Logbook of the “Pilgrim”
Logbook of the schooner Pilgrim, 1802-1805
Capt. Samuel Delano, Jr.
Ink on paper
Gift of the Hoyt Family, Amasa and Samuel Delano Collection, DAL.MSS.014
There were at least three Duxbury vessels built in the 19th century with the name Pilgrim. This log belonged to Capt. Samuel Delano, Jr. (1769-1853), who was not only the captain, but also the builder. The log is an important record of the seal-skin trade of the early 19th century.
The Pilgrim was built by Samuel Delano, Jr. to sail in tandem with the larger, Duxbury- built Perseverance, captained by Samuel’s brother, Amasa Delano. The vessels embarked together on a sealing voyage. Seals were caught off the southern tip of South America where their skins prepared for the lucrative trade in China. While separated from the Pilgrim, the Perseverance was involved with the re-capture of a slave ship, the Tryal. This event was later fictionalized in Herman Melville’s novella Benito Cereno.
Digging Duxbury
The quest for archaeological evidence of the Pilgrim past began with an 1833 dig, one of the earliest in U.S. history.
Coming to a Pilgrim Town
Coming to a Pilgrim Town
Duxbury’s Pilgrim history, combined with the town’s natural beauty, initiated a tourist boom.
Collecting in a Pilgrim Town
Collecting in a Pilgrim Town
The tourism boom brought another enterprise, the creation and sale of Pilgrim-themed souvenirs.
Lasting Legacy
Duxbury's Lasting Legacy
Duxbury never forgot its Pilgrim origins. How could it? The names continue to generate interest today.
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