Mungo Mackay
Encyclopedia
Mungo Mackay was a Scottish seafarer from the Orkney Islands
who made a fortune in the Boston
shipping trades in Massachusetts
. Mungo was a highly regarded ship master, successful privateer
owner and bonder, and operated a store on Long Wharf
in Boston. He was also active in the politics of the town of Boston and the Masonic Order in Boston. His legacy includes the Alpheus Babcock
and Jonas Chickering
piano manufacturing establishments.
, Orkney Islands, in 1740 to Alexander Mackay, who was married to Elizabeth Keith.
Mungo made his way to Boston in about 1755, as a cabin boy
, according to family tradition. By about 1760 he was deeply involved in shipping, and became a Master by 1764. He married Ruth Coney in 1763, and their first child, Mungo, Jr. was born in 1765. Ruth was a grandniece of John Coney
. The silversmiths Paul Revere
I and II made a pair of silver sauce boat
s for the couple.
Mungo's brother Alexander, born in Holm Paplay parish near Kirkwall in 1747, also came to Boston. Alexander married Ruth Decoster in 1771, and their first child, Alexander Jr., was born in 1772. Both men engaged in business affairs in addition to the maritime trades. Mungo had an imported goods store and counting house
on Long Wharf, while Alexander had a beverage store near Faneuil Hall
. Mungo owned a distillery and provided rum
for the stores. Mungo lived near the Old West Church where he and his family attended and owned pews. The church still stands less than a block from the former location of Mungo's mansion house. Mungo and Ruth Mackay's son-in-law Samuel Wells Hunt also worshiped there with his family.
Mungo was admitted to the Boston Marine Society
on April 3, 1764. In 1765 the Brigantine Polley with Captain Mungo Mackay arrived from Newcastle
, England, and in 1766 the same ship and Master arrived in Boston from Teneriff, Canary Islands.
Mungo witnessed the beating of James Otis, Jr.
by James Robinson inside the British Coffee-House in Boston on September 5, 1769. Mungo was called to testify as to what he saw and heard. Mungo stated in his own words the following description:
Aside from the proof of the affair by his testimony, Mungo's words help to define the 29 year old's personality.
Mungo became a member of St. John's Grand Lodge of the Masonic Order of Freemasons in 1768. On November 23, 1768, he attended the installation of John Rowe
as Grand Master. The Marine Society and the Grand Lodge were composed of most of the notable men of Boston at that time. With these memberships Mungo Mackay validated his place in the culture of the town.
s and provided for the establishment of prize court
s.
This was the opportunity for Mungo to both support and profit from the war for independence
. On September 24, 1776, naval authorities at Boston received a petition for William Brown to become commander of the Massachusetts privateer ship Boston. The proprietors were Paul Dudley Sargent, James Swan
, Thomas Adams and Mungo Mackay. The vessel was a frigate
of 400 tons, 22 guns and 210 men. It was one of the largest privateers to be commissioned.
Also in November 1776 Mungo's brother Alexander was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant of the privateer American Tarter. Mungo Mackay was a bonder of this ship which carried 24 guns and 150 men.
In March of 1777 Mungo Mackay appeared in prize court on behalf of William Brown, commander of the Boston. Boston had captured the brig
Independence and brought it into Boston. This was his first profitable privateer voyage. There were more in 1777, including the ships Revenge, Sturdy Beggar, and Lizard, and in 1778 the Lizard, Hancock, Revenge, and Little Weasel. In 1779 Mungo and his partners outfitted Adventure, Harlequin, Mifflin, Jason, Tartar, Hazard, Revenge, George, General Washington and Sally.
One of Mungo Mackay's business practices was to hire prominent Masters for his privateers. He employed David Porter (father of the commodore of the same name), Joseph Olney, Samuel Dunn, Jr., Samuel Avery, John Grimes, and John Manley, among others.
In 1780 Mungo outfitted and sent out more privateers, including Chance, Hope, and General Mifflin. In 1781 he sent Flora, Aurora, Prospect, Ranger and Peacock to sea. The prize court records are replete with mention of Mungo appearing to claim prize money for himself as owner, on behalf of his partners, or as a bonder and debt holder. This activity was extremely profitable.
In addition, his brother Alexander Mackay received a portion of the profits of captured cargo and vessels as he was a member of the crew of some of Mungo's ships. Alexander bought a house and land on Federal Street
in May of 1780. In 1786 Alexander ran an advertisement in the Boston papers for his Wine-Cellar and Store at Town Dock where he offered a general assortment of wines in their original purity, both wholesale and retail also Jamica Spirits, Brandy, West-India and New England Rum and all kinds of Groceries, cheap for cash.
In 1781 Mungo commissioned five more ships. Even though Cornwallis
had surrendered
in late 1781, the privateers continued their efforts to capture and bring British cargo ships into port. Not until 1782 when the peace treaty was signed did the voyages come to a stop.
Mungo became the Master of the Boston Marine Society in November 1782 in a meeting at the Bunch-of-Grapes
tavern. In 1783 he bought some of John Rowe's property on Long Wharf, and a mansion house, distill house and land on Cambridge Street from the confiscated estate of Richard Lechmere, a Loyalist
who went back to England.
, business development started to take Mungo Mackay's time. He also became more active in Boston town affairs.
In January 1784 Mungo became one of the merchants of Boston who became the original stockholders of the Massachusetts Bank, now known as the First National Bank of Boston
. Also in 1784 he was elected a fire ward, an important position as wards assigned fire insurance proceeds to fire companies. He also bought a store on Long Wharf from Isiah Doane and enlarged his presence there. His brother Alexander was approved as a retailer of rum at another shop in Dock Square
.
From 1787 to 1792 he was Master of the Boston Marine Society for the second time. In 1790 he was elected Grand Treasurer of St. John's Lodge. In 1790 he provided three hogsheads of New England rum for the second voyage of the ship Columbia Rediviva
to the Northwest
, part of Commander Robert Gray's effort to explore trade on the Northwest Coast.
Mungo's brother Alexander Mackay provided 39 hogsheads of water. Mungo and Ruth's daughter Ruth had married Samuel Wells Hunt in 1786, and he was the collector of the excise
fees at the Port of Boston when the ship sailed. It was family business at work.
Mungo and Alexander participated in the outfitting of the new American Navy that was ready for duty in response to the Quasi-War
with France. On September 3, 1798, Mungo received $627.08 for 1050 pounds of gunpowder
that he sold to Henry Jackson, Naval Agent for the United States, for outfitting the USS Constitution
. In February 1799 Alexander sold a night glass telescope
to Captain C.C. Russell for use on the frigate USS Herald
.
In April 1789 George Washington
was inaugurated as the country's first president. Afterwards Washington made a tour of the 13 states and came to Boston. Mungo Mackay was part of the welcoming committee. Mungo was one of three Grand Lodge Masons to send a letter to fellow Mason George Washington on December 27, 1792 to congratulate him on his election.
In 1792 a company was formed to build a bridge to Cambridgeport
over the Charles River
. This became the West Boston Bridge, later the site of the Longfellow Bridge that exists today. Some of the original stockholders included Mungo Mackay, Francis Dana
, Oliver Wendell, James Sullivan, Henry Jackson, William Wetmore, Harrison Gray Otis, Perez Morton
, Samuel Parkman, Charles Bulfinch
, Joseph Blake, Henry Prentiss, John Derby, Caleb Davis
, John Winthrop and Jon Austin. The bridge was opened in November 1793.
The town of Boston initiated a tax list in 1798 that included all property. At that time Mungo was one of the wealthiest land and building owners in the town with numerous sites having a total value of over $37,000.
Mungo went with members of the Boston Marine Society to Quincy
and met with President John Adams
in September 1798 regarding French interference in American shipping, known as the Quasi-War
. Mungo had a strong interest in protecting his shipping enterprises, as well as protecting his nephew John Mackay, the son of Alexander Mackay, who was Master of the ship Galen making frequent trips to the Caribbean
.
The Galen was captured by the French. Claims were filed by the owners, and eventually, in 1906, some 21 heirs of the owners and Master received about $1000 each.
After the Quasi-War ended there was a period of peace at sea, but in 1806 and 1807 the American merchant fleet became a target of the British, primarily HMS Leopard
. Mungo Mackay's ship, the Mendon, was captured by HMS Leopard.
Mungo Mackay was a director of the Middlesex Canal
Corporation in 1805. This was a waterway from the Merrimack River
to the Medford River
to facilitate trade.
Mungo Mackay died at his mansion house on Cambridge Street in Boston on March 29, 1811, age 71. He had been a member of the Boston Marine Society for 47 years. Members were particularly instructed to attend the funeral. He is buried in the Granary Burying Ground
. His estate was valued at over $100,000. His legacy to his family enabled them to invest in several musical instrument manufacturing businesses in Boston. His son-in-law John Mackay financed Jonas Chickering
, the piano manufacturer.
Orkney Islands
Orkney also known as the Orkney Islands , is an archipelago in northern Scotland, situated north of the coast of Caithness...
who made a fortune in the Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
shipping trades in Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. Mungo was a highly regarded ship master, successful privateer
Privateer
A privateer is a private person or ship authorized by a government by letters of marque to attack foreign shipping during wartime. Privateering was a way of mobilizing armed ships and sailors without having to spend public money or commit naval officers...
owner and bonder, and operated a store on Long Wharf
Long Wharf (Boston)
Long Wharf in Boston, Massachusetts "was the busiest pier in the busiest port in America during early colonial times." It extended nearly a half-mile into the harbor, beginning from State Street...
in Boston. He was also active in the politics of the town of Boston and the Masonic Order in Boston. His legacy includes the Alpheus Babcock
Alpheus Babcock
Alpheus Babcock was a piano and music instrument maker in Boston, Massachusetts and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania during the early 19th century...
and Jonas Chickering
Jonas Chickering
Jonas Chickering was a piano manufacturer in Boston, Massachusetts.Jonas Chickering was born in Mason Village, and raised in nearby New Ipswich, New Hampshire where his father Abner Chickering kept a farm and worked as a blacksmith...
piano manufacturing establishments.
Early achievements in Boston
Mungo Mackay was born in Holm Paplay parish, near KirkwallKirkwall
Kirkwall is the biggest town and capital of Orkney, off the coast of northern mainland Scotland. The town is first mentioned in Orkneyinga saga in the year 1046 when it is recorded as the residence of Rögnvald Brusason the Earl of Orkney, who was killed by his uncle Thorfinn the Mighty...
, Orkney Islands, in 1740 to Alexander Mackay, who was married to Elizabeth Keith.
Mungo made his way to Boston in about 1755, as a cabin boy
Cabin boy
A Cabin boy or ship's boy is a boy who waits on the officers and passengers of a ship, especially running errands for the captain....
, according to family tradition. By about 1760 he was deeply involved in shipping, and became a Master by 1764. He married Ruth Coney in 1763, and their first child, Mungo, Jr. was born in 1765. Ruth was a grandniece of John Coney
John Coney (silversmith)
John Coney was an early American silversmith and goldsmith from Boston, Massachusetts. He specialised in engraving. From the 1690s on, Coney was considered the most important Bostonian silversmith of his day...
. The silversmiths Paul Revere
Paul Revere
Paul Revere was an American silversmith and a patriot in the American Revolution. He is most famous for alerting Colonial militia of approaching British forces before the battles of Lexington and Concord, as dramatized in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem, Paul Revere's Ride...
I and II made a pair of silver sauce boat
Sauce boat
A sauce boat, gravy boat or saucière is a boat-shaped pitcher in which sauce or gravy is served. It often sits on a matching plate, sometimes attached to the pitcher, to catch dripping sauce....
s for the couple.
Mungo's brother Alexander, born in Holm Paplay parish near Kirkwall in 1747, also came to Boston. Alexander married Ruth Decoster in 1771, and their first child, Alexander Jr., was born in 1772. Both men engaged in business affairs in addition to the maritime trades. Mungo had an imported goods store and counting house
Counting house
A counting house, or compting house, literally is the building, room, office or suite in which a business firm carries on operations, particularly accounting. By a synecdoche, it has come to mean the accounting operations of a firm, however housed...
on Long Wharf, while Alexander had a beverage store near Faneuil Hall
Faneuil Hall
Faneuil Hall , located near the waterfront and today's Government Center, in Boston, Massachusetts, has been a marketplace and a meeting hall since 1742. It was the site of several speeches by Samuel Adams, James Otis, and others encouraging independence from Great Britain, and is now part of...
. Mungo owned a distillery and provided rum
Rum
Rum is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from sugarcane by-products such as molasses, or directly from sugarcane juice, by a process of fermentation and distillation. The distillate, a clear liquid, is then usually aged in oak barrels...
for the stores. Mungo lived near the Old West Church where he and his family attended and owned pews. The church still stands less than a block from the former location of Mungo's mansion house. Mungo and Ruth Mackay's son-in-law Samuel Wells Hunt also worshiped there with his family.
Mungo was admitted to the Boston Marine Society
Boston Marine Society
The Boston Marine Society is a charitable organization in Boston, Massachusetts, formed "to 'make navigation more safe' and to relieve members and their families in poverty or other 'adverse accidents in life.'" Membership generally consists of current and former ship captains...
on April 3, 1764. In 1765 the Brigantine Polley with Captain Mungo Mackay arrived from Newcastle
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
, England, and in 1766 the same ship and Master arrived in Boston from Teneriff, Canary Islands.
Mungo witnessed the beating of James Otis, Jr.
James Otis, Jr.
James Otis, Jr. was a lawyer in colonial Massachusetts, a member of the Massachusetts provincial assembly, and an early advocate of the political views that led to the American Revolution. The phrase "Taxation without Representation is Tyranny" is usually attributed to him...
by James Robinson inside the British Coffee-House in Boston on September 5, 1769. Mungo was called to testify as to what he saw and heard. Mungo stated in his own words the following description:
I Mungo Mackey, of lawful age testify and say That on the evening of Tuesday 5 September instant, between seven and eight o'clock, being in the street near the front door of the coffeehouse in Boston, hearing an unusual noise in the coffee-room, I went in and saw a crowd of people, in the middle of which I perceived a man hustled back by the crowd towards the door in the entry, but soon saw the same man advance towards the middle of the room, with his arms up, as though he was striking as some person, which person I then knew not, but afterwards heard his name was Robinson. The person who was hustled by the crowd was bare-headed, and I observed a number of sticks at least three, over his head, and the blood running; and as I approached nearer I found it to be James Otis, Esq; I saw two officers of the navy talking together, one of whom said "You have come too late to see your friend Otis have a good drubbing" to which he replied "I am very glad of it, he deserved it" I saw William Burnet Brown in the room with a whip In his hand, who came up to Capt. Bradford who was looking for Mr. Otis's hat and wig, and asked him in a scornful manner what he looked at him for, it appeared to me that he had a desire to pick a quarrel with Capt. Bradford. I further declare that after the confusion was over, I looked around and observed that company in the room were almost all of them officers of the army and navy. Mungo Mackey
Aside from the proof of the affair by his testimony, Mungo's words help to define the 29 year old's personality.
Mungo became a member of St. John's Grand Lodge of the Masonic Order of Freemasons in 1768. On November 23, 1768, he attended the installation of John Rowe
John Rowe (merchant)
John Rowe was a property developer and merchant in 18th century Boston, Massachusetts, USA. As a merchant, John Rowe's most famous cargo was the tea that played a starring role in the Boston Tea Party...
as Grand Master. The Marine Society and the Grand Lodge were composed of most of the notable men of Boston at that time. With these memberships Mungo Mackay validated his place in the culture of the town.
Revolutionary War activities
In November of 1775 Massachusetts enacted a law which authorized the issuance of commissions for privateerPrivateer
A privateer is a private person or ship authorized by a government by letters of marque to attack foreign shipping during wartime. Privateering was a way of mobilizing armed ships and sailors without having to spend public money or commit naval officers...
s and provided for the establishment of prize court
Prize court
A prize court is a court authorized to consider whether or not a ship has been lawfully captured or seized in time of war or under the terms of the seizing ship's letters of marque and reprisal...
s.
This was the opportunity for Mungo to both support and profit from the war for independence
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
. On September 24, 1776, naval authorities at Boston received a petition for William Brown to become commander of the Massachusetts privateer ship Boston. The proprietors were Paul Dudley Sargent, James Swan
James Swan (financier)
James Swan was an early American patriot and financier. Born in Fifeshire, Scotland, he moved at a young age to Boston, Massachusetts. In the 1770s and 1780s he worked as a clerk, and became increasingly involved in the political, military and economic life of the city...
, Thomas Adams and Mungo Mackay. The vessel was a frigate
Frigate
A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
of 400 tons, 22 guns and 210 men. It was one of the largest privateers to be commissioned.
Also in November 1776 Mungo's brother Alexander was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant of the privateer American Tarter. Mungo Mackay was a bonder of this ship which carried 24 guns and 150 men.
In March of 1777 Mungo Mackay appeared in prize court on behalf of William Brown, commander of the Boston. Boston had captured the brig
Brig
A brig is a sailing vessel with two square-rigged masts. During the Age of Sail, brigs were seen as fast and manoeuvrable and were used as both naval warships and merchant vessels. They were especially popular in the 18th and early 19th centuries...
Independence and brought it into Boston. This was his first profitable privateer voyage. There were more in 1777, including the ships Revenge, Sturdy Beggar, and Lizard, and in 1778 the Lizard, Hancock, Revenge, and Little Weasel. In 1779 Mungo and his partners outfitted Adventure, Harlequin, Mifflin, Jason, Tartar, Hazard, Revenge, George, General Washington and Sally.
One of Mungo Mackay's business practices was to hire prominent Masters for his privateers. He employed David Porter (father of the commodore of the same name), Joseph Olney, Samuel Dunn, Jr., Samuel Avery, John Grimes, and John Manley, among others.
In 1780 Mungo outfitted and sent out more privateers, including Chance, Hope, and General Mifflin. In 1781 he sent Flora, Aurora, Prospect, Ranger and Peacock to sea. The prize court records are replete with mention of Mungo appearing to claim prize money for himself as owner, on behalf of his partners, or as a bonder and debt holder. This activity was extremely profitable.
In addition, his brother Alexander Mackay received a portion of the profits of captured cargo and vessels as he was a member of the crew of some of Mungo's ships. Alexander bought a house and land on Federal Street
Federal Street (Boston)
Federal Street is a street in the Financial District of Boston, Massachusetts. Prior to 1788, it was known as Long Lane. The street was re-named after state leaders met there in 1788 to determine Massachusetts' ratification of the United States Constitution...
in May of 1780. In 1786 Alexander ran an advertisement in the Boston papers for his Wine-Cellar and Store at Town Dock where he offered a general assortment of wines in their original purity, both wholesale and retail also Jamica Spirits, Brandy, West-India and New England Rum and all kinds of Groceries, cheap for cash.
In 1781 Mungo commissioned five more ships. Even though Cornwallis
Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis
Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis KG , styled Viscount Brome between 1753 and 1762 and known as The Earl Cornwallis between 1762 and 1792, was a British Army officer and colonial administrator...
had surrendered
Siege of Yorktown
The Siege of Yorktown, Battle of Yorktown, or Surrender of Yorktown in 1781 was a decisive victory by a combined assault of American forces led by General George Washington and French forces led by the Comte de Rochambeau over a British Army commanded by Lieutenant General Lord Cornwallis...
in late 1781, the privateers continued their efforts to capture and bring British cargo ships into port. Not until 1782 when the peace treaty was signed did the voyages come to a stop.
Mungo became the Master of the Boston Marine Society in November 1782 in a meeting at the Bunch-of-Grapes
Bunch-of-Grapes
The Bunch-of-Grapes was a tavern located on King Street in Boston, Massachusetts, in the 17th and 18th centuries. Typical of taverns of the time, it served multiple functions in the life of the town. One could buy drinks, concert tickets, slaves; meet friends, business associates, political...
tavern. In 1783 he bought some of John Rowe's property on Long Wharf, and a mansion house, distill house and land on Cambridge Street from the confiscated estate of Richard Lechmere, a Loyalist
Loyalist (American Revolution)
Loyalists were American colonists who remained loyal to the Kingdom of Great Britain during the American Revolutionary War. At the time they were often called Tories, Royalists, or King's Men. They were opposed by the Patriots, those who supported the revolution...
who went back to England.
Post-revolution business development
With the end of the revolution and the creation of the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, business development started to take Mungo Mackay's time. He also became more active in Boston town affairs.
In January 1784 Mungo became one of the merchants of Boston who became the original stockholders of the Massachusetts Bank, now known as the First National Bank of Boston
BankBoston
BankBoston was a bank based in Boston, Massachusetts, which was created by the 1996 merger of Bank of Boston and BayBank. Bank of Boston had a venerable history dating back to 1784, but the merged BankBoston was short-lived, being acquired by Fleet Bank in 1999...
. Also in 1784 he was elected a fire ward, an important position as wards assigned fire insurance proceeds to fire companies. He also bought a store on Long Wharf from Isiah Doane and enlarged his presence there. His brother Alexander was approved as a retailer of rum at another shop in Dock Square
Dock Square (Boston, Massachusetts)
Dock Square in Boston, Massachusetts is a public square adjacent to Faneuil Hall, bounded by Congress Street, North Street, and Union Street. Its name derives from its original location at the waterfront. From the 1630s through the early 19th-century, it served boats in the Boston Harbor as "the...
.
From 1787 to 1792 he was Master of the Boston Marine Society for the second time. In 1790 he was elected Grand Treasurer of St. John's Lodge. In 1790 he provided three hogsheads of New England rum for the second voyage of the ship Columbia Rediviva
Columbia Rediviva
Columbia Rediviva was a privately owned ship under the command of John Kendrick, along with Captain Robert Gray, best known for going to the Pacific Northwest for the maritime fur trade. The "Rediviva" was added to her name upon a rebuilding in 1787...
to the Northwest
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
, part of Commander Robert Gray's effort to explore trade on the Northwest Coast.
Mungo's brother Alexander Mackay provided 39 hogsheads of water. Mungo and Ruth's daughter Ruth had married Samuel Wells Hunt in 1786, and he was the collector of the excise
Excise
Excise tax in the United States is a indirect tax on listed items. Excise taxes can be and are made by federal, state and local governments and are far from uniform throughout the United States...
fees at the Port of Boston when the ship sailed. It was family business at work.
Mungo and Alexander participated in the outfitting of the new American Navy that was ready for duty in response to the Quasi-War
Quasi-War
The Quasi-War was an undeclared war fought mostly at sea between the United States and French Republic from 1798 to 1800. In the United States, the conflict was sometimes also referred to as the Franco-American War, the Pirate Wars, or the Half-War.-Background:The Kingdom of France had been a...
with France. On September 3, 1798, Mungo received $627.08 for 1050 pounds of gunpowder
Gunpowder
Gunpowder, also known since in the late 19th century as black powder, was the first chemical explosive and the only one known until the mid 1800s. It is a mixture of sulfur, charcoal, and potassium nitrate - with the sulfur and charcoal acting as fuels, while the saltpeter works as an oxidizer...
that he sold to Henry Jackson, Naval Agent for the United States, for outfitting the USS Constitution
USS Constitution
USS Constitution is a wooden-hulled, three-masted heavy frigate of the United States Navy. Named by President George Washington after the Constitution of the United States of America, she is the world's oldest floating commissioned naval vessel...
. In February 1799 Alexander sold a night glass telescope
Telescope
A telescope is an instrument that aids in the observation of remote objects by collecting electromagnetic radiation . The first known practical telescopes were invented in the Netherlands at the beginning of the 1600s , using glass lenses...
to Captain C.C. Russell for use on the frigate USS Herald
USS Herald (1798)
USS Herald was built at Newburyport, Massachusetts and purchased by the US Navy from Edward Davis on 15 June 1798. She sailed from Boston on 22 August 1798 and cruised in the West Indies during the Quasi-War with France from 1799 to 1800...
.
In April 1789 George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
was inaugurated as the country's first president. Afterwards Washington made a tour of the 13 states and came to Boston. Mungo Mackay was part of the welcoming committee. Mungo was one of three Grand Lodge Masons to send a letter to fellow Mason George Washington on December 27, 1792 to congratulate him on his election.
In 1792 a company was formed to build a bridge to Cambridgeport
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
over the Charles River
Charles River
The Charles River is an long river that flows in an overall northeasterly direction in eastern Massachusetts, USA. From its source in Hopkinton, the river travels through 22 cities and towns until reaching the Atlantic Ocean at Boston...
. This became the West Boston Bridge, later the site of the Longfellow Bridge that exists today. Some of the original stockholders included Mungo Mackay, Francis Dana
Francis Dana
Francis Dana was an American lawyer, jurist, and statesman from Massachusetts. He served as a delegate to the Continental Congress in 1777-1778 and 1784. He signed the Articles of Confederation.-Biography:...
, Oliver Wendell, James Sullivan, Henry Jackson, William Wetmore, Harrison Gray Otis, Perez Morton
Perez Morton
Perez Morton was a lawyer and revolutionary patriot in Boston, Massachusetts.-Biography:Morton was born in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1751, and raised in Boston. His father, Joseph Morton, worked as a tavern-keeper at the White Horse Tavern. Perez attended the Boston Latin School starting around...
, Samuel Parkman, Charles Bulfinch
Charles Bulfinch
Charles Bulfinch was an early American architect, and has been regarded by many as the first native-born American to practice architecture as a profession....
, Joseph Blake, Henry Prentiss, John Derby, Caleb Davis
Caleb Davis
Caleb Davis was a merchant, revolutionary patriot, and public servant in Boston, Massachusetts. He held several positions of public trust, including state legislator, 1776–1788; Speaker of the Massachusetts General Court, 1780–1782; and Elector for Massachusetts' Suffolk County in the first U.S...
, John Winthrop and Jon Austin. The bridge was opened in November 1793.
The town of Boston initiated a tax list in 1798 that included all property. At that time Mungo was one of the wealthiest land and building owners in the town with numerous sites having a total value of over $37,000.
Mungo went with members of the Boston Marine Society to Quincy
Quincy, Massachusetts
Quincy is a city in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. Its nicknames are "City of Presidents", "City of Legends", and "Birthplace of the American Dream". As a major part of Metropolitan Boston, Quincy is a member of Boston's Inner Core Committee for the Metropolitan Area Planning Council...
and met with President John Adams
John Adams
John Adams was an American lawyer, statesman, diplomat and political theorist. A leading champion of independence in 1776, he was the second President of the United States...
in September 1798 regarding French interference in American shipping, known as the Quasi-War
Quasi-War
The Quasi-War was an undeclared war fought mostly at sea between the United States and French Republic from 1798 to 1800. In the United States, the conflict was sometimes also referred to as the Franco-American War, the Pirate Wars, or the Half-War.-Background:The Kingdom of France had been a...
. Mungo had a strong interest in protecting his shipping enterprises, as well as protecting his nephew John Mackay, the son of Alexander Mackay, who was Master of the ship Galen making frequent trips to the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
.
The Galen was captured by the French. Claims were filed by the owners, and eventually, in 1906, some 21 heirs of the owners and Master received about $1000 each.
After the Quasi-War ended there was a period of peace at sea, but in 1806 and 1807 the American merchant fleet became a target of the British, primarily HMS Leopard
HMS Leopard (1790)
HMS Leopard was a 50-gun Portland-class fourth rate of the Royal Navy. She served during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, and the War of 1812.-Construction and commissioning:...
. Mungo Mackay's ship, the Mendon, was captured by HMS Leopard.
Mungo Mackay was a director of the Middlesex Canal
Middlesex Canal
The Middlesex Canal was a 27-mile barge canal connecting the Merrimack River with the port of Boston. When operational it was 30 feet wide, and 3 feet deep, with 20 locks, each 80 feet long and between 10 and 11 feet wide...
Corporation in 1805. This was a waterway from the Merrimack River
Merrimack River
The Merrimack River is a river in the northeastern United States. It rises at the confluence of the Pemigewasset and Winnipesaukee rivers in Franklin, New Hampshire, flows southward into Massachusetts, and then flows northeast until it empties into the Atlantic Ocean at Newburyport...
to the Medford River
Mystic River
The Mystic River is a river in Massachusetts, in the United States. Its name derives from the Wampanoag word "muhs-uhtuq", which translates to "big river." In an Algonquian language, "Missi-Tuk" means "a great river whose waters are driven by waves", alluding to the natural tidal nature of the...
to facilitate trade.
Mungo Mackay died at his mansion house on Cambridge Street in Boston on March 29, 1811, age 71. He had been a member of the Boston Marine Society for 47 years. Members were particularly instructed to attend the funeral. He is buried in the Granary Burying Ground
Granary Burying Ground
Founded in 1660, the Granary Burying Ground in Massachusetts is the city of Boston's third-oldest cemetery. Located on Tremont Street, it is the final resting place for many notable Revolutionary War-era patriots, including three signers of the Declaration of Independence, Paul Revere and the five...
. His estate was valued at over $100,000. His legacy to his family enabled them to invest in several musical instrument manufacturing businesses in Boston. His son-in-law John Mackay financed Jonas Chickering
Jonas Chickering
Jonas Chickering was a piano manufacturer in Boston, Massachusetts.Jonas Chickering was born in Mason Village, and raised in nearby New Ipswich, New Hampshire where his father Abner Chickering kept a farm and worked as a blacksmith...
, the piano manufacturer.
Further reading
- Phillips, Kevin. Wealth and Democracy: A Political History of the American Rich. New York. Random House. 2002. ISBN 0-7679-0534-2
- Whitehill, Walter Muir. Boston: A Topographical History. Cambridge. The Belknap Press of Harvard University. 1963. LOC 59-12978
- Morison, Samuel. The Maritime History of Massachusetts 1783-1860. Boston and New York. Houghton Mifflin Company. 1921.
- Howard, Hugh. Houses of the Founding Fathers: The Men Who Made America and the Way They Lived. New York. Artisan. 2007. ISBN 13: 978-1-57965-275-3