Historic Nantucket, April 1973, Vol. 20 No. 4

Admiral Sir Isaac Coffin This portrait of the American-born British Admiral has been loaned by Mr. L. Manlius Sargent, of Dedham, and now hangs in the Peter Foulger Museum. Admiral Coffin came to Nan­ tucket in 1826 and at this time arranged to endow a school on the island in memory of his ancestor Tristram Coffin, one of the first settlers on Nantucket, and the Coffin School came into existence the following year. In 1810, while Admiral Cof­ fin was in command of H. M. S. Alligator, he visited Boston.

At this time his portrait was painted by Gilbert Stuart, the famous artist. It was owned by the Admiral's cousin in Boston, Thomas Amory, and later a copy was painted by an artist named Horace R. Burdick.