Joseph Rotch, Sr

1704 - 1784  (80 years)  Submit Photo / Document

• Name	Joseph Rotch
  Suffix	Sr
  Born	6 Mar 1704
  	He claimed to have been born in Salisbury, England. Family historians believe he was most likely born in Salem, Massachusetts. Most historians agree he was born about 1704.
  Gender	Male
  Biographical Information	16 Dec 1773	Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts
  	The ship Dartmouth and the brig Beaver were in London in the late summer of 1773. They had finished whaling voyages and had unloaded their cargo. Their captains-James Hall and Hezekiah Coffin-acting as agents for the ships? owner, Joseph Rotch, loaded up with British tea so that the return voyage to Boston would not be made empty. The Dartmouth was loaded with 114 chests of tea, each weighing about 350 pounds, and the Beaver carried 112 chests. On November 28, 1773, the Dartmouth was the first tea ship to arrive in Boston. The colonist would not allow the tea to be unloaded. Once a ship arrived in the harbor it owed customs fees. It could not leave loaded without permission of the governor. On the 16th of December thousands of people from Boston and neighboring towns filled the streets. So 60 to 90 men boarded the Dartmouth, the Beaver and a third ship and destroyed the tea they were holding. Known as "The Destruction of Tea" years latter it would become know as "The Boston Tea Party".
  		The Destruction of the Tea AKA the Boston Tea Party. Currier & Ives 1846.
  Occupation	He was a shoe maker. At some point he formed Joseph Rotch & Sons. They ended up becoming involved in all aspects of the whaling industry and controlled the majority of the industry in Nantucket and New Bedford.
  		Thar She Blows! (11) While many cultures and countries engaged in whaling this page is concerned with the history of the New England whaling industry. In no way should this be seen to justify modern whaling. Commercial whaling in the United States began in the 17th century in New England. The industry peaked in 1846–1852 when the availability of petrochemicals and over-hunting made the practice increasingly impractical. At one time whale oil was absolutely necessary. It's main uses were for household lighting and lubrication of machinery. There were alternatives to whale oil, but they were inferior in performance and cleanliness of burn. While the oil was the primary driver there were secondary products. The baleen some whales used to strain food from the sea were a secondary harvest. They were used in applications that would be accomplished in the modern world with plastic or steel. Simply put whale hunting allowed civilization to grow and prosper.
  Died	24 Nov 1784	Dartmouth, Bristol, Massachusetts
  Headstones	Submit Headstone Photo
  Person ID	I66171	Nagel
  Last Modified	29 Nov 2022

  
  

  Family	Love Macy,   b. 20 Jun 1713, Nantucket, Nantucket, Massachusetts ,   d. 14 Nov 1767, Nantucket, Nantucket, Massachusetts  (Age 54 years)
  Married	21 Feb 1734	Nantucket, Nantucket, Massachusetts
  Children	1. William Rotch,   b. 4 Dec 1734, Nantucket, Nantucket, Massachusetts ,   d. 16 May 1828, New Bedford, Bristol, Massachusetts  (Age 93 years)  [Birth]   2. Joseph Rotch, Jr,   b. 27 Dec 1743  [Birth]   3. Francis Rotch,   b. 30 Nov 1750,   d. 20 May 1822  (Age 71 years)  [Birth]
  Last Modified	28 Nov 2022
  Family ID	F20723	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Event Map		Married - 21 Feb 1734 - Nantucket, Nantucket, Massachusetts Biographical Information - The ship Dartmouth and the brig Beaver were in London in the late summer of 1773. They had finished whaling voyages and had unloaded their cargo. Their captains-James Hall and Hezekiah Coffin-acting as agents for the ships? owner, Joseph Rotch, loaded up with British tea so that the return voyage to Boston would not be made empty. The Dartmouth was loaded with 114 chests of tea, each weighing about 350 pounds, and the Beaver carried 112 chests. On November 28, 1773, the Dartmouth was the first tea ship to arrive in Boston. The colonist would not allow the tea to be unloaded. Once a ship arrived in the harbor it owed customs fees. It could not leave loaded without permission of the governor. On the 16th of December thousands of people from Boston and neighboring towns filled the streets. So 60 to 90 men boarded the Dartmouth, the Beaver and a third ship and destroyed the tea they were holding. Known as "The Destruction of Tea" years latter it would become know as "The Boston Tea Party". - 16 Dec 1773 - Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts Died - 24 Nov 1784 - Dartmouth, Bristol, Massachusetts  = Link to Google Earth
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