James was born on July 7, 1818 in Shelter Island NY. His parents were Francis Havens and Mary (Eldridge) Havens.
James married twice and was the father of four children. The identity of the mother is not clear in each case, and some of the information could not be verified. James married Mary B. Corey, born in 1821. According to the Family History (see Sources), he and Mary had a son, named after his father, who died at four months of age in 1852. Mary died on April 21 in that year (during child birth?). James married Cordelia Latham (born 1809). The Family History shows a second child, a son, “Henry H … by his second wife. He died 1879 ae 78”. The 1860 census for Southampton NY records as residents James (age 49, “retired ship master”), Cordelia (48), and two children, Mary (age 12) and Martha (age 8). The ages of the daughters suggest that Mary (who died in 1852) was their mother. In the census for 1870 for Sag Harbor NY, Martha is age 18 but Mary does not appear. In the census ten years later, James now appears as “whaleman” and Martha is not listed. Find A Grave for James, adding confusion and uncertainty, lists two children, James (1852-1852) and Henry H. Havens (1841-1879). If Henry’s dates are correct, then he could not have been “by his second wife” because Mary was still alive in 1841. The author’s tentative conclusion is that James had two sons (James and Henry) and two daughters (Mary and Martha), probably all children of Mary.
James was master for one voyage on one ship, home port New London:
DOVER (AS1230): (ship, 431 tons, length 121 ft., built in Charlestown MA in 1828). DOVER sailed on September 4, 1851 for the No. Pacific. James was the master when DOVER sailed. At some time during the voyage, he left the ship, where, when and why not known, to be replaced by William Babcock (AM0224) as replacement master. DOVER returned home on May 19, 1855. For how long William served as master in James’s absence is not known. Dennis Wood Abstract 2-175 makes no mention of James’s departure or of William becoming master. Benjamin F. Brown Sons was the agent. AV03286.
James also served as master for three voyages on two ships, both with Sag Harbor NY as home port: ACASTA (AS0815) for its 1841-1842 and 1842-1844 voyages and LEVANT (AS1794) for it s1844-1847 voyage.
Sources used: see sidebar and sources cited in text. A Family History Book found in Ancestry.com lists information about James (shown with his middle name Monroe, not Munroe as shown elsewhere) and his family that is inconsistent with other information.
George Shaw
American Institute for Maritime Studies
Mystic Seaport Museum
January 2026