Privateer Jeremiah O'Brien is Appointed by the Provincial Congress to Guard the New England Seacoast in August 1775

-



Two months after Jeremiah O'Brien committed the "first act of colonial piracy" by capturing the British cutter Margaretta on June 12, 1775 in Machias Bay, Maine,  the Massachusetts House of Representatives  appointed O'Brien as "Commander of the armed schooner Diligent and the sloop Machias Liberty, now lying in the harbor of Machias, fixed for the purpose of guarding the seacoast," according to records at the Massachusetts Archives.

O'Brien, along with his four brothers and fellow townsmen, had led an attack on the British cutter Margaretta on June 12, 1775 in Machias, Maine, defeating the British crew and taking its munitions as bounty.  Maine was part of the Massachusetts Colony until 1820. 



The Massachusetts House of Representatives—functioning as a wartime legislature known as the Provincial Congress—met in Watertown, Massachusetts on August 23, 1775 and agreed to pay O'Brien "the sum of 160 pounds lawful money in this colony, for supplying the men with provisions and ammunition," and to deliver to O'Brien "100 cannon balls at three pounds apiece, and 200 swivel balls, for all which, and the capture he shall make he is to account to this court."

For the rest of the Revolutionary War, the O'Brien brothers engaged in numerous battles with British ships of along the New England coast from Newburyport to Maine.

In 1937, Massachusetts officials recognized O'Brien for his distinguished service by placing a place in the State House.  In addition, five ships in the United States Navy have been named USS O'Brien.  During World War II, the United States liberty ship SS Jeremiah O'Brien was named in his honor.

Read about commemorations in summer 2025 marking the 250th anniversaries of the Battle of Bunker Hill and the Battle of Machias.






Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Boston Celtics : The Story Behind Their Irish Green Theme

-
Image
Bill Russell played for the Boston Celtics from 1956 to 1959 (This story was updated in March 2024) Many people wonder why the  Boston Celtics  wear shamrocks on their green uniforms and have a giant leprechaun smoking a cigar as their team logo. And why is the team mascot a guy named Lucky who looks like he stepped out of a box of Lucky Charms? According to the Boston Celtic’s official web site, the name came about in 1946 when owner Walter Brown started the team. He and his public relations guy, Howie McHugh, were throwing out potential nicknames, including the Whirlwinds, Unicorns and Olympics. It was Brown who had the epiphany, saying, “Wait, I’ve got it – the Celtics. The name has a great basketball tradition from the old Original Celtics in New York (1920s). And Boston is full of Irishman. We’ll put them in green uniforms and call them the Boston Celtics.” Red Auerbach , the now legendary coach of the early Celtics, then commissioned his brother Zang, a graphic d...
Read more

Boston Mayors of Irish Descent, 1885-2021

-
Image
(Originally published in 2013, this post was updated in 2021) Here are the Mayors of Boston Claiming Irish Heritage:  Hugh O’Brien 1885–88 Patrick Collins 1902–05 John F. Fitzgerald 1906–07, 1910–13 James M. Curley 1914–17, 1922–25, 1930–33, 1946–49 Frederick W. Mansfield 1934–37 Maurice Tobin 1938–41, 1941-44 John Kerrigan 1945 John B. Hynes 1950–59 John Collins 1960–68 Kevin H. White 1968–83 Raymond L. Flynn 1984–93 Martin J. Walsh   2014- 2021 The lineage of Boston mayors with Irish ancestry dates back to 1885, when Irish immigrant Hugh O'Brien of County Cork assumed office and became the first Irish-born mayor elected in Boston, serving four one-year terms (1885-88).   O'Brien was followed by Irish-born Patrick Collins (1902-05), also of County Cork, who died in office in 1905. He was replaced by John F. Fitzgerald, who became the first American-born mayor of Irish descent, serving two terms.  A noteworthy...
Read more

Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy's Rose Garden, First Stop on the Irish Heritage Trail

-
Image
Fountain outside the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Garden A beautiful rose gardened devoted to  Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy , mother of President John F. Kennedy , is the first stop on the Boston Irish Heritage Trail , a 3 mile walking tour cover 300+ years of Boston Irish history. T he  Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Garden is located  at Christopher Columbus Park on Atlantic Avenue in Boston's North End.  The  small enclosed rose garden is encircled by an iron wrought fence, with a granite fountain as the centerpiece.   The Garden was officially dedicated on July 22, 1987 by Rose’s family, including Senator Edward M. Kennedy, who called his mother “the greatest teacher and most wonderful mother that any child could ever have.” Rose was born on July 22, 1890 at 4 Garden Court in Boston's North End, at a time when the neighborhood was heavily Irish.   Her father, John "Honey" Fitzgerald, was a prominent businessman and newspaper publisher of  The Repub...
Read more