In his book History of the town Plymouth
P. 334: “There were a number of schooners and sloops employed in the whale fishery in this town previous to and immediately succeeding the war of the revolution; but there are now no vessels of that class so employed. In the year 1821, a number of
P. 335: citizens associated themselves together, and built a ship of three hundred and fifty tons for the purpose of fitting her for the Pacific ocean whaling, which they named the Mayflower, in honor of the ship that brought our forefathers here in 1620. The ship sailed in September, 1821, and after making three successful voyages, and landing rising six thousand barrels of oil, a part of the owners sold to some gentlemen of New Bedford, where she was transferred in 1831, and repaired, and sailed from that place in April, 1831; apart is still owned in this place. In 1821 another company was formed, consisting principally of the same persons that built the Mayflower, and built another ship which they called the Fortune, in memory of the second ship that came into these waters. This ship is two hundred and eighty tons, and has made two voyages, and landed about thirty-seven hundred barrels of oil, and is now on her third voyage. In 1830, the ship Arbella [1], of four hundred and four tons, and navigated by thirty-five men, was sent out, and 1831 the ship Levant, of three hundred eighty five tons, navigated also by thirty-five men, sailed for the Pacific Ocean in pursuit of sperm whales. The two last named ships are of the largest class, and fitted out in the most thorough manner; and it is hoped they may meet with sufficient success to induce others of our fellow-citizens to embark in this enterprize, which has brought wealth and prosperity to other towns, and is believed can be carried on here to as good advantage as from most other places. The three ships now employed in the whale fishery amount in the aggregate to 1060 tons, navigated by ninety-two officers and seamen; the produce of this fishery may be estimated at about two thousand barrels of sperm oil annually. Connected with this establishment are the manufacture of about three thousand oil casks, and about fifteen hundred boxes, or of forty-five hundred pounds of sperm candles annually.”
Note
1. Henry H. Crapo published in 1836 in the The New-Bedford directory a list of whaling ships including a whaler called Arabella of 404 tons, managed and owned by James Bartlett Junior. William Thomas Davis in his History of the town Plymouth: with a sketch of the origin…” mentioned a ship Arabella of around 404 tons fitted out in 1830 by her owners James Bartlett Junior, Isaac L. and Thomas Hedge and Jacob Covington which departed that year.
