS0345) for its 1868-1871 voyage; and CHARLES COLGATE (AS1079) for its 1873-1875 voyage.
The New London Day (7/19/1900) contains some of his reminiscences of “fifty years ago today” when he sailed on his first voyage from New London on the “whaling ship” John Elizabeth [sic] for the Arctic Ocean. The voyage lasted nine years….” He said that he made several other whaling voyages from New London and later was master of the Thames Tugboat Company’s barge AFTON. His memory is accurate as to the beginning of his first voyage on JOHN & ELIZABETH but not the duration. Its crew lists show that Albert was on its 1850-1855 voyage but not on its 1855-1856 and 1856-1858 voyages.
Robert H. Glass (AM 2238), Albert’s older brother, was also a master of whaling voyages on ships with New London as home port.
Note: AOWV gives Albert’s middle initial as “C”. All other sources show that was “G”.The author has used “G” for his name.
Sources used: see sidebar and sources cited in text.
George Shaw
American Institute for Maritime Studies
Mystic Seaport Museum
November 2025