Thomas Luce & Company
Encyclopedia
Thomas Luce & Company was one of the last American whaling
companies on the east coast. Based in New Bedford, Massachusetts
and founded by an Azorean immigrant
, the Thos. Luce company operated thirty-six whaling voyages between 1886 and 1903 into the Atlantic Ocean and Hudson Bay
.
, to Azorean parents. “Thomas Luce” wasn’t his real name, which has been lost. He emigrated to the United States as a teenager aboard the whaling ship Brunette, commanded by Capt. Eddy Manter Luce Jr. (1807-1849) of New Bedford and Falmouth, MA. The captain’s only son, Thomas R. Luce (1836-bef 1840), had recently died, and so the captain evidently became a father figure to young Thomas, and gave him his late son’s name to adopt. Although there is some evidence that young Thomas could have first come to the United States on the Brunette’s 1840 voyage, it was on a second whaling trip in 1842 that Thomas returned permanently with Capt. Luce to New Bedford. (Interestingly, shortly after the second voyage the Brunette was purchased by Samuel Colt
of Colt revolver fame, and blown up in a public demonstration of his new invention, an explosive underwater mine
.)
As a teenager, Thomas Luce sailed on the ship Roman in 1844 to the northwest coast, and in 1849 he joined the gold rush
to California, where he was modestly successful in seeking gold. He returned to New Bedford by 1851, became a naturalized citizen, and married Capt. Luce’s daughter, Hannah B. Luce (1832-1879) in 1852. He began a cooperage business in New Bedford, which he ran for decades. In 1880 he married his second wife, Lydia Elizabeth Payne (1839-1911), and shortly afterwards became interested in the whaling business, although he remained a cooper until at least 1890. His daughter Annie Budlong Luce (c.1858-1890) married the man who became the longest serving mayor of New Bedford, Charles Ashley, in 1879.
, captain of the Era, complained about the crews the Luce provided, claiming they were unseasoned and inept. Capt. George Comer also wrote about the aging Luce coming to the wharf to see off each expedition.
In 1899, Luce opened a whaling and trading station at the mouth of Wager Bay
on Hudson Bay
, manned by whaler George Cleveland. Cleveland built a twenty-four by twelve-foot wooden shack and spent two winters there, trading for furs with the local Inuit
.
By 1902 Luce’s business began to be referred to as “Thomas Luce & Son” - evidently referring to his youngest son Charles T. Luce (1864 - ____), who was listed as a New Bedford “shipping merchant” by 1900, and was said to be involved in his father’s business. However, the business did not last long into the new century. The company’s final two voyages were in 1903: the Mary E. Simmons, and the Era, which returned to New Bedford in July 1904 and Oct. 1905, respectively. The Luce family sold the Era to New York furrier F. N. Monjo during the winter of 1905-6.
Thomas Luce fully retired about 1907, at the age of eighty. During his final years he traveled with his wife extensively in Europe and spent his winters in Florida and California.
Whaling
Whaling is the hunting of whales mainly for meat and oil. Its earliest forms date to at least 3000 BC. Various coastal communities have long histories of sustenance whaling and harvesting beached whales...
companies on the east coast. Based in New Bedford, Massachusetts
New Bedford, Massachusetts
New Bedford is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States, located south of Boston, southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, and about east of Fall River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 95,072, making it the sixth-largest city in Massachusetts...
and founded by an Azorean immigrant
Luso American
The prefix Luso- indicates a relation to the Lusitania, Portugal or the Portuguese people, as in the terms Portuguese American, Luso- Brasileiros, Luso-Africans, Luso-Asian. It is often used alone, somewhat loosely, to refer to people of Portugal descent in United States, South America, Africa,...
, the Thos. Luce company operated thirty-six whaling voyages between 1886 and 1903 into the Atlantic Ocean and Hudson Bay
Hudson Bay
Hudson Bay , sometimes called Hudson's Bay, is a large body of saltwater in northeastern Canada. It drains a very large area, about , that includes parts of Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Alberta, most of Manitoba, southeastern Nunavut, as well as parts of North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota,...
.
Capt. Thomas Luce
The company's founder and owner, Capt. Thomas Luce (1827-1911), was born on the island of Flores in the AzoresAzores
The Archipelago of the Azores is composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, and is located about west from Lisbon and about east from the east coast of North America. The islands, and their economic exclusion zone, form the Autonomous Region of the...
, to Azorean parents. “Thomas Luce” wasn’t his real name, which has been lost. He emigrated to the United States as a teenager aboard the whaling ship Brunette, commanded by Capt. Eddy Manter Luce Jr. (1807-1849) of New Bedford and Falmouth, MA. The captain’s only son, Thomas R. Luce (1836-bef 1840), had recently died, and so the captain evidently became a father figure to young Thomas, and gave him his late son’s name to adopt. Although there is some evidence that young Thomas could have first come to the United States on the Brunette’s 1840 voyage, it was on a second whaling trip in 1842 that Thomas returned permanently with Capt. Luce to New Bedford. (Interestingly, shortly after the second voyage the Brunette was purchased by Samuel Colt
Samuel Colt
Samuel Colt was an American inventor and industrialist. He was the founder of Colt's Patent Fire-Arms Manufacturing Company , and is widely credited with popularizing the revolver. Colt's innovative contributions to the weapons industry have been described by arms historian James E...
of Colt revolver fame, and blown up in a public demonstration of his new invention, an explosive underwater mine
Naval mine
A naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to destroy surface ships or submarines. Unlike depth charges, mines are deposited and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, or contact with, an enemy vessel...
.)
As a teenager, Thomas Luce sailed on the ship Roman in 1844 to the northwest coast, and in 1849 he joined the gold rush
California Gold Rush
The California Gold Rush began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The first to hear confirmed information of the gold rush were the people in Oregon, the Sandwich Islands , and Latin America, who were the first to start flocking to...
to California, where he was modestly successful in seeking gold. He returned to New Bedford by 1851, became a naturalized citizen, and married Capt. Luce’s daughter, Hannah B. Luce (1832-1879) in 1852. He began a cooperage business in New Bedford, which he ran for decades. In 1880 he married his second wife, Lydia Elizabeth Payne (1839-1911), and shortly afterwards became interested in the whaling business, although he remained a cooper until at least 1890. His daughter Annie Budlong Luce (c.1858-1890) married the man who became the longest serving mayor of New Bedford, Charles Ashley, in 1879.
Luce's Fleet
The Thos. Luce Co. owned between eleven and fourteen whaling ships (sources vary), and was the agent for thirty-six whaling voyages between 1886 and 1903, including expeditions by the schooner Francis Allyn, schooner Era, schooner Mary E. Simmons, schooner Antarctic, schooner Clara L. Sparks, bark George & Mary, schooner Sarah W. Hunt, schooner Star King, schooner Pearl Nelson, schooner Charles H. Hodgdon, and the bark Desdemona. George ComerGeorge Comer
Captain George Comer was considered the most famous American whaling captain of Hudson Bay, and the world's foremost authority on Hudson Bay Inuit in the early 20th century....
, captain of the Era, complained about the crews the Luce provided, claiming they were unseasoned and inept. Capt. George Comer also wrote about the aging Luce coming to the wharf to see off each expedition.
In 1899, Luce opened a whaling and trading station at the mouth of Wager Bay
Wager Bay
Wager Bay is a waterway in Kivalliq Region, Nunavut, Canada. It is located in Hudson Bay. Ukkusiksalik National Park surrounds it.Wager Bay was first charted by Christopher Middleton during his Arctic explorations of 1742....
on Hudson Bay
Hudson Bay
Hudson Bay , sometimes called Hudson's Bay, is a large body of saltwater in northeastern Canada. It drains a very large area, about , that includes parts of Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Alberta, most of Manitoba, southeastern Nunavut, as well as parts of North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota,...
, manned by whaler George Cleveland. Cleveland built a twenty-four by twelve-foot wooden shack and spent two winters there, trading for furs with the local Inuit
Inuit
The Inuit are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic regions of Canada , Denmark , Russia and the United States . Inuit means “the people” in the Inuktitut language...
.
By 1902 Luce’s business began to be referred to as “Thomas Luce & Son” - evidently referring to his youngest son Charles T. Luce (1864 - ____), who was listed as a New Bedford “shipping merchant” by 1900, and was said to be involved in his father’s business. However, the business did not last long into the new century. The company’s final two voyages were in 1903: the Mary E. Simmons, and the Era, which returned to New Bedford in July 1904 and Oct. 1905, respectively. The Luce family sold the Era to New York furrier F. N. Monjo during the winter of 1905-6.
Thomas Luce fully retired about 1907, at the age of eighty. During his final years he traveled with his wife extensively in Europe and spent his winters in Florida and California.