Ship's Papers of Emma Jane (Schooner) of Edgartown

The Schooner Emma Jane was built at Dorchester, Maryland in 1854 for New London interests. The vessel was first used for whaling in 1867 and was purchased by Samuel Osborn, Jr. of Edgartow, Massachusetts in 1879 and sent to Jonathan Holmes in Mattapoisett, Massachusetts for needed repairs. Having been refurbished, Emma Jane made five voyages for Osborn.

Master Cornelius M. Marchant (1826-1885) had command of three voyages including 30 November 1879-3 September 1881, 6 October - 9 December 1881 and 17 May 1882 - 23 September 1883. On the return of the last of these three voyages, the vessel was damaged during a hurricane and required repairs. The fourth voyage under Osborn occurred from 9 October 1883-27 March 1884 under Master William A. Martin (1830-1907). Martin is notable as one of only a few African-American ship captains and was the first African American on Martha’s Vineyard to serve as a whaling captain. He returned to Martha’s Vineyard where he lived with his wife Sarah G. Brown until his death. The last voyage of the Emma Jane occurred 17 May 1884-29 August 1885 under Master Squire H. Cornell (1838-1911). While Cornell was a sailor as his lifelong career, the Emma Jane was the only whaling voyage he captained. Cornell, ostensibly condemned the vessel at Johanna in the Comoro Islands. Osborn took issue with this, and with the captain for being in the Indian Ocean, since he had been directed to whale in the North Atlantic. Considerable testimony against the captain and the sale is preserved as evidence in a subsequent court case brought seeking payment of bills incurred by the captain while perceived by Osborn to be in barratry.