Merchants and Sea Captains of Old Boston

Information about merchants and sea captains in early Boston, and the businesses they built and the ships they commanded from "Other Merchants and Sea Captains of Old Boston" published by  State Street Trust Company, Boston, Mass., 1919.

William Appleton & Company
William Appleton was born in North Brookfleld, Mass., in 1786 and died in 1862. He began his career at the age of fifteen as clerk in the country store of Artemas Wheeler in Temple, N.H., being made a partner four years later.

Captain John Codman, William D. Codman,  John & Richard Codman
Captain John Codman was born in Dorchester in 1814, being the oldest son of the Rev. John Codman. His daughter was Mrs. F. V. Parker, his two brothers were William C. and Robert Codman, and his sisters were Mrs. Charles K. Cobb, Mrs. Otto Pollitz, and Mrs. William A. Peabody.

John Perkins Cushing
John Perkins Cushing, called "Ku-Shing" by the Chinese, sailed for China when only sixteen years old, to take the position of clerk in the counting-house of his uncle, Colonel Thomas Handasyd Perkins.

Nathaniel Goddard
Nathaniel Goddard had the distinction of being the last man in Boston to wear knee-breeches, which, of course, were accompanied by the customary black silk stockings in warm weather and by whitetopped boots in winter.

The Exploits of Captain Augustine Heard
Captain Heard was a partner of the firm of Russell & Co., fifteen years after the firm was founded, later retiring and forming his own house, Augustine Heard & Co., then third largest American firm in the East.

James and Thomas Lamb
Many American fortunes were made in the North West trade, and among those who shared in these successes was the well-known Boston house of James & Thomas Lamb. These two brothers formed a partnership in 1781, immediately after the death of James Lamb, Sr., who had been head of the house of James Lamb & Son for some years previous. 

Lee and Cabot
This house was composed of Captain Joseph Lee and Hon. George Cabot, his brother-in-law. Captain Lee, who was born in the year 1744, was an original character.

John Ellerton Lodge
John Ellerton Lodge was one of the best-known ship-merchants of Boston, engaging in commerce chiefly with China. 

Captain Charles Porter Low
Captain Low, a younger brother of A. A. Low, a partner of Russell & Co., was a Salem man and commanded some of our fastest clipper ships

R. C. Mackay and J. S. Coolidge - J. S. Coolidge & Co.
R. C. Mackay and J. S. Coolidge, two well-known Boston merchants, with offices at 16 Union Wharf, were associated in business, conducting a large trade between this port and Calcutta and the East.

Mrs. Joshau A. Patten, Captain
Captain Joshua A. Patten was taken ill with brain fever and was stricken blind while sailing the "Neptune's Car" to San Francisco in 1856, whereupon his wife, who had been to sea with her husband once before and had fortunately made a study of navigation, took charge of the vessel and brought her around Cape Horn.

Captain William Dane Phelps
Captain William Dane Phelps, who was born in 1802, followed the sea for over forty years. He was a lively youngster and played many mischievous pranks at school

Captain William Sturgis and the "Atahualpa" Fight
Captain William Sturgis was proclaimed a hero when he saved the "Atahualpa" and her crew from falling into the hands of the Chinese pirates in the year 1809. The vessel was lying peacefully at her moorings in the Macao Roads, when Mr. Bumstead, who was a passenger on board, and who had lost a brother through pirates, called to Captain Sturgis's attention a fleet of junks in line of battle floating down upon them.