Dorchester Illustration of the Day no. 2089
Captain Frederick William Macondray, 1803-1862.
After eight years of training as a seaman William set off on the first great adventure of his young life. At the age of 18, still under the care of Captain Austin he began his longest journey as Clerk and Fourth Officer on the Sailing Ship Panther on a two year voyage to California to collect hides and tallow. Among his jobs was keeping the Log of every detail of the voyage.
One year after the eventful trip on the Panther the young Macondray was assigned in charge of a vessel, and received the title of Captain, by which he was known for about forty years. Soon after his marriage in 1831, he set sail for China on the sailing vessel “The Hamilton”. He lived in Macao (a Portuguese colony, in Southern China) for 8 years. He was the manager of a receiving storeship, loading tea etc. on to ships at the mouth of the Pearl River. Macao is 35 miles west of Hong Kong (which was founded in 1844, 14 years later). His receiving storeships was DeCourcey, Forbes & Co.
The health and education of his growing family made it necessary for Captain Macondray to take his family back to Massachusetts. One can picture the exhausting and heroic return journey, with three small children, on that sailing ship, traveling across the Pacific, around the tempestuous Horn, and up the coast of South America for a journey of more than 2 months. The children were then: Lucy aged 7, William, 6, and Lavinia, 5. Once settled in Massachusetts two more children were born, Frederick and Martha.
Captain Macondray purchased a lovely home in Dorchester, a property called “Rosemont,” built about 1800.. Back of the house, on the crown of the hill (commanding a noble view of the harbor) of Wollaston Heights, Quincy, the long chain of hills around by Canton, Roxbury, Cambridge, the Tri Mountain, the beautiful islands in the bay, and so completing the circle back to the starting point, was built a Chinese Pagoda, which was the wonder of all, and to see which, many pilgrimages were made. It was many feet high, and made a magnificent observatory. A summer house, the remains of which are still standing, was built farther down the hill. We must not forget to mention a large stone ice house built in the side of the hill. About 1849 Captain Macondray sold the house and large estate to Mr. Edward King of Boston and went at once to California for his health, he being a great sufferer from asthma.
For a fuller story of his life, you could check this link
http://www.dorchesteratheneum.org/page.php?id=531
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