Background

Robert H. Waterman was born in Hudson, N. Y. , a descendant of Robert Waterman who settled in Marshfield, Massachussets, about 1636, and the son of Thaddeus Waterman, who commanded several New York ships in the early nineteenth century, and of Eliza (Coffin) Waterman.

Career

When he was twelve years old, he went to sea as cabin boy on a sailing vessel. In 1829 he was first mate of the crack Black Ball packet ship Britannia, sailing between New York and Liverpool under Capt. Charles H. Marshall; four years later he was appointed to the command of the South America, the finest ship under the Black Ball flag. He retained this command until 1837, when he took over the ship Natchez, owned by the New York firm of Howland & Aspinwall, which traded principally with China and the west coast of South America. For several years he continued to command Howland & Aspinwall ships on the run between New York or Boston and Valparaiso and other South American ports. In 1842 he was sent to China with the Natchez and in this trade made a series of remarkable passages. His first two voyages homeward from Canton to New York were made in ninety-two and ninety-four days, respectively, both of which runs were very close to the record, and in 1845 he astounded the maritime world by arriving in New York on April 3, only seventy-eight days from Macao, having established a new world's record. The following year Howland & Aspinwall built the clipper ship Sea Witch for him, and in this vessel Waterman established the records which still stand as the best and second best runs between China and any North Atlantic port--seventy-seven days from Macao to New York in 1848, and seventy-four days, fourteen hours from Hong Kong to New York in 1849. In this service, moreover, he had broken every existing record for speed, both in days' runs and over the various sections of the China route. During this period of his life his home was in Fairfield, Connecticut, where he married, in 1846, Cordelia Sterling, daughter of David Sterling of Bridgeport. Following his successful voyage of 1849 he made plans to retire from the sea, and after taking the steamship Northerner to San Francisco in 1850, bought, in company with Capt. A. A. Ritchie, four leagues of land in Solano County and prepared to settle down. Yielding, however, to the solicitations of the firm of N. L. & G. Griswold of New York, he agreed to take command of their new clipper Challenge, then the largest and loftiest clipper ship afloat. Returning to New York, he sailed for San Francisco in the Challenge in July 1851. The passage which followed has frequently been cited as the classic instance of a voyage in an American "Hell Ship. " It was characterized by numerous acts of insubordination on the part of members of the crew, culminating in an attempt to murder the chief mate and in the deaths, from disease and injury, of nine members of the crew, several of whom were said to have been killed by Waterman himself. On the arrival of the Challenge in San Francisco, October 29, 1851, an attempt was made to lynch Waterman, and he was subsequently tried for murder, but was completely exonerated by the testimony of his crew and passengers, who testified that the ship was in deadly peril of seizure by mutineers. Shortly after this incident he was made hull inspector for the government in San Francisco, a position which he held until 1870. He died in San Francisco and was buried there, but his body was later removed to Bridgeport, Connecticut.

Achievements

• He set three sailing speed records; his time of 74 days from Hong Kong to New York City has never been bettered in a sail-powered vessel. He gave to the city of Fairfield, Cal. , the land on which it now stands, naming the place after the town of Fairfield, Connecticut About 1859 he built a fine residence a mile from Fairfield, modeling the front of the house to resemble the prow of a ship. He was greatly interested in farming and bred fine strains of poultry and cattle during his later years. He also donated the land for the beautiful Armijo high school and the court house in Fairfield. As a master mariner Waterman made a contribution to the world's sailing records which has probably never been surpassed, and he must be ranked as one of the greatest sea captains of America.

Works

More photos

• book

  • The Renewal Factor by Waterman, Robert H.

    (Shows how American business can bring new vitality to a d...)

Personality

During his life in California, Waterman was regarded as a kindly and sympathetic man and a public benefactor, deeply interested in the welfare of his community.

Connections

Father:

Thaddeus Waterman

He commanded several New York ships in the early nineteenth century

Mother:

Eliza (Coffin) Waterman