Seth Weeks (1803 - 1887)

Born 4 Mar 1803 in Plymouth, Plymouth, Massachusetts, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Content Atkins (Jenkins) Weeks — married 27 Jan 1838 in Barnstable, Barnstable, Massachusetts, United States

Died 7 Sep 1887 at age 84 in Osterville, Barnstable, Barnstable, Massachusetts, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Liz King [send private message]

Biography

Seth Weeks was born about 1803 in Massachusetts.^[1][2][3]

The Whaleship Essex

The whaleship Essex, under command of Captain George Pollard, departed Nantucket on August 12, 1819, for the Pacific Ocean with a crew of 21 men.^[4]

On November 20, 1820, the Essex was struck twice by a sperm whale, the second blow so severe that it stove in the bow of the ship. All 20 men survived,^[5] but gathered what supplies they could fit on the three whaleboats, fortified them for long-distance travel, and abandoned the Essex in search of land.^[4] The ultimate goal was to reach Chile, over 2,000 miles east.^[6]

A month later, on December 20, the crew arrived at what they believed to be Ducie's Island, but was actually Henderson's Island.^[6] There they found a spring of fresh water, but there was not enough food on the island to sustain all of the men for very long. They took the opportunity to refill their water and repair their boats. When the crew left the island, three of the men decided to stay, in hopes that they might encounter a ship. These men were William Wright, Thomas Chappel, and our own Seth Weeks.^[4] They were also the only white men on the crew who were not native Nantucketers.^[7] They did not see their crewmates off when the whaleboats departed on December 27.^[6]

Only five of the men who left Henderson's Island survived and were rescued, but they informed authorities about their crewmates that had stayed behind. A merchant ship, Surry, was sent to find the men and rescued them on April 2, bringing them to Port Jackson, Australia. The three men had survived 102 days on the island with meager supplies of food and water.^[6][7]

Later Life

"All eight went to sea again within months of their return to Nantucket."^[7]

On January 27, 1838, Seth Weeks married Content A. Jenkins in Barnstable, Massachusetts,^[8] where it appears they lived for the rest of their lives.

[1840 census]

In 1850, Seth and Content were living in Barnstable, Massachusetts, with their 10-year-old son Levi. Seth was a sailor, and held real estate valued at $1000.^[1]

By 1860, Seth had become a master mariner, and his Barnstable real estate was now valued at $2000 (personal estate $350). Levi, now 20 years old, was also a mariner.^[9][10]

In 1870, Seth was a 67-year-old seaman, living with his wife Content and a 35-year-old laborer named George Weeks. His relationship to Seth is not known. Seth's real estate was valued at $1000, his personal estate at $300.^[2]

In 1880, Seth and Content lived in Barnstable, Massachusetts, where he was a farmer. His 32-year-old nephew George W. Weeks lived with the couple.^[3]

Seth Weeks died on September 12, 1887, at the age of 84. He is buried at West Barnstable Cemetery in West Barnstable, Massachusetts.^[11]

• From findagrave "Seth Weeks, last survivor of the Essex" (known, because Chappel stayed in Australia, it said.

Massachusetts Deaths

Name Content A. Jenkins-Weeks

Event Date 28 Mar 1893

Event Place Barnstable, Massachusetts

Gender Female

Age 77

Birth Year (Estimated) 1816

Father's Name Lemuel

Mother's Name Elizabeth

Spouse's Name Seth Weeks

Citing this Record

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MD96-DD9 : 12 April 2016), Seth Weeks, Barnstable, Barnstable, Massachusetts, United States; citing family 817, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} "United States Census, 1870," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MDSX-18B : 12 April 2016), Seth Weeks, Massachusetts, United States; citing p. 43, family 419, NARA microfilm publication M593 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 552,099.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MHDT-Y3W : 15 August 2017), Seth Weeks, Barnstable, Barnstable, Massachusetts, United States; citing enumeration district ED 11, sheet 188A, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 0519; FHL microfilm 1,254,519.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2} Macy, Obed, and Macy, William C. The History of Nantucket. Mansfield, Mass.: Macy & Pratt, 1880. p. 235-238.
5. ↑ One man deserted the voyage before the incident occurred.
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3} Walter Karp. "The Essex Disaster". American Heritage, Vol. 34, Issue 3, April/May 1983.
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1 7.2} Wikipedia.com, Essex (whaleship).
8. ↑ "Massachusetts Marriages, 1695-1910," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FCQN-VBZ : 4 December 2014), Seth Weeks and Content A. Jenkins, 27 Jan 1838; citing reference ; FHL microfilm 947,063.
9. ↑ "United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MZHD-4MR : 18 February 2021), Seth Weeks, 1860.
10. ↑ In 1850, both Seth and Content were recorded as born in Ireland, but this may have been error. They are two of many people on the sheet that are dittoed until Levi breaks the chain (born in Rhode Island). The enumerator likely meant the dittos to indicate people born in Massachusetts.
11. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (www.findagrave.com/memorial/5763298/seth-weeks : accessed 24 June 2021), memorial page for Capt Seth Weeks (4 Mar 1803–12 Sep 1887), Find A Grave: Memorial #5763298, citing West Barnstable Cemetery, West Barnstable, Barnstable County, Massachusetts, USA ; Maintained by Caryn (contributor 47509429).

• Essex on Wikipedia
• Nathaniel Philbrick, In The Heart of the Sea, The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex
• "Massachusetts Deaths, 1841-1915," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NWNY-9HX : 10 December 2014), Seth Weeks in entry for Content A. Jenkins Weeks, 28 Mar 1893; citing Barnstable, Massachusetts, 1, State Archives, Boston; FHL microfilm 961,509.