LIST OF PERSONS composing the crew of the ship Formosa of New Bedford, whereof is master, Luther J. Briggs bound for the Pacific Ocean

NAMES	PLACES OF BIRTH	PLACES OF RESIDENCE	OF WHAT COUNTRY CITIZENS OR SUBJECTS	DESCRIPTION OF THESE PERSONS
				AGES	HEIGHT		COMPLEXION	HAIR	Position (from sep. list)	Lay (from sep. list)
					FEET	INCHES
Luther J. Briggs									captain	1/16
Reuben Edwards	Lyons NY	New Bedford	USA	24	5	9 1/2	light	brown	[first] mate	1/30
Isaac Weston	New Bedford	New Bedford	USA	18	5	8	light	brown	2nd mate	1/45
Joseph Francis									3rd mate	1/70
Benjn Williams									4th mate	1/80
Antone Joseph									boatsteerer	1/100
Daniel H. Smith	Dartmouth	Dartmouth	USA	17	5	7 3/4	dark	brown	boatsteerer	1/100
John J. Garvin, Jr.	Philadelphia	New Bedford	USA	20	5	6	dark	brown	boatsteerer	1/100
Isaac M. Grinnell	Portsmouth RI	New Bedford	USA	21	5	7	light	brown	cooper	1/65
Wm Jacklin	Fishkill NY	New Bedford	USA	28	5	3 3/4	black	woolly	cook	1/150
John H. Thomas	New Brunswick NJ	New Bedford	USA	24	5	2	black	woolly	steward	1/140
Francis Sumers	Lee NY	New Bedford	USA	23	5	10	light	brown	greenhand	1/195
Avery Young	New London Conn	New Bedford	USA	25	5	6 1/2	light	light	seaman	1/150
Alfred Maugham									seaman	1/150
Wm J Babbitt	Jonsbury? Vt	New Bedford	USA	18	5	9 3/4	light	brown	greenhand	1/195
Eugene Baxter	Chazy NY	New Bedford	USA	23	5	6 3/4	light	brown	greenhand	1/195
John Mitcham	Newburg NY	New Bedford	USA	20	5	5 1/2	light	brown	greenhand	1/195
John C. Lillie	Chazy NY	New Bedford	USA	17	5	3 1/2	light	brown	boy	1/250
John W[illiam] King	Norwich Conn	New Bedford	USA	19	5	5 1/2	light	brown	greenhand	1/195
Orlando Beardsley	Macdonough NY	New Bedford	USA	26	5	7	dark	dark	blacksmith	1/150
James Steuart	Hudson NY	New Bedford	USA	30	5	8	light	brown	greenhand	1/195
John W. Brimblecom	Lynn Mass	New Bedford	USA	19	5	6 1/4	light	brown	ordinary	1/165
James Farqusharson	Hartford Conn	New Bedford	USA	21	5	8 1/2	light	brown	greenhand	1/190
Peter Forbes									greenhand	1/195
Charles Kennedy									greenhand	1/195
Charles Allen	Augusta Me	New Bedford	USA	26	5	11 3/4	dark	black	greenhand	1/195
Geo Dunham	Rawvey [Raway?] NJ	New Bedford	USA	25	5	7	light	dark	seaman	1/150
Joseph Miller	Staten Island NY	New Bedford	USA	25	5	8	light	light	greenhand	1/195
John Neal	New York	New Bedford	USA	26	5	8	light	dark	greenhand	1/190
Stephen R. Tirrell	Hinesburgh [VT]	New Bedford	USA	21	5	5 1/4	light	dark	greenhand	1/195

I Luther J. Briggs do solemnly, sincerely, and truly swear that the above List contains the names of the crew of the ship Formosa together with the Places of their Birth and Residence as far as I can ascertain the same sworn this 4th day of November 1844 [signed]Luther J. Briggs Before me, [not signed] Collector

Additional information with this list, same date, says that Joseph Francis, Benjamin Williams, Antone Joseph, Aflred Manghan (compare to above Maugham?), Peter Forbes and Charles Kennedy are not US citizens. An accounting of the crew when Formosa returned says that:

on 26 April 1845 Antone Joseph was discharged at Lahaina.

Perhaps to replace him, an undated consulate record says that J. A. Skinner was added to the crew at Oahu. He was 24, 5' 10", light complexion and brown hair.

Benjamin Williams died at sea in May 1845. Dennis Wood's abstract of this voyage says that he was killed by a whale. This probably occurred off the Northwest Coast of the US.

John Mitchell deserted at Honolulu last of May 1845.

Eugene Baxter deserted at Paita 5 January 1846, John Lilley deserted there on 11 January, Stephen R. Tirrell deserted there on 12 January and John Casley deserted there on 14 January.

Joseph and John Miller deserted at Tombez? in May 1846.

Alfred Maughan deserted there on 4 September of that year followed by Avery Young at Paita on 15 September. Luther notes he was "compelled to engage other men."

Antonio Perez and William Dyer were discharged my mutual consent at Tombez in September 1846.

5 April 1847, Cicero Royce, George Downs, Florian Gomez, Jerry Bushell, Cato Antone and John Kydd were discharged at Talcahuano. Two days later Orlando Beardsly, William J. Babbitt, John W. King, John W. Brimblecom, James Farquharson, Peter Forbes, Charles Kennedy, John Neal, William Washington were discharged.

7 April 1847, also at Talcahuano, Joseph Francis, John Garvin, Jr., John Dewitt, Isaac M. Grinnell, Abivah Beach, Samuel M. Hartman, Pablo Sais, Eugenia Asabache and Silas Butler.

Norman Robins, Frank Oliva, James Lawson and John Smith were discharged at Tombez by mutual consent in October 1847.

Joseph Berzilla, Nauses Peter, John Silva, Manuel George, Thomas Bennett, Pablo Sais and Joseph Pound were discharged at Honolulu in May 1848, having served for the trip and were entitled to it.

Henry Ashley died at sea in February 1849.

Discharged on account of sickness and given 3 months wages deposted for them at the consulate (Honolulu? perhaps Dec. 1848): William C. Cram, $45, Frances Summers, $36, William H. Carr, $36.



Reuben Edwards was third mate on the ship Brighton, Capt. G. Leander Cox, at sea 8/1/1842 to 7/28/1844. Joseph Francis (boatsteerer) and Antone Joseph (seaman)are also listed and those names also appear on the Formosa crew, with advanced positions. Joseph deserted Brighton, however.

Isaac Weston was 2nd mate on the ship Golconda (joined the crew at Talcahuano in 1842) just before Formosa and 1st mate on Emma and Betsy Williams afterward.

Joseph Francis was likely the boatsteerer on the ship Brighton (see Edwards) and likely the first mate on the bark Persia, at sea 8/4/1849 to ?.

Daniel H. Smith undoubtedly son of Benjamin H. and Lydia (Howland) Smith (m. in IGI) of Dartmouth, They had a son Daniel H., confirmed in his m. record (MA State Health Dept. 87:75) to Elizabeth W. Gifford, 9/4/55, Dartmouth, he was 31 and a mariner. 1850 US census, Dartmouth (p. 411), age 26, sailor, b. MA, in household of Lydia H. Smith, 44. He may have been the. Local vital records should be double-checked. He was likely the Daniel H. Smith who appears in later censuses in Dartmouth as a farmer. Prob. d. 1893, Dartmouth (MA State Health Dept. 436:141, index seen only)

John J. Garvin, Jr., surely the son of John J., seaman, and perhaps Sarah Garvin, who appear in the Southwark Dist. of Philadelphia, 1850 US census (p. 214B). Sarah was presum. a widow in 1860 US census, Philadelphia, Ward 3 (p. 162A), living with Gaster family (see also Kasters in 1850 household) and son John, 40, b. PA, "in marine(s?). Other ages are incorrect. In 1870 and 1880, a John J. Garvin of varying ages, but the same generation as the seaman, is a physician in Phila.

Isaac M. Grinnell must have left the Formosa crew, perhaps at Talcahuano. He shipped on George Washington at that port on 26 March 1847 as a seaman. 1850 US census, Portsmouth, RI (p. 27B), age 27, cooper, b. RI, with Mary H., 22. 1860 US census, Portsmouth (p. 360A), "Grinnold," 36, farmer, Mary H., 31, and 4 children. 1870 US census, Portsmouth (p. 578B), 46, b. RI, stone mason, with Charles, 17, farm lab. 1880 US census (p. 57A)("Issac"), 56, farmer, with Charles. Internet site: Isaac M. Grinnell m. Mary Hall Sherman of Portsmouth 14 Apr 1850, she d. 29 July 1867. An Isaac Grinnell, no middle initial, was first mate and then captain on whaling crews in the 1850s.

William Jacklin was likely the son of either Titus or Israel Jacklin, African Americans living in Fishkill between 1800 and 1830 (US censuses). No further record found.

William Babbitt may have left the Formosa crew, since there was a William Babbitt who was the boatsteerer on Champion when it sailed from New Bedford in 1847. Eugene Baxter either didn't sail on Formosa or left the crew, since he must be the same Eugene Baxter who sailed out of New Bedford on Charleston Packet in 1846.

John C. Lillie surely the son of "Rose" (Ross?, 60, Scot., sailmaker) and Elizabeth (47, VT) Lillie, who are in the 1850 US census for Chazy (p. 335B). Two other sons who were "sailors." John C. Lillie, 53, b. NY (father Scot., mother VT), watchman in quartz mine, Virginia City, Storey Co., NV (1880 US census, ED 48, sheet 234B). ?1860 US census (p. 547A), Little York, Nevada Co., CA, John C. Lilly, 36, b. NY, miner. ?1870 US census (p. 450B), Virginia City, Storey Co., NV, J. Lillie, 48, b. NY, carpenter. John C. Lillie was a Mason in that town ("The Masons on the Mountains" From the Virginia (Nevada) Territorial Enterprise, Sept. 9, 1875) taken from an internet site. Virginia City 1862 directory, "Lillie, John, Laborer, Gould & Curry Mill" (ancestry.com). "Rose" and Elizabeth were in Isle Le Mott, Grand Isle Co., VT, in 1860.

John W. King is called John William King on another customs list. He may have been the John W. King who was a boatsteerer on Cortes (1849-1851), 3rd mate on South Boston (1851-1854) and 1st mate on Florida (1854-?). He appears in the 1860 US census in Lynn, MA, mariner, age 31, b. CT. This would have made him about 15 in 1844, but like John Brimblecom below, apparently lied about his age. In 1860 he was living with wife Clementine G. (Gardner), 26, and child Annis G. King, 5, both b. MA. The head of household was Rachel N. Gardner, 55. MA State Health Dept. marrs. (78:187): John W. King m. Clementine Gardner, 28 May 1856, he was a mariner, b. Norwich, CT, son of Samuel D. King, she was dau. of John Gardner, ages 26 and 20 resp. 1860 US census, Lynn, "machine shop," wife, dau. Annie G., 15, son George M., 2, and Bessie C., 6/12 (Nov. 1869). 1880 US census, Lynn, Clementine, widow, works on shoes, Annis G., school teacher, and Anna G. (age 9). John d. 28 June 1871, Lynn (MA SHD deaths 247:258), age 44-1-13, , Western Ave., disease of heart, shoemaker, b. CT, son of Samuel D. and Eunice W., both b. RI.

Orondo Beardsley was the son of Belah, an "e-- physician" and Rebecca (Smith) Beardsley (mother's last name from ancestry.com), b. abt. 1818 in MacDonough (according to the crew list), Chenango Co., NY. Orondo was either out of the country (still in Peru in Dec. 1849) or in Oregon when the 1850 census was taken, and isn't included. He setted in Marion Co., Oregon, continued blacksmithing and raised a family there. He died abt. 1866. His father, mother and siblings are enumerated in 1850 in Willet, Cortland Co., NY.

John W. Brimblecom was likely the one listed in the 1850 US census for Lynn, age about 23. In 1844 he would have been 17, not 19, but he may have added years to his age to impress. As an ordinary, he would have had the lowest ranking of the seamen on the crew. The census lists as a cordwainer (shoemaker) in a neighborhood of cordwainers, suggesting they worked at a mill. He had a 19 year-old wife Sarah (Caswell, see below) and a baby dau. Harriet. He died 6 January 1858 in Lynn (MA State Health Dept. deaths, 211:206), age 40y, 9m, shoemaker, d. of consumption, res. Washington, St., son of Ebenezer and A. Brimblecom, all b. Lynn. The Mormon IGI has John Warren Brimblecom, son of Ebenezer T. & Altazera, b. 25 March 1827, Lynn (from Lynn vrs). An Altazera Brimblecom, 19, was living with John (1850). Daughter Harriet was b. 1850, Harriet Maria (MA SHD births 42:171), dau of John and Sarah T., Fayette St. Harriet m. George E. Bisbee in 1876 (MA SHD marrs. 280:220). Sarah remarried in 1871 to Abel Bates (235:243), dau of Robert & Rachel Caswell, b. Marblehead.

George Dunham may have been the man of that name who was on Benjamin Tucker (1839-1843). He may have left the Formosa crew since a George Dunham sailed out of New Bedford on Equator in 1847.

Stephen R. Tirrell surely the son of Doctor Cogsdale and Hannah (Remington) Terrell (IGI), who m. Bridget M. Foley, 8 April 1853, Salem, MA (Tyrrell, MA State Health Dept. marrs. 69:279, mariner, res. Boston, 27, s o Dr. C., both b. Ireland) and died 5/7/1864 (IGI). Dr. C. Turrell is listed in the 1820 and 1830 censuses for Hinesburgh, VT.

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