the phantom ship longfellow

The Phantom Ship

By henry wadsworth longfellow.

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Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Feb. 27, 1807 - Mar. 24, 1882

The Phantom Ship

by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

In Mather's Magnalia Christi, Of the old colonial time, May be found in prose the legend That is here set down in rhyme.

A ship sailed from New Haven, And the keen and frosty airs, That filled her sails at parting, Were heavy with good men's prayers.

O Lord! if it be thy pleasure -- Thus prayed the old divine-- To bury our friends in the ocean, Take them, for they are thine!

But Master Lamberton muttered, And under his breath said he, This ship is so crank and walty, I fear our grave she will be!

And the ship that came from England, When the winter months were gone, Brought no tidings of this vessel, Nor of Master Lamberton.

This put the people to praying That the Lord would let them hear What in His greater wisdom He had done with friends so dear.

And at last their prayers were answered:-- It was in the month of June, An hour before the sunset Of a windy afternoon,

When, steadily steering landward, A ship was seen below, And they knew it was Lamberton, Master, Who sailed so long ago.

On she came, with a cloud of canvas, Right against the wind that blew. Until the eye could distinguish The faces of the crew.

Then fell her straining topmasts, Hanging tangled in the shrouds, And her sails were loosened and lifted, And blown away like clouds.

And the masts, with all their rigging, Fell slowly, one by one, And the hulk dilated and vanished, As a sea-mist in the sun!

And the people who saw this marvel Each said unto his friend, That this was the mould of their vessel, And thus her tragic end.

And the pastor of the village Gave thanks to God in prayer, That, to quiet their troubled spirits, He had sent this Ship of Air.

Notes to the poem:

A detailed account of this apparition of a Ship in the Air is given by Cotton Mather in his Magnalia Christi , book i, ch vi. It is contained in a letter from Rev. James Pierpont, Pastor of New Haven. To this account, Mather adds these words: --

Reader, there being yet living so many credible gentlemen, that the eyewitnesses of this wonderful thing, I venture to publish it for a thing as undoubted as 'tis wonderful.

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Analysis of The Phantom Ship. (Birds Of Passage. Flight The First)

Henry wadsworth longfellow 1807 (portland) – 1882 (cambridge).

In Mather's Magnalia Christi, Of the old colonial time, May be found in prose the legend That is here set down in rhyme. A ship sailed from New Haven, And the keen and frosty airs, That filled her sails at parting, Were heavy with good men's prayers. 'O Lord! if it be thy pleasure'-- Thus prayed the old divine-- 'To bury our friends in the ocean, Take them, for they are thine!' But Master Lamberton muttered, And under his breath said he, 'This ship is so crank and walty I fear our grave she will be!' And the ships that came from England, When the winter months were gone, Brought no tidings of this vessel Nor of Master Lamberton. This put the people to praying That the Lord would let them hear What in his greater wisdom He had done with friends so dear. And at last their prayers were answered:-- It was in the month of June, An hour before the sunset Of a windy afternoon, When, steadily steering landward, A ship was seen below, And they knew it was Lamberton, Master, Who sailed so long ago. On she came, with a cloud of canvas, Right against the wind that blew, Until the eye could distinguish The faces of the crew. Then fell her straining topmasts, Hanging tangled in the shrouds, And her sails were loosened and lifted, And blown away like clouds. And the masts, with all their rigging, Fell slowly, one by one, And the hulk dilated and vanished, As a sea-mist in the sun! And the people who saw this marvel Each said unto his friend, That this was the mould of their vessel, And thus her tragic end. And the pastor of the village Gave thanks to God in prayer, That, to quiet their troubled spirits, He had sent this Ship of Air.

Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 17, 2023

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was an American poet and educator whose works include "Paul Revere's Ride", The Song of Hiawatha, and Evangeline.  more…

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I have a vague remembrance   Of a story, that is told In some ancient Spanish legend   Or chronicle of old.  It was when brave King Sanchez   Was before Zamora slain, And his great besieging army   Lay encamped upon the plain.  Don Diego de Ordonez   Sallied forth in front of all, And shouted loud his challenge   To the warders on the wall.  All the people of Zamora,   Both the born and the unborn, As traitors did he challenge   With taunting words of scorn.  The living, in their houses,   And in their graves, the dead! And the waters of their rivers,   And their wine, and oil, and bread!  There is a greater army,   That besets us round with strife, A starving, numberless army,   At all the gates of life.  The poverty-stricken millions   Who challenge our wine and bread, And impeach us all as traitors,   Both the living and the dead.  And whenever I sit at the banquet,   Where the feast and song are high, Amid the mirth and the music   I can hear that fearful cry.  And hollow and haggard faces   Look into the lighted hall, And wasted hands are extended   To catch the crumbs that fall.  For within there is light and plenty,   And odors fill the air; But without there is cold and darkness,   And hunger and despair.  And there in the camp of famine,   In wind and cold and rain, Christ, the great Lord of the army,   Lies dead upon the plain!

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Pilot, Volume 38, Number 24, 12 June 1875 — The Phantom Ship. [ARTICLE]

The Phantom Ship.

BY HENRY W. LONGFELLOW.

In Mather’s Magnalia Christi, of the old colonial time, ALay be found in prose the legend *lbat is bere set down in rhyme. hip sailed from New Haven n A;ndprhe keen and frosty airs: rhat filled her sails at parting, Were heavy with good men’s prayers. \« 0 Lord! if.it be thy pleasure ” Thus prayed the old divine—- «+ To bury our friends in the ocean, Take them, for they are thine!” But Master Lamberton mutiered, And under his breath said he: «+ This ship is sO crank and walty I fear our grave she will be!” And the ships that came from England, When the winter montbs were gone, Brought no tidings of this vessel Nor of Master Lamberton. This put the people to praying That the Lord would let them hear What in His greater wisdom He had done with friends so dear. And at last their prayers were answered : It was in the mounth.nf June, An hour before the sunset Of a windy afternoon, \ hen, steadily steering landward, A ship was seen below, And they knew it was Lamberton, Master, Who sailed so long ago. : On she came, with a cloud of canvas, Right against the wind that blew, potil the eye could distinguish ‘The faces of the crew. Then fell her straining topmasts, Hanging tangled in the shrouds, Ana ber sails were loosened and lifted, And blown away like clouds. - And the masts, with all their rigging, Tell slowly, one by one, And the hulk dilated and vanished, As a sea-mist in the sun! . And the people who saw this marvel’ TlEachhsaid unttl? his frllund g hat this was the mould of their vessel And thus ber tragic end. bl And the pastor of the yillage Gave thanks to God in prayer, That to quiet their troubled spirits, He had scnt this Ship of Air.

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Our Big Family History

To my ancestors, with love, the phantom ship.

As an icy wind lashes at my little grey cottage on Solitary Cove, the sea-worn shutters clattering in protest against a wintry gale, I draw closer to the warmth of the hearth where embers dance merrily with each northern gust, and think back to a time when the phantom ship appeared in the misty air. So begins this ghostly tale, in the winter of 1646,  as Thomas Gregson and his wife, Jane, prepared for his voyage to England. The stately home in New Haven was bustling with activity, and their eight children chattered in excitement over the great ship docked in the harbor, ready to set sail in a few days. New Haven Colony was struggling financially, and its residents were hoping this shipload of goods would be the beginning of a successful trade business with England.  Sailing in January was foolhardy at best. This great untested ship was already listing at the dock,  it’s cargo of goods loaded improperly, and ice surrounding the ship. In January of 1647, as tracks were cut through the ice over three miles to open water, the Fellowship was dragged to the sea, stern first (Bad Omen #1), and the local minister gave his benediction which included the words “Lord, if it be thy pleasure to bury these our friends in the bottom of the sea, they are thine.” (Bad omen #2). As Jane waited and worried, the winter months turned to Spring, and still no word of the Fellowship. Anxious wives gathered on the hillside looking out to the harbor, and it soon became obvious to all that the great ship had gone to a watery grave during passage.

An early evening thunderstorm in June of that year produced a strange and misty cloud at the mouth of the Connecticut harbor, and sailing through the mist was a great ship. Her sails filled under a fresh gale, and many were drawn to behold this great work of God. As the ship sailed closer, the crowd began to realize that the main-top seemed to be blown off and left hanging in the shrouds, and the masting had been blown away. As quickly as she appeared, she careened away from the crowd, and vanished into a smokey cloud, bidding farewell to those left to mourn their loved ones lost at sea. This ghost ship would capture the imaginations of folks up and down the seaboard for many years after. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow would pen his poem, The Phantom Ship, which has endured the ages.

As our 11th great grandfather, Thomas Gregson, reluctantly went to his watery grave, his wife Jane was left to raise their seven daughters and a son. Although her son and a daughter went back to England to live, Jane remained in New Haven with her remaining children, living a long life, well  into her late eighties. Her daughter, Anna, would marry  Stephen Daniel, a wealthy gentleman, and they would have a daughter, Rebecca, who married Lt. John Thompson. The great granddaughter of Rebecca and John was Hannah, who married Jehiel Arnold, a Revolutionary War patriot who wintered with General Washington at Valley Forge, and served his country for four long years. The graves of Jehiel and Hannah are unknown, and a few records exist that define his life. His brother, John, who also served, died in poverty in Ontario County, New York. a letter confirming his service found in the courthouse basement, stating his property value at six dollars.

Jehiel and Hannah married in May of 1779, and Jehiel mustered out in January the following year. As they settled into married life, they happily awaited the birth of their first child, who would tragically be stillborn. Jehiel’s brother, John, married Hannah’s sister, Sarah, and their first child was stillborn, as well.  Each couple would also lose a child as an infant, and have a child who survived to adulthood. Jehiel and Hannah had a daughter, Huldah, our 5th great grandmother, and the line of descent continues to our great grandmother, Grace Louise Stanton and then to our grandmother, Ethel.  It’s been a difficult line to research, little clues here and there, but the puzzle pieces are slowly fitting together, and the stories are fascinating.

Thomas Gregson was allocated land on Solitary Cove, and became the first inhabitant of East Haven, Connecticut.  His wealth provided a comfortable life for his family, but it came at a cost. For Sergeant Jehiel Arnold of the First  Connecticut Regiment,  we can now acknowledge the sacrifices he made as a Revolutionary War patriot.

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4 thoughts on “ the phantom ship ”.

You have totally outdone yourself. What an awesome story you have shared. Keep all these stories to go into a book.

Like Liked by 1 person

I’ve finally caught up reading your last three stories. I look forward to this like tuning into my favorite TV show. Your stories are so well thought out and your descriptions make them so interesting. I really enjoy reading them even when I’m not related to any of these people………or am I? I sure hope one of us finds that little piece of missing DNA that connects us no matter how far removed it is.

I’m glad you like these stories. Now if we can just find that one bit of proof we need to connect our families. Good grief.

Hello again. I just finished reading your story of the Phantom ship. My 9th great grandfather, Francis Brewster, also perished on that ship.

Thank you for posting this.

Best Regards,

Bob Harrison Brush Prairie, WA.

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Birds of Passage (Collection)/The Phantom Ship

In Mather's Magnalia Christi, Of the old colonial time, May be found in prose the legend That is here set down in rhyme.

A ship sailed from New Haven, And the keen and frosty airs, That filled her sails at parting, Were heavy with good men's prayers.

"O Lord! if it be thy pleasure"-- Thus prayed the old divine-- "To bury our friends in the ocean, Take them, for they are thine!"

But Master Lamberton muttered, And under his breath said he, "This ship is so crank and walty I fear our grave she will be!"

And the ships that came from England, When the winter months were gone, Brought no tidings of this vessel Nor of Master Lamberton.

This put the people to praying That the Lord would let them hear What in his greater wisdom He had done with friends so dear.

And at last their prayers were answered:-- It was in the month of June, An hour before the sunset Of a windy afternoon,

When, steadily steering landward, A ship was seen below, And they knew it was Lamberton, Master, Who sailed so long ago.

On she came, with a cloud of canvas, Right against the wind that blew, Until the eye could distinguish The faces of the crew.

Then fell her straining topmasts, Hanging tangled in the shrouds, And her sails were loosened and lifted, And blown away like clouds.

And the masts, with all their rigging, Fell slowly, one by one, And the hulk dilated and vanished, As a sea-mist in the sun!

And the people who saw this marvel Each said unto his friend, That this was the mould of their vessel, And thus her tragic end.

And the pastor of the village Gave thanks to God in prayer, That, to quiet their troubled spirits, He had sent this Ship of Air.

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