William+Peterson

=About Captain William Peterson=

William Peterson was born at Powder Point, Duxbury, Massachusetts on October 19, 1820. At the early age of 10 he began learning to be a sailmaker, being taught by his father, whose trade it was. Sailmaking was distasteful to him, however, and at the age of 22 after twelve years of apprenticeship, he gave up sailmaking and shipped as a hand before the mast on the Brig //Trenton// of Duxbury, making his first voyage to Marseilles, Malaga, and Cadiz, and then returning to Boston.

After making four voyages as a seaman to Spain, Brazil, etc., he was promoted to second officer and made seven voyages as mate until, at the age of 31, in 1851 he was advanced to the grade of Captain.

From 1866 to 1873, William Peterson made 19 voyages as captain of the //Thatcher Magoun//.

=Additional Resources on William Peterson=

[|The Thatcher Magoun : an American clipper ship, her owners, captains, and model]
 * Books in the Phillips Academy Collection**