Mystic in Stonington in Southeastern Region, Connecticut — The American Northeast (New England)
An Aquinnah Wampanoag History of a Whaling Ancestor
The Sea Connects Us
| | Mystic Seaport Museum | |
By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), June 24, 2023
1. An Aquinnah Wampanoag History of a Whaling Ancestor Marker
An Aquinnah Wampanoag History of a Whaling Ancestor
by Elizabeth James Perry
"The Aquinnah Wampanoag are the Indigenous people of Noepe, or Martha's Vineyard. Wampanoag men apprenticed English colonists to learn boat making and whale hunting. As the colonist population increased so did their influence on tribal sustenance. Native men entered the maritime industries, adopting a new economic but less sustainable approach. Skilled mariners and whalers, they often rose in rank on vessels and many became captains. Life at sea gave Wampanoag man a chance to travel the globe. In my family, generations on Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, followed the sea. William Wallace James, my great-grandfather's brother was a career whaleman from Aquinnah and Christiantown, who sometimes lived in the whaling port of New Bedford. His first wife was a woman from Aquinnah/Gay Head who unfortunately died with their newborn twins. His second wife was a Maori woman whose father was from Nantucket. They came back to Massachusetts for a few years, before settling permanently in New Zealand. He sometimes corresponded with my great grandmother. Being from the same small community meant folks stayed in touch over great distances."
Erected by Mystic Seaport
this page online
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Colonial Era • Indigenous Peoples and Communities • Industry & Commerce • Settlements & Settlers • Waterways & Vessels.
Location. 41° 21.759′ N, 71° 57.86′ W. Marker is in Stonington in Southeastern Region, Connecticut. It is in Mystic. It can be reached from Greenmanville Avenue (Connecticut Route 27) south of Rossie Pentway, on the left when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 75 Greenmanville Avenue, Mystic CT 06355, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is on the Connecticut Shoreline, in Greater New London, in Mystic and the Eastern Shore, and in the Thames River Valley. It is also in the American Northeast and in New England. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New London County and also one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Mystic Seaport Museum First Building (a few steps from this marker); Mystic Has a Complex and Engaging History. (a few steps from this marker); U99.9 H-1 Unlimited Hydroplane (within shouting distance of this marker); Men and Women of our Early Seaport Memorial (within shouting distance of this marker); Bower Anchor (within shouting distance of this marker); Whale Ship Charles W. Morgan (within shouting distance of this marker); The Amistad Flagship of Connecticut (within shouting distance of this marker); An African Garden (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Stonington.
By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), June 24, 2023
2. An Aquinnah Wampanoag History of a Whaling Ancestor Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on May 19, 2026. It was originally submitted on June 28, 2023, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 389 times since then and 17 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on June 28, 2023, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
