Sylvanus Blanchard
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Ship builder
Sylvanus Blanchard | |
|---|---|
 Today's 317 Main Street in Yarmouth, built by Blanchard in 1855 | |
| Born | April 9, 1778 |
| Died | January 6, 1858 (aged 79) |
| Occupations | Sea captain Ship builder |
| Spouse | Dorcas Prince Blanchard (1804–1858; his death) |
Captain Sylvanus Blanchard (April 9, 1778 – January 6, 1858) was an American merchant sea captain. A native of North Yarmouth, Maine, after retiring from the seas he became a noted shipwright, owner of one of the four main shipyards of Yarmouth harbor during the town's peak shipbuilding years of 1850–1875.
Blanchard was born in North Yarmouth, Province of Massachusetts Bay, in 1778,[1] to Joshua Blanchard (1748–1835) and Jane Prince (1750–1850).[2][3] He was one of eleven children, the others being William (born 1772), Elizabeth (Betsey) (born 1773), Hannah (born 1775), Saba (born 1780), Nathaniel (born 1783), Perez (born 1785), Reuben (born 1787), Huldah (born 1789), Theodotia (born 1792) and Levi (born 1794).[2]
Career
After a successful career as a sea captain, he became a shipwright after returning to shore full-time. He formed the shipbuilding company Blanchard Brothers, with his sons Paul, Sylvanus Cushing and Perez,[4] which was in operation between 1857 and 1893.[5] Under master builder Joseph A. Seabury,[6] among the ships his company built was Admiral, Commodore, S. C. Blanchard (captained by Frank L. Oakes, husband of his granddaughter Frances), Pacific, Star and Detroit.[1] The sons continued the business after their father's death.[6]
