Today is the 155th anniversary of the birth of Captain William Thomas Shorey, a famous captain in the last days of whaling, who was affectionately nicknamed “Black Ahab” by his crew. Shorey was born in Barbados in 1859 and ran away to sea as a young man. He learned navigation from a British ship captain and became a ship’s officer by the age of 21. After only a decade at sea, he rose to command whaling ships sailing out of San Francisco.
In 1886 Shorey married Julia Ann Shelton, daughter of one of the leading black families in San Francisco. Together they had five children and Captain Shorey occasionally took his family to sea with him. Captain Shorey was known as a skilled and lucky captain. Nicknamed “Black Ahab,” unlike Melville’s captain, Shorey had a reputation for “happy ships” and as a captain that brought his ships and crews home safely. Returning to port in 1907 after surviving two typhoons, the crew testified that “nothing but Captain Shorey’s coolness and clever seamanship saved [it from] a wreck.”
As the whaling industry collapsed with the advent of cheap petroleum, Shorey retired from whaling in 1908. He died in the Spanish flue pandemic of 1919 at the age of 60.
Seems like they messed up his name. Sad thing for a dead man they try to tell the life history of.
I read “Storey” and “Shorey”, the two keys are far enough apart, don’t know how they goofed that up?
Its not 2 different people, is it?
His name was definitely Shorey. Follow the link in the story “the crew testified that ‘Nothing but Captain Shorey’s coolness…'” He was quite the man. Thank you Rick for bringing him to our attention.
Neat story, Rick. This is why I like your blog so much; I’m always learning something new !