She Was The First Female Commander Of An American Merchant Vessel, Taking Over For Her Sick Husband During A Voyage To San Fransisco While Still Only A Teenager
When people think of those who sailed the seas before the 21st century, they often think of men and masculine pirates.
However, there were many women just as capable of operating and commanding ships back then. They just don’t get the same amount of credit.
One of those women was Mary Patten, who is known for being the first female commander of an American merchant vessel.
Mary was born in Massachusetts in 1837. In 1853, when she was 16-years-old, she married Joshua Patten, a young captain working on ferrying cargo from New York to Boston.
Two years later, Joshua was offered the opportunity to command a clipper ship named Neptune’s Car, and he got permission for Mary to accompany him on the voyage.
On their first voyage aboard Neptune’s Car, Mary diligently took care of her husband and got to learn about sailing and navigation.
The ship quickly earned a reputation for being speedy, so Joshua was asked to captain the ship again in 1856. Mary joined him again, but this time, she was pregnant with their first child.
However, tragedy struck when Joshua became ill from tuberculosis and was too sick to command the ship in the middle of their journey.
Those who would’ve originally taken over, the first and second mates, ended up being terrible at their jobs and couldn’t navigate the ship properly.
Kovalenko I – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only
With useless crew members and a sick captain, the ship’s fate was suddenly in the hands of a pregnant teenage Mary. Mary set the course and navigated the ship while nursing Joshua back to health.
She was very brave and so busy trying to balance all these duties that she claimed to be unable to change her clothes for 50 days.
When the ship arrived in San Francisco with its cargo, Mary was praised for her hard work and courage.
She brushed the heroic act off as the duties of a doting wife, but in reality, she saved thousands of dollars worth of cargo and her husband’s life.
Mary was written about in newspapers upon her return from the sea and was rewarded $1,000 for her efforts. Not long after her voyage, Mary gave birth to a son named Joshua, after his father.
Unfortunately, Mary and her husband did not live long after their adventures. Joshua died in July 1857, and Mary died of tuberculosis four years later, in March 1861, just before her 24th birthday.
Although she did not live a long life, Mary will always be remembered for her bravery and for proving that women are truly just as capable as men when it comes to sailing the sea.
Sign up for Chip Chick’s newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox.
More About:Chicks We Love