The Diaries of Obed Macy, Nantucket Merchant and Historian

10

by Edouard A. Stackpole

AS A CITIZEN of Nantucket it would be difficult to find a man more fully aware of the significance of the times in which he lived than Obed Macy. A birthright Quaker, who served for many years as Clerk of the Meeting, a young whaleman, a blacksmith and farmer, a ship owner and merchant, and an historian, this versatile islander became not only well known and highly respected in his day but gave Nantucket its first formal History, a volume completed in 1835 and published that year. It was this volume which Melville enjoyed reading, and his reference to "the good Obed" was a deserved tribute.

Obed Macy was born on January 15, 1762, the son of Caleb and Judith (Folger) Macy, and was in the fifth generation from Thomas Macy, among the original purchasers and settlers of Nantucket. One of a family of ten children he learned the shoemaker's trade, and then made three short whaling voyages before abandoning the sea and resuming the cobbler's business. He was close to his older brother Silvanus, and the two entered into a partnership which endured throughout their lifetime, serving as agents for whaleships, as well as merchant vessels and fishing craft. Outfitting ships, arranging for the gauging of the returned cargo, investing in ships and voyages, occupied most of the business life of the Macy firm, which continued^ for forty-seven years — terminating with the death of Silvanus in 1833.

In February, 1786, Obed married Abigail Pinkham, and the couple were the parents of ten children. They went to reside in a house on Pleasant Street which still stands, and is flanked by the home built by his son Peter Macy. The oldest son, Thomas, became a prominent merchant and also served as Postmaster. His warehouse on Straight Wharf still stands. Two of Thomas' sons, Isaac and Philip, continued to carry on the business launched by the Grandfather, Obed, and displayed many of the characteristics of the close family ties.

After a long and busy life, Obed Macy died on December 24, 1844, being within a few weeks of attaining his 83rd birthday. His History of Nantucket was a rare accomplishment as he was a contemporary of the scenes depicted in its pages. A discerning writer, with a sense of the drama of his times, he commenced a Diary in January, 1799, which he continued until the close of his life—not in the nature of a daily journal but recording the important events of Nantucket life. It is with this accounting that we may follow many important events in and around the Island.

Following are some of the entries in Obed Macy's Journal No 1. of the series. Many of these were to be incorporated in his forthcoming History, but most of the recordings are published for the first time.

Obed Macy — Historian

12 HISTORIC NANTUCKET January 1, 1799: As there is nothing remarkable taken place today I shall only make observations on the time past. Cold blustering weather set in early accompanied with a number of storms in which many have suffered shipwreck, one belonging here, a schooner owned by Richard Chadwick and Lot Clasby, People and part of the cargo saved, on Fisher's Island Ledge; two others, strangers, cast ashore at back of the Great Point.

January 2: Yesterday night a snow storm. Nathan Long has arrived at the Vineyard from Woolwich Bay (Africa) — full ship. Cold snow storm nearly the whole day.

January 5: Susanna Pinkham, wife of John, died suddenly this morning about 10 o'clock. The weather is very cold by the the urometer the mercury is down to 2 degrees — the ice makes very fast; the ground covered with snow.

Jan. 8: The ice has made out a little beyond the Bar, so that we are blockaded as to news and any article that usually comes from far, and as to domestic affairs have nothing uncommon.

Jan. 10: The weather is very moderate, wind at SW, ice and snow melt very fast.

Jan. 11: The weather still moderate; the ice has gone as far as Brant Point, the snow nearly gone. Jedidah Gardner, widow of Robert, died this evening at Robert Gardner's, aged 83.

Jan. 15: Albert Gardner, Alexander Gardner and Barnabas Macy are drove ashore by the Ice at Holms Hole.

Jan. 16: The Packet came, which is the first time since the cold weather set in—brot. a great number of letters. Stephen Waterman writes from Savannah that his people are all dead & himself sick. Peter Bunker, son of Peleg, is one that died.

Jan. 17: Yesterday and today brot. from Polpis 52 bushels potatoes.

The value of Obed Macy's Diaries is two-fold. As a record of Nantucket life at the turn of the 19th century its worth is self evident, but also as an accounting of Island activity in the revival of American whaling it occupies a unique position, offering one of the few documentations of this important chapter in our maritime history. Several of these entries follow:

March 5, 1799: This day Benjamin Barnard was shipt with Zenas Coffin to proceed on a Voyage in the ship Brothers. First to New York, from thence to Ireland, from thence to London, from thence home, lay 17 Dolls, per month & Vi ton privilege.

THE DIARY OF OBED MACY March 6: This day departed this life Daniel Folger Macy, son of Silvs. Macy, Jr., sick about 10 days, of a fever. Aged 15 years.

March 8: Jonathan Paddack arrived, full ship, all well. Same day John Clasby arrived, full ship, all well. (The two ships were the Fortitude and Eagle, which had sailed in 1797 for Delagoa Bay on the east coast of Africa.)

March 21: The weather now appears a little like Spring, but we have had uncommon hard weather since this month came in; twice the harbor has froze up and the weather colder than most ever has known in this month. One hard N. E. snow storm, the snow up to the top of the fences in many places, many of the inhabitants no wood, and many have nothing to get wood with, very little business going on. Many are selling their Ships, the cause of which appears to be the French depradations on our Property at Sea. Our young men in general are leaving their homes to go to sea in the Merchant Service. Taking the whole into consideration it appears very dark and Gloomy as to Business, which causes many of the Families to think of moving from this into the Country.

March 25: The ship Brothers sail'd this afternoon & ketched aground on the Bar.

March 26: The ship Brothers got off the Bar about 2 o'clock in the morning and sailed as far as Woods Hole.

March 27: This morning went up Sound for New York. Wind East N. East. Nine o'clock blew heavy & increased to a heavy Gale of Wind and Rain.

March 31: The weather today is moderate, but it has been cold and Windy for some days with some snow. The Boats have been off but once afishing, the Weather has been so much like Winter.

April 3: Violent Gale of Wind at W N W with Squalls of Snow. The Packet arrived with shattered Sails, came passenger Capt. Andrew Pinkham, who arrived at Bedford from the Pacific Ocean with 1200 BBls. (Ship President.) He informed, when in the Gulf Steam about a week before his arrival, his brother Moses, son of Jethro Pinkham, was washed overboard & was lost and also a black man was drowned on Coast of Peru in attempting to get off with boat which upset & the rest of the crew narrowly escaped with their lives. Also, two other black men died of the Scurvy. April 4: Lydia Cleveland's son died with Peter Gardner at Savannah. Latham Bunker from New York brings the account of the loss of Abel Bunker of Hudson, foundered at

.Sea in a gale and all the Crew perished. Jonathan Pollard, Jr., was his mate. Peter Ross died in the West Indies. Wm. Long, son of Sam'l died at Savannah, mate with Benjamin Coffin in the ship Canlon.

April 6: Franklin Brown, son of Francis, died of Plurarysy. He published his intention of marriage about a week since. This day finished moving Batchelder Swain's house.

April 12: Peter Coffin of Tuckoonook Died suddenly, aged 75 - Sowed Barley & Hayseed on the Neck (Polpis).

April 13: This day made a verbal agreement with Shubael Barnard to have all his land on the Neck by Exchange. Prince Gardner & Elisha present.

The weather pattern in July, 1799, found the season much colder than normal, and the Diary cites a "small flight of snow" on July 12, as well as reports from the Kennebec region of Maine were of snow in drifts two feet deep. Among the interesting happenings in the diarist's life was the building of a raft to carry wood and supplies for building the Macy farm house in Polpis, and reference was made to Jonathan Swain, Jr., and Job Chase and company as builders of the dwelling. It was finished in 16 days.

A visitor from New York named Reuben Bourne was found to have the small pox and he was immediately carried to "Benj'm Mitchell's house at Phillips Run. He got well of the disease; he had it favourable." Thunder storms and heavy rain characterized June, one storm bringing "as great a flood of rain as ever known to fall at this season." The cold winter and spring took its toll, and Obed Macy reported that "one-half ithe sheep is missing, not including the last year's lambs."

On June 21st, 1799, the ship Minerva, commanded by Shubael Folger, arrived from the Brazil coast with 900 bbls. of oil. Captain Folger then reported having "spoken" the ship Barclay, of New Bedford, commanded by Captain Griffin Barney, with some important news, recorded as follows:

Barney, from the Pacific Ocean, informed him that Captain Jonathan Barney (ship Bedford) from New Bedford, and Captain Amariza Gardner (ship Commerce) from Nantucket, and a vessel from New York, were at the Island of St. Mary's (off the coast of Chile); that they went ashore with their boats, and the Spanish soldiers took them and carried them back into the country; that he and another ship lay waiting for their return with great concern and anxiety for their welfare, till 4 days was expired, he then left them without hearing any tidings.

In the margin of the Diary, near this entry, was noted:

These ships were discharged after a few days without much damage.

Two days later one of the incidents which brought much damage to the whaling fortunes of Nantucket was reported — the capture of the Nantucket whaleship Active, Captain Micajah Gardner, by the French. This wgs a part of the so-called Quasi-War between the United States and France, from which resulted the French Spoliation Claims. A later entry in the Diary gave further details:

The above report respecting the ship Active proved to be true. They were carried to St. Bartholomew (island) and there condemned. Jethro Mitchell & Sons were the owners of said ship & cargo. She has on board a great cargo of Sperm and Whale oil.

The ship Lydia, Captain Thomas Hiller, arrived from London on June 28th with a cargo of salt put aboard at the Cape Verde Islands, and soon after sailed for New York. William Toby came to work for the Macys and was paid $10 per month for the first two months and $7 per month thereafter. He was apparently a farm hand. Some of the entries were delayed recordings as the fact that Levi Joy and his wife moved to Hudson, N. Y., was not noted until four days after they had left the Island. A week later it was entered that Richard Worth and his family had also moved to Hudson, which was actually settled by Nantucketers fifteen years before and became a busy whaling port some one hundred miles up the river from salt water.

Some of the entries are loconic statements which hold a tragic story. For example: "July 16 — Nathaniel Bunker's son, with Capt. Sol'm Smith, down eastward Humpbacking, was lost by a whale running over the boat." "July 31 — Francis Folger died on his passage from Curraco to Baltimore. The deaths of Moses Pollard and Matthew Pease were reported, both young men being victims of yellow fever in voyages to the Caribbean islands. It is noteworthy that the deaths of citizens on the Island were carefully noted, and that the cause for many fatal illnesses was attributed to "consumption".

The whaleship Commerce, under Captain Amarizah Gardner, arrived from the Pacific Ocean on August 5, 1799, with a full ship — 1250 bbls. sperm and 150 bbls. whale oil. Obed Macy noted the prices carefully — 60 Pounds for "Head Matter," 31 Pounds for sperm oil and 20 Pounds for whale oil. On September 25 the whaleship Caesar, Captain Solomon Swain, arrived from the Coast of Peru with a ship "nearly full." a few days later, October 2, Obed Paddack, commanding the ship Fortitude, and Obed Aldridge, master of the ship Hero, came in with full cargoes from Delagoa Bay on the east coast of Africa. The whaleship Alliance, returned from a voyage to the Pacific Ocean on October 18, under Captain Hezekiah Barnard, with a ship nearly full of sperm oil.

16

HISTORIC NANTUCKET

September seemed to be a month when several Island families had determined to move to other mainland places to make a new home. Christopher Gardner and Richard Russell sailed for Maine, to settle in the "Kennebeck" country, with their families, accompanied by Benjamin Worth and his two daughters and Jethro Gardner and wife and their daughter. The Macy Diary reported twenty-three passengers in all sailed, 'Went with Charles Swift."

One of the important local incidents, which is historically interesting, took place on October 22, 1799, and Obed Macy's description is the only contemporary account:

"At V2 past 11 o'clock at night, we were aroused out of sleep with the dismal Cry of Fire — Fire. In a very few minutes the whole Town was all in alarm. The fire was found to be Isaac Folger's Boat-builders Shop, which in a very short time was covered in flames and notwithstanding the masterly Exertions of the people, with the help of the Engines, it consumed to Ashes. The fire communicated from the Shop to Silv's Coffin's dwelling house, which very soon was all on fire. Fortunately there was 50 lbs. of Powder in the Garret, that when the fire took blew the roof completely off, and with it about V2 the fire, so that it enabled the people to put out the remainder of the fire in the house, but about one third of the house was destroy'd. The fire also communicated to Barn or Warehouse & burnt it down. In the Shop was Isaac's tools with considerable Stock, & in the Cellar some Provisions of different kinds, together with a Ton & V2 of Sperm Oil belonging to Jethro Pinkham, worth about 50 Pounds. At the commencement of the Fire the wind was about NNW & blew fresh, so that Peter Pollard's house & Isaac's Barn, with other buildings appeared in imminent danger, but the Wind soon veered a little Eastward to North and died considerably, but notwithstanding Isaac's Barn and Peter's house took fire, but was presently extinguished without much damage to either. If the Wind had continued it appeared likely that the fire would have spread to a much greater distance than it did. Silv's Coffin's loss was very considerable as there was in his warehouse Tea, Coffee, Spirits, Provisions, Hay & many other Articles. A summary of the losses are as follows: The whole loss amounted to $1,750, which was estimated by a Committee chosen by the Selectmen for that purpose. A Collection took place by Subscription, by which about V2 the loss will be collected & made paid in to the Sufferers Exclusive of private donations."

The danger of a fire spreading through this closely built wooden town was always recognized, and there were other instances where a conflagration was narrowly averted by the exertions of the volunteer fire companies. The inevitable that was to take place was still half a century

THE DIARY OF OBED MACY 17 away, but it was apparent that the Great Fire had several frightening preliminaries before it finally occurred.

Early in November two Nantucket whaleships returned after voyages to the Pacific Ocean—the ship Hector, Captain Benjamin Worth, and the Trial, Captain Simeon Starbuck. Both had full cargoes of oil. But the menace of the French naval forces, and their harrassment of American shipping had taken its toll and Obed Macy summed it up in this manner:

Some few vessels are fixing (for) a Whaling & Skinning but the dangers of being captured by the French, and other casualties, causes the Insurance to run high, which is from 17 to 20 per cent, on Vessels that goes around Cape Horn and in that proportion for other Voyages. So that the high price of Provisions and the low price of Oil together with high Insurance, nearly puts our business to a stand, and causes ships to be sold rather than risk a-Whaling, and nearly three fourths of the Ships that have arrived are Sold from the Island.

(To be continued)