Sea Captain: Joined the Marine Society Nov. 27, 1856 Newburyport, MA
Capt. Edwin J. Colby was born at Salisbury Point, Mass., July 31, 1812, and was the son of John and Dolly Bagley Colby, being the oldest of nine children. As a boy he evinced a taste for the sea, and at the early age of 17 years he commenced his sea- faring life with Capt. 'William Morrill of Salisbury, in the ship Virginia of Alexandria, in August, 1829, going to different southern ports, Richmand, Jamestown, Norfolk and Hampton Roads. In a few years he sailed with the same Capt. Morrill on the Maryland, and at the age of 21 he was second mate of that ship and went to Liverpool. Not long after he was advanced to the position of first mate of the brig Vesta, Capt. Knapp, and visited Havana and other places in the West Indies, also foreign ports. In 1839 he was made a captain of the Jeannette, and in 1841 he commanded the brig Alice of New York, owned by Thomas and Eben Hale (perhaps others). The names of other vessels that afterwards he was master of were the brig Salisbury of Newburyport, bark Tartar, the ships Arno, Edward and the Atlanta, which was owned by Theodore Chase & Co., of Boston. His voyages were usually long, covering a period of nearly two years, and while in the earlier part of his life he went to the southern ports, the later trips were made to the ports in South America, Valpariso, Callao, Chincha Islands, to Melbourne, Australia, St. Helena, to Cadiz, through the Mediterranean to Palermo, Sicily, and up the Adriatic Sea to Trieste. He visited Havre and Bordeaux, Falmouth and Liverpool, London, Isle of Cowes, Elsinore in Denmark, Amsterdam in Holland, and Cronstadt in Russia, Bremen in Germany, Calcutta, Singapore and Aykab, China and Japan. On the 10th of March, 1858, he sailed on the Atlantic from Boston for Calcutta, Melbourne and Bremen, reaching the latter place about December 1859. Here he was taken sick and went to the home of his friend, Henri Wehmann of Vegesack, in order to have proper care and physician's services, but in spite of the constant attention of his friends and the physician's skill, he grew rapidly worse and on the 19th of December, 1859, he passed away in the 48th year of his age. He was buried in the family lot of the Wehmann's at Negesack with Masonic honors, be being a member of Warren Lodge of Amesbury, of Washington Lodge of Charleston S. C, and was made honorary member of Industry and Perseverance Lodge of England at Calcutta, on Sept. II, 1857, and was presented with a gold badge by that lodge. He joined the Marine Society Nov. 27, 1856, and was a member in good standing at" the time of his death. He was a noble character, and his kind and genial nature made him many friends who respected and esteemed him. He had the confidence and regard of his employers, and was a valued citizen of his native place. His devotion to his family was constant and he was well worthy of their affection. He left a wife who survived him only two years.
Edwin was on the Salisbury militia rolls of 1841-1845, 1852 and 1855. Edwin married Mary Follansbee Wigglesworth , daughter of Samuel Wigglesworth and Joanna Heckett born on April 10 1814 in Salisbury, Essex County, Massachusetts. (SOURCE: Early Vital Recorcs of Essex County, Massachusetts to 1850 for Salisbury. She appeared in the census in 1850 in Salisbury, Essex County, Massachusetts. SOURCE: 1850 Massachusetts Census. Salisbury, Essex County, page 20. Age 35 She appeared in the census in 1860 in Salisbury, Essex County, Massachusetts. She died on February 4 1862 at Salisbury, Essex County, Massachusetts.
Children were: John Edwin COLBY, MaryElizabeth COLBY, Ada Josephine COLBY, Joanna Alice COLBY. Edwin lost his son John age 4 Friday, September 20, 1844 Boston Traveler (Boston, MA)
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