A Century of Glory, Devastation and Turmoil

In 1796, the year of the Society’s founding, Portland had about three thousand inhabitants, and not quite eighteen thousand tons of shipping were registered and enrolled at the custom house. By the turn of the century, the population was just shy of the four thousand mark and two thousand new tons of shipping had gone on the books. As noted above, in its first four years the Society had admitted fifty-five members. In 1800, Joseph Titcomb was President, John Jones Vice President, Stephen Waite Treasurer and Jacob Noyes Secretary.

As has been alluded to briefly above, the new century got off to a less than auspicious beginning first with the Embargo, which kept shipping tied up at Portland’s wharves or swinging idly at anchor. During the Embargo, Portland’s exports fell from one hundred eight millions in 1807 to twenty-two millions in 1808 and imports dropped by about half. In some cases Portland owners and masters simply thumbed their noses at the authorities. According to William Goold, "...Organized parties loaded vessels in a night, and before morning they were out of reach of government officers." There was an anti-Embargo parade at the close of which Marine Society member Edward Kelleran,"a large and jolly ship captain," burlesqued the Embargo in comic speech.

Once the war with England broke out, Deacon William Jewett fitted the privateer Rapid, which made one successful cruise but was captured by the British after a career of less than six months. Much more successful and destined, as William Goold wrote tongue-in-cheek, "to raise the spirit of all Portland," was the three-masted schooner Dart, whose captain, John Curtis, may later have joined the Marine Society, though that is not certain In any case, in August 1812, the Dart captured the British brig Dianna, par of whose cargo were 212 puncheons of what proved to be highly superio rum. For years "Old Dart Rum" was highly prized around Portland.

November, 1995 Nicholas B. Dean and John K. Moulton

Note: The Portland Marine Society - A Bicentenial History - has been published on the Portland Marine Society pages with permission from Captain John K. Moulton.

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Last updated March 17, 1999