Archives of Maryland
(Biographical Series)

John Merriday, Portsmouth 480, Chatham 1160 
MSA SC 5496-51789
War of 1812 Prisoner of War, Kent Island, Queen Anne's County, Maryland, 1812

Biography:

    John Merriday was an African-American sailor from Maryland who was incarcerated as a prisoner of war in England during the War of 1812. He was a member of the crew for the privateer schooner Swordfish, Captain Evans, which sailed out of Gloucester, Massachusetts. The Swordfish had twelve guns, a crew of eighty-two men, and weighed 156 tons.1 Merriday was on board the Swordfish when it was captured by H.M.S. Elephant on December 28, 1812. The London based paper Lloyd's List reported on January 15, 1813, that the Swordfish had arrived in England the day before.2 On the same day the Swordfish arrived in England, Merriday was received at Portsmouth Prison. The prison register describes him as a black seaman, thirty-years old, with a 5"8 stature. It also lists his place of nativity as Kent Island. Merriday spent two months at Portsmouth until he was discharged on March 11, 1813 to Chatham via H.M.S. Alundance.3 He arrived at Chatham five days later, and remained there for about four months until he was discharged on July 24, 1813 to the Hoffnung Cartel.4 After half a year in captivity, Merriday returned to America. On August 13, 1813, the Hoffnung Cartel sailed from Plymouth to New Bedford with 450 prisoners.5 Merriday was joined on the Swordfish and in prison by three other African-American sailors from Maryland: Daniel Cox, Henry Green, and Stephen Jeremy. 

Citations:


1.    Emmons, George Foster. The Navy of the United States from the Commencement, 1775 to 1853 (Washington: Gideon & Co., 1853).

2.    Lloyd's List no.4737 (London, UK) January 15, 1813.

3.    "Portsmouth Prison Register" UKNA: ADM 103/342.

4.    "Chatham Prison Register" UKNA: ADM 103/57.

5.    "Boston, Sept. 23, Late from France" Norfolk and Portsmouth Herald (Norfolk, VA) October 5, 1813.

researched and written by Charles Weisenberger



 

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