The Mary Celeste

The Mary Celeste became famous as the centre of one of the greatest mysteries in maritime history. On December 5th, 1872, the merchant brigantine was discovered adrift in the Atlantic Ocean, completely deserted. What made the find so puzzling was that there had been no storms or signs of struggle, yet the ship had clearly been abandoned.

Adding to the mystery was the fact that the crew were highly experienced seamen. That such capable sailors would desert a ship in good condition, and in fine weather, captured the imagination of many, including the writer Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who later immortalised the story in fiction.

When found by the Dei Gratia, a British brig commanded by Captain David Morehouse, the Mary Celeste was about 400 miles east of the Azores and still on course for Gibraltar. Her sails were partly set, and she showed only minor damage – a few disordered ropes, a missing lifeboat, and a dislodged compass. The ship’s cargo of 1,701 barrels of industrial alcohol was intact, though nine barrels were later found to have leaked. There was no shortage of food or water, enough for several months, and the ship’s logbook entries continued up to November 25th, just ten days before discovery.

Personal belongings, including the captain’s navigational instruments and the crew’s valuables, were untouched. There were no bloodstains, no signs of fire or violence, and the hull was sound. It appeared that the crew had left suddenly and voluntarily, but why they did so remains one of the enduring puzzles of the sea.

There was wild speculation at the time. Some suggested mutiny or piracy, others foul play by the crew of the Dei Gratia, or even spontaneous combustion of alcohol vapours from the cargo, which might have caused a small explosion or strong fumes, frightening the crew into launching the lifeboat temporarily. If the lifeboat’s towline later parted, it could explain their disappearance. Other ideas included seismic activity, waterspouts, or even supernatural causes – all unproven, of course.

The Mary Celeste herself had an unlucky reputation long before the tragedy. Built in Spencer’s Island, Nova Scotia, in 1861 and originally named Amazon, she suffered a series of mishaps, including the death of her first captain, a collision with another vessel in the English Channel, and damage by fire. After being repaired and sold, she was renamed Mary Celeste in 1868. Despite her misfortunes, she remained a sturdy cargo ship.

Her ill-fated voyage began in New York on November 7th, 1872, under Captain Benjamin Briggs, a respected and deeply religious seaman from Massachusetts. With him were his wife, Sarah, and their two-year-old daughter, Sophia, along with a crew of seven experienced sailors. They were bound for Genoa, Italy, with their cargo of alcohol. None of them were ever seen again.

After being salvaged and taken to Gibraltar, the Mary Celeste was examined in a court of inquiry. Though the findings offered no definitive cause, the court cleared the crew of the Dei Gratia of any wrongdoing and awarded them a reduced salvage payment, the suspiciously low amount reflecting the authorities’ unease with the whole affair.

The ship returned to service but never escaped her ominous reputation. Over the following decade, she changed hands several times, often suffering damage or financial loss for her owners. Her story ended in 1885, when her final captain, Gilman C. Parker, deliberately ran her aground off the coast of Haiti in an attempt to commit insurance fraud. The plan failed, and the wreck soon disintegrated, bringing a fittingly tragic close to one of maritime history’s most enduring legends.

The mystery of the Mary Celeste continues to fascinate historians and sailors alike. Despite numerous theories, the truth about why her crew abandoned ship has never been proven ensuring her place among the great unsolved mysteries of the sea.

Did You Know?

In 1884, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, before creating Sherlock Holmes, wrote a short story inspired by the mystery called “J. Habakuk Jephson’s Statement.” It appeared in Cornhill Magazine and offered a dramatic, though fictional, account of what might have happened aboard the doomed vessel. The story became so popular that many readers believed it was a true account, helping to cement the legend of the Mary Celeste in popular imagination.

Like many works of its time, the story also reflects some of the racial stereotypes common in Victorian fiction. These elements are now recognised as offensive, but the piece remains an interesting example of how 19th-century writers mythologised real maritime events.

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