List of Whale Ships<br />belonging to Nantucket 1834 Nantucket Signals.

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List of Whale Ships belonging to Nantucket:
Nantucket Signals.
1834

Introduction.

The following is the catalog record description from the Oak Spring Garden Foundation library, which owns the document and has made it available through the Internet Archive.

A pamphlet depicting Nantucket signals

Manuscript comprising of 14 leaves with watercolor illustrations of signal flags associated with Nantucket-based ships, the names are inscribed below the flags in sepia ink; a watercolor drawing of a ship is on the verso of the first leaf; on the verso of the last leaf are 76 names of ships, also inscribed in sepia ink; pencil drawing of a man in front of a mirror on verso of second leaf; pencil sketch on verso of third leaf; pencil notations on verso of tenth and eleventh leaves. Top wrapper only with inscription: “Drawing By ?/ Nantucket Signals/ Isaac Coffin Coleman.” In blue cloth box-case. Spine height: 7 ? inches.

Original held by the Oak Spring Garden Foundation, Upperville, Virginia. This resource is in the public domain and may be used without restriction, however, attribution is customary and requested.

The leaf inside the cover carries the title "Nantucket Signals". At the top of the leaf a note begins "Drawn by " but the name is impossible to read.

The name beneath the title line – "Isaac Coffin Coleman" – is the name of a later owner of the document. Coleman was born in Nantucket in 1834. He apparently moved to Providence, Rhode Island, during the Civil War, where he married. By 1870 he was living in Jacksonville, Illinois. Coleman died there in 1908, having worked as a carpenter and an architect.

This document is quite likely the best representation of the Nantucket whaling fleet at the end of its ascendency and the rise of New Bedford as the center of Pacific whaling in the world.

Almost half the flags in this document (thirty-seven of seventy-six) are not found in Ridley's Nantucket Signals: Private Signal Flags, Owners' Flags, and House Flags of Nantucket Whalers.^* These are the vessels:

Alexander	George	Ocean	Richard Mitchell
Aurora	Harvest	Omega	Rose
Baltic	Hero	Ontario	Swift
Charles & Henry	Howard	Orbit	Susan
Christopher Mitchell	Kingston	Orion	Three Brothers
Congress	Levi Starbuck	Pacific	Zenas Coffin
Enterprise	Lexington (schooner)	Peruvian	Zone
Fabius	Maria	Phenix
Fame	Mariner	President
Foster	Mary	Reaper

All the above are ships with the exception of the Lexington.

^* Nantucket Signals: Private Signal Flags, Owners' Flags, and House Flags of Nantucket Whalers / compiled by Donald E. Ridley. New Bedford : New Bedford Whaling Museum.
New Bedford : New Bedford Whaling Museum, 2004
(Kendall Monograph Series no. 16)

Contents.^*


Vessel	Rig	Tons	Owner(s)	Departed ^†	Image

Alexander	Ship	421		1831	8
Alexander Coffin	Ship	381		1832	15
Alpha	Ship	345	Hadwen & Barney	1834	10
American	Ship	340	Matthew Crosby	1834	39
Ann	Ship	361	Jared Coffin	1833	20
Atlantic	Ship	321	P. & B. Gardner	1832	29
Aurora	Ship	346	T.& P. Macy	1833	11
Baltic	Ship	410	P. H. Folger	1831; 1835	25
Barclay	Ship	301	Griffin Barney	1831; 1835	5
Catharine	Ship	384	Jared Coffin	1831; 1835	19
Charles and Henry	Ship	336	C. G . & H. Coffin	1832	32
Charles Carroll	Ship	376		1832	41
Christopher Mitchell	Ship	387	Chris. Mitchell & Co.	1834	18
Clarkson	Ship	380	James Athern	1834	26
Columbus	Ship	314	Richard Mitchell; Paul Mitchell's Sons	1831; 1835	34
Congress	Ship	339	P. H. Folger	1835	12
Constitution	Ship	318	C. G . & H. Coffin	1831; 1833; 1835	32
Cyrus	Ship	328		1832	24
Eagle	Ship	335	David Joy	1831; 1833; 1835	2
Elizabeth Starbuck	Ship	387	Levi Starhock	1834	28
Enterprise	Ship	413		1832	36
Fabius	Ship	432	Val. Hussey & Bro.	1833	25
Fame	Ship	374		1831; 1833	12
Foster	Ship	317		1833	15
Franklin	Ship	309	James Athearn	1834	38
Ganges	Ship	265	William H. Gardner	1835	27
George	Ship	359		1834	23
Harvest	Ship	360	Samuel B. Folger	1832	25
Hero	Ship	313	Joseph Starbuck	1833	28
Howard	Ship	365	S. & 'I'. Hussey	1835	16
Independence	Ship	311		1833	40
Japan	Ship	332	James Athern	1834	22
John Adams	Ship	296	Griffin Barney	1831; 1833; 1835	4
Kingston	Ship	312			16
Levi Starbuck	Ship	376	Levi Starbuck	1833	28
Lexington	Schooner		Philip H.Folger	1832; 1833; 1834	12
Lima	Ship	286	William B. Coffin	1831; 1834	14
Loper	Ship	316		1832	28
Lydia	Ship	325		1833	32
Maria	Ship	365		1832	33
Mariner	Ship	349		1832	14
Martha	Ship	273		1833	13
Mary	Ship	365	Daniel Jones	1831; 1832; 1835	29
Mary Mitchell	Ship	354	S. B. Tuck	1831; 1835	9
Montano	Ship	365	Samuel B. Folger	1833	35
Mount Vernon	Ship	384	William Folger	1835	30
Ocean	Ship	349	T.& P. Macy	1832	11
Ohio	Ship	381	Jared Coffin	1833	21
Omega	Ship	363	Joseph Starbuck	1833	28
Ontario	Ship	354		1832	23
Orbit	Ship	351		1832	11
Orion	Ship	354	F. W. Hussey	1833	16
Pacific	Ship	314	Paul Mitchell & Sons	1832; 1834	15
Peru	Bark; Ship	257	David Joy, jr; David Joy	1831; 1832; 1833; 1835	6
Peruvian	Ship	334	C. Mitchell & Co.	1832	18
Phebe	Ship	379	Chris. Mitchell & Co.	1834	17
Phenix	Ship	323	T.& P. Macy	1831; 1834	11
Planter	Ship	340	Gilbert Coffin; William B. Coffin	1832; 1834	36
Ploughboy	Ship	391	P. H. Folger	1834	1
President	Ship	293	Joseph Starbuck	1831; 1835	28
Rambler	Ship	318	Aaron Mitchell	1832 /1835	9
Reaper	Ship	338	Jared Coffin; P. H. Folger	1832; 1835	28
Richard Mitchell	Ship	386	P. Mitchell & Sons	1831; 1835	15
Rose	Ship	350	Joseph Starbuck	1831	28
Sarah	Ship	495	Jared Coffin	1834	6
Spartan	Ship	333	Daniel Jones	1831; 1835	7
Statira	Ship	346	Samuel B. Tuck	1834	9
Susan	Ship	349	Aaron Mitchell	1833	9
Swift	Ship	456		1831	8
Three Brothers	Ship	384	Joseph Starbuck	1833	28
Thule	Ship	285		1832	37
Washington	Ship	308		1832	3
Weymouth	Ship	329		1831	42
Zenus Coffin	Ship	338	C. G . & H. Coffin	1832	32
Zone	Ship	365	S. & J. Mitchell	1834	23

List of Whale Ships belonging to Nantucket: 1834.					42

^* This page created for this transcription.

^† Departure dates of voyages 1831 through 1834 from Nantucket according to Alexander Starbuck's History of the American whale fishery.

Note about this Document.

"A pamphlet depicting Nantucket signals."

Manuscript comprising of 14 leaves with watercolor illustrations of signal flags associated with Nantucket-based ships, the names are inscribed below the flags in sepia ink; a watercolor drawing of a ship is on the verso of the first leaf; on the verso of the last leaf are 76 names of ships, also inscribed in sepia ink; pencil drawing of a man in front of a mirror on verso of second leaf; pencil sketch on verso of third leaf; pencil notations on verso of tenth and eleventh leaves. Top wrapper only with inscription: “Drawing By ?/ Nantucket Signals/ Isaac Coffin Coleman.” In blue cloth box-case. Spine height: 7 ? inches.

Original held by the Oak Spring Garden Foundation, Upperville, Virginia.

- 1 -

Ploughboy Ship 391 P. H. Folger 1834

- 2 -

Eagle Ship 335 David Joy 1831 / 1833 / 1835

- 3 -

Washington Ship 308 1832

- 4 -

John Adams Ship 296 Griffin Barney 1831 / 1833 / 1835

- 5 -

Barclay Ship 301 Griffin Barney 1831 / 1835

- 6 -

Peru Bark / Ship 257 David Joy, jr / David Joy 1831 / 1832 / 1833 / 1835
Sarah Ship 495 Jared Coffin 1834

- 7 -

Spartan Ship 333 Daniel Jones 1831 / 1835

- 8 -

Alexander Ship 421 1831
Swift Ship 456 1831

- 9 -

Susan Ship 349 Aaron Mitchell 1833
Rambler Ship 318 Aaron Mitchell 1832 /1835
Mary Mitchell Ship 354 S. B. Tuck 1831 / 1835
Statira Ship 346 Samuel B. Tuck 1834

- 10 -

Alpha Ship 345 Hadwen & Barney 1834

- 11 -

Aurora Ship 346 T.& P. Macy 1833
Ocean Ship 349 T. & P. Macy 1832
Orbit Ship 351 1832
Phenix Ship 323 "T.& P. Macy 1831 / 1834

- 12 -

Lexington Schooner Philip H.Folger 1832 / 1833 / 1834
Fame Ship 374 1831 / 1833
Congress Ship 339 P. H. Folger 1835

- 13 -

Martha Ship 273 1833

- 14 -

Lima Ship 286 William B. Coffin 1831 / 1834
Mariner Ship 349 1832

- 15 -

Alex'r Coffin Ship 381 1832
Foster Ship 317 1833
Richard Mitchell Ship 386 P. Mitchell & Sons 1831 / 1835
Pacific Ship 314 Paul Mitchell & Sons 1832 / 1834

- 16 -

Howard Ship 365 S. & I. Hussey 1835
Orion Ship 354 F. W. Hussey 1833
Kingston Ship 312

- 17 -

Phebe Ship 379 Chris. Mitchell & Co. 1834

- 18 -

Peruvian Ship 334 C. Mitchell & Co. 1832
Christopher Mitchell Ship 387 Chris. Mitchell & Co. 1834

- 19 -

Catharine Ship 384 Jared Coffin 1831 / 1835

- 20 -

Ann Ship 361 Jared Coffin 1833

- 21 -

Ohio Ship 381 Jared Coffin 1833

- 22 -

Japan Ship 332 James Athern 1834

- 23 -

George Ship 359 1834
Zone Ship 365 S. & J. Mitchell 1834
Ontario Ship 354 1832

- 24 -

Cyrus Ship 328 1832

- 25 -

Harvest Ship 360 Samuel B. Folger 1832
Baltic Ship 410 P. H. Folger 183 / 1835
Fabius Ship 432 Val. Hussey & Bro. 1833

- 26 -

Clarkson Ship 380 James Athern 1834

- 27 -

Ganges Ship 265 William H. Gardner 1835

- 28 -

Rose Ship 350 Joseph Starbuck 1831
Reaper Ship 338 Jared Coffin / P. H. Folger 1832 / 1835
Loper Ship 316 1832
Omega Ship 363 Joseph Starbuck 1833
Hero Ship 313 Joseph Starbuck 1833
President Ship 293 Joseph Starbuck 1831 / 1835
Levi Starbuck Ship 376 Levi Starbuck 1833
Elizabeth Starbuck Ship 387 Levi Starhock 1834
Three Brothers Ship 384 Joseph Starbuck 1833

- 29 -

- 30 -

Atlantic Ship 321 P. & B. Gardner 1832
Mary Ship 365 Daniel Jones 1831 / 1832 / 1835

- 31 -

Mount Vernon Ship 384 William Folger 1835

- 32 -

Zenus Coffin Ship 325 1833
Lydia Ship 336 C. G . & H. Coffin 1832
Charles & Henry Ship 318 C. G . & H. Coffin 1831 / 1833 / 1835
Constitution Ship 365 1832

- 33 -

Maria Ship 314 Richard Mitchell / Paul Mitchell's Sons 1831 / 1835

- 34 -

Columbus Ship 365 Samuel B. Folger 1833

- 35 -

Montano Ship 413 1832

- 36 -

Enterprise Ship 340 Gilbert Coffin / William B. Coffin 1832 / 1834
Planter Ship 285 1832

- 37 -

25C Thule Ship 309 James Athearn 1834

- 38 -

Franklin Ship 340 Matthew Crosby 1834

- 39 -

American Ship 311 1833

- 40 -

Independence Ship 376 1832

- 41 -

Charles Carroll Ship 329 1831

- 42 -

Weymouth

- 42 -

List of Whale Ships belonging to Nantucket: 1834. ^*

Name	Tons	Name	Tons	Name	Tons	Name	Tons
Alexander Coffin		Eagle		Levi Starbuck		Rambler
Alexander		Enterprise		Lydia		Rose
American		Elizabeth Starbuck				Reaper
Alpha						Richard Mitchell
Ann				Mary
Aurora		Franklin		Mary Mitchell		Susan
Atlantic		Fabius		Maria		Statira
		Foster	432	Martha		Sarah
		Fame		Montano		Swift
Baltic				Mariner		Susan
Barclay						Spartan
		George
		Ganges		Orion
Catharine				Orbit		Three Brothers
Christopher Mitchell				Omega		Thule
Constitution		Harvest		Ontario
Columbus		Howard		Ohio
Congress		Hero				Weymouth
Cyrus						Washington
Clarkson				Peru
Charles and Henry		Independence		Pacific
Charles Carroll		John Adams		President		Young Eagle
		Japan		Phebe
				Peruvian
				Phenix		Zenus Coffin
		Kingston		Ploughboy		Zone
				Planter

		Lima
		Loper

^* The following ships for which signals are included do not appear in this table: Lexington, Mount Vernon and Ocean.
The table includes the ship Young Eagle which does not appear in the signal section.

Source.

Author/Artist unknown.
TITLE
PLACE: PUBLISHER, DATE
COLLATION

This transcription used the images from the
Internet Archive.

Last updated by Tom Tyler, Denver, CO, USA, Jun 23, 2026

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