George Howland  Whalesite

      Wm. B. Peacock (William Bogardus Peacock) was born January 18, 1814 in Saratoga County, New York. Nothing is know of his early life in New York.

      He first appears in official records in 1836, when at the age of 22, he married sixteen year-old Elizabeth Bursiel (or Bursell) of Boston in Nantucket, Massachusetts. She was the half-sister of Boston/Nantucket whaleman Lewis Monto, who was then on his fifth and final whaling voyage.

      The Peacock's had eight children between 1837 and 1857. Six survived infancy.

      William B. Peacock was a cooper. Before moving to New Bedford in the late 1840's he worked in a Boston oil manufacturing factory which was partially owned by his brother-in-law Lewis Monto.

      Once in New Bedford, Peacock signed as cooper aboad the whaleship George Howland, Charles Cromwell, for its fifth voyage to the Pacific Ocean. When he sailed he left his wife with four children, two teenagers and two under the age of 10.

      On this voyage the George Howland touched at Charles Island (also called Floreana or Santa Maria) for wood and water. Peacock was a witness to the seizure of the ship by the Ecuadorian convicts living on the island and their taking the vessel to the South American coast committing murder and plunder along the way. During this time Peacock remained in hiding among the casks in the ship's hold. The pirates, on seeing a large warship between them and the open sea fled in several boats leaving Peacock the only person (and original crew member) on board. The George Howland was boarded by a party from the Swedish 32-gun frigate Eugenie, Adolf Virgin commander.

      Peacock was taken to the warship for questioning and then returned to the George Howland while it was being taken up-river to the city of Guayaquil, Ecudor. In Guayaquil he penned a letter dated April 11, to the owners of the ship in New Bedford reporting the capture of the ship, what he knew of the officers and crew and the condition of the ship, its equipment and stores.

      In a few days short of one month, the letter made its way to New Bedford. The ship's owners shared a copy of the letter to the New Bedford Mercury for publication; subsequently it was carried in many newspapers across the United States, including the New York Times on May 10.

      By early June, Captain Cromwell and some of the crew had made their way to Guayaquil. A month later the Captain, two of his officers, and William B. Peacock sailed for New Bedford – on a broken voyage. The ship reached home at the end of October, 1852

      Three months after returning with the George Howland from its shortened voyage, he signed on to the Fairhaven ship Sharon, John Church master. The Sharon returned in early September 1856.

      After four months Peacock sailed again as cooper on the the New Bedford ship Congress, John C. Hamblin, master. Six months after his departure, his wife gave birth to twin girls; thirteen months later, Elizabeth Peacock died leaving two infants and their four older brothers aged 13,16, 19, and 22.

      The Congress returned at the end of May 1859.

      Again, after spending just a few months in New Bedford, he shipped on the Roman, John C. Hamblin, master, for the Indian Ocean. It did not return until May 1863, in the middle of the Civil War.

      All four of Peacock's sons served (and survived) the war. The eldest in the 5th Massachusett Battery; one in the 43rd Infantry, and two in the U. S. Navy.

      Between 1863 and 1867 Peacock sailed on the ship Robert Edwards, Caleb O. Hamblin master to the Indian Ocean.

      His final voyage was on the ship Andrew Hicks, Otis F. Hamblin, to the Pacific.

      In November 1869, William B. Peacock, age 55, died of dysentery between Panama and the Galapagos. He was buried at sea.

George Howland  Whalesite