The Mary Celeste was a 30-meter-long merchant brigantine, built in 1861 in Canada, in Spencer’s Island, Nova Scotia. It was registered as a British ship called the Amazon. Her first captain was Captain McLellan who fell ill and then died later that same month. Afterwards John Nutting Parker became the new captain.
Amazon sailed for seven years until it was sold to the United States and was registered to American ownership after the ship had been in a wreck in October of 1867 on the shore of Cape Breton Island. The owners had decided the ship wasn’t worth the repair costs. It was taken by Alexander McBean as abandoned property and it eventually came into the possession of Richard W. Haines from New York. This is when the name changed to the Mary Celeste.
Haines had issues with debts, so the boat was removed from him and it underwent a major renovation before being owned as a coalition between James H. Winchester, the captain Benjamin Spooner Briggs, and two other small investors. These were the owners when the Mary Celeste took the ill-fated voyage.
Who Captained the Mary Celeste?
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Sign up to our Free Weekly NewsletterBenjamin Spooner Briggs was born on April 24, 1835 in Massachusetts to Nathan and Sophia Briggs. His family always had a connection with the sea. Even his brother Oliver Briggs was a captain and they worked together both on the sea and in business off. Briggs himself spent most of his time at sea from a young age, eventually working his way up to becoming a master mariner, a licensed mariner at the highest possible level of seafaring. He was a captain of several vessels, including another brigantine Sea Foam, and later the schooner Forest King, before relinquishing control to his brother and taking over on Arthur. In November 1872, Briggs sailed on the Mary Celeste from New York to Italy.
What Is the Mystery of the Mary Celeste?
It was early December when the British ship Dei Gratia spotted a ship in the sea, the Mary Celeste, floating near the coast of Portugal. Worried that the vessel needed help, as it was supposed to have reached its destination in Genoa, Italy, the captain David Morehouse sent some crew to help. Whatever they expected to find, they were in for a shock. They found nothing; the ship had been completely abandoned, and was essentially a “ghost ship.” The long boat was gone, as if the crew and passengers had simply climbed aboard and rowed away.
Nothing in the Captain’s log indicated anything out of the ordinary. No worries, no concerns for the crew, no significant problems with illness. There was plenty of food and water, indicating that dehydration and starvation were not a concern. So where were all of the people?
Who Went Missing on the Mary Celeste?
This picture is of Sarah Elizabeth Briggs and her son Arthur. While Sarah Briggs was on the ship with her husband, Arthur was not and the only member of his family to survive. Source: The Arizona Republic, Feb 07, 1943, Newspapers.com Ancestry
There is no knowledge of what happened to the crew as of this date in 2024. Including Captain Briggs, there were eight crew members aboard the ship. There was also his wife and child Sophia, who was only two years old. Since their son Arthur was starting school, he stayed behind with his grandparents. Albert G. Richardson and Edward William Head were American crew members. Andrew Gilling was the 2nds Mate and Danish. There were four German seamen: Vlkert Lorenson, Arian Martens, Boy Lorenson, and Gotlieb Gondeschall.
Since the Briggs the family was never found, they had a cenotaph built in the Evergreen Cemetery in Marion, Massachusetts, which was the closest they could have to a burial.
Plausible Theories: What Happened to the Mary Celeste?
Beyond the implausible notions of giant squids and aliens, various believable theories have been posited about the mysterious ship, though none have proved fruitful. Since the lifeboat was missing, it seemed possible that the crew had abandoned ship. But why, when the ship was found in working order?
Briggs was experienced at sea. It seems unlikely he would have panicked and called an evacuation unless they thought they were in grave danger. The cargo ship was carrying barrels on liquor, and there is the idea that the fumes built up and could have caused a small explosion to the hatch. The crew and family could have taken the boat, worried the ship would explode. However, the hatch was firmly attached.
Violence was another theory. A sword under Briggs’ bunk was thought to have bloodstains. However, there is a question on how a sword covered in blood would end up tucked neatly under a bed. In 1943, The Arizona Republic argued that the so-called “bloodstains” were actually just rust.
Mutiny seems unlikely as Briggs was an experienced seaman who respected those who worked for him, and seemed to be fair and well liked. The fact that the vessel had no damage, dead bodies, or missing cargo makes it seem unlikely that it was attacked by pirates.
Other theories have suggested the disappearance could be weather related, motivated by a sudden onset of storms or waterspouts, although weather reports of the time prove otherwise. Alas, the mystery of the world’s most famous ghost ship will probably never be solved.
