Mungo Mackay (April 1, 1740 – March 29, 1811) was a

Scottish Scottish usually refers to something of, from, or related to Scotland, including: *Scottish Gaelic, a Celtic Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family native to Scotland *Scottish English *Scottish national identity, the Scottish ide ...

seafarer from the

Orkney Islands Orkney (; sco, Orkney; on, Orkneyjar; nrn, Orknøjar), also known as the Orkney Islands, is an archipelago in the Northern Isles of Scotland, situated off the north coast of the island of Great Britain. Orkney is 10 miles (16 km) north ...

who made a fortune in the

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

shipping trades in

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

. Mungo was a highly regarded ship master, successful

privateer A privateer is a private person or ship that engages in maritime warfare under a commission of war. Since robbery under arms was a common aspect of seaborne trade, until the early 19th century all merchant ships carried arms. A sovereign or deleg ...

owner and bonder, and operated a store on Long Wharf in Boston. He was also active in the politics of the town of Boston and the

Masonic Order Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...

in Boston. His legacy includes the

Alpheus Babcock Alpheus Babcock (September 11, 1785 – April 3, 1842) was a piano and musical instrument maker in Boston, Massachusetts and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania during the early 19th century. Babcock is best known for patenting a complete iron frame in a ...

and

Jonas Chickering Jonas Chickering (April 5, 1798 – December 8, 1853) was a piano manufacturer in Boston, Massachusetts. Jonas Chickering was born in Mason Village, and raised in nearby New Ipswich, New Hampshire where his father Abner Chickering kept a farm a ...

piano manufacturing establishments.

Early achievements in Boston

Mungo Mackay was born in Holm Paplay parish, near

Kirkwall Kirkwall ( sco, Kirkwaa, gd, Bàgh na h-Eaglaise, nrn, Kirkavå) is the largest town in Orkney, an archipelago to the north of mainland Scotland. The name Kirkwall comes from the Norse name (''Church Bay''), which later changed to ''Kirkv ...

, Orkney Islands, in 1740 to Alexander Mackay, who was married to Elizabeth Keith. Mungo made his way to Boston in about 1755, as a

cabin boy ''Cabin Boy'' is a 1994 American fantasy comedy film, directed by Adam Resnick and co-produced by Tim Burton, which starred comedian Chris Elliott. Elliott co-wrote the film with Resnick. Both Elliott and Resnick worked for '' Late Night with Dav ...

, according to family tradition. By about 1760 he was deeply involved in shipping, and became a Master by 1764. He married Ruth Coney in 1763, and their first child, Mungo, Jr. was born in 1765. Ruth was a grandniece of John Coney. The silversmiths

Paul Revere Paul Revere (; December 21, 1734 O.S. (January 1, 1735 N.S.)May 10, 1818) was an American silversmith, engraver, early industrialist, Sons of Liberty member, and Patriot and Founding Father. He is best known for his midnight ride to ale ...

I and II made a pair of silver

sauce boat A sauce boat, gravy boat, or saucière is a low jug or pitcher with a handle in which sauce or gravy is served. The typical shape is considered boat-like, hence the name. It often sits on a matching saucer, sometimes attached to the pitcher, ...

s for the couple. Mungo's brother Alexander, born in Holm Paplay parish near Kirkwall in 1747, also came to Boston. Alexander married Ruth Decoster in 1771, and their first child, Alexander Jr., was born in 1772. Both men engaged in business affairs in addition to the maritime trades. Mungo had an imported goods store and

counting house A counting house, or counting room, was traditionally an office in which the financial books of a business were kept. It was also the place that the business received appointments and correspondence relating to demands for payment. As the use of ...

on Long Wharf, while Alexander had a beverage store near

Faneuil Hall Faneuil Hall ( or ; previously ) is a marketplace and meeting hall located near the waterfront and today's Government Center, in Boston, Massachusetts. Opened in 1742, it was the site of several speeches by Samuel Adams, James Otis, and others ...

. Mungo owned a

distillery Distillation, or classical distillation, is the process of separating the components or substances from a liquid mixture by using selective boiling and condensation, usually inside an apparatus known as a still. Dry distillation is the heati ...

and provided

rum Rum is a liquor made by fermenting and then distilling sugarcane molasses or sugarcane juice. The distillate, a clear liquid, is usually aged in oak barrels. Rum is produced in nearly every sugar-producing region of the world, such as the Phili ...

for the stores. Mungo lived near the Old West Church where he and his family attended and owned pews. The church still stands less than a block from the former location of Mungo's mansion house. Mungo and Ruth Mackay's son-in-law Samuel Wells Hunt also worshiped there with his family. Mungo was admitted to the

Boston Marine Society The Boston Marine Society (established 1742) is a charitable organization in Boston, Massachusetts, formed "to 'make navigation more safe' and to relieve members and their families in poverty or other 'adverse accidents in life.'" Membership general ...

on April 3, 1764. In 1765 the Brigantine ''Polley'' with Captain Mungo Mackay arrived from

Newcastle Newcastle usually refers to: *Newcastle upon Tyne, a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England *Newcastle-under-Lyme, a town in Staffordshire, England *Newcastle, New South Wales, a metropolitan area in Australia, named after Newcastle ...

, England, and in 1766 the same ship and Master arrived in Boston from Teneriff, Canary Islands. Mungo witnessed the beating of

James Otis, Jr. James Otis Jr. (February 5, 1725 – May 23, 1783) was an American lawyer, political activist, colonial legislator, and early supporter of patriotic causes in Massachusetts at the beginning of the Revolutionary Era. Otis was a fervent opponent ...

by James Robinson inside the British Coffee-House in Boston on September 5, 1769. Mungo was called to testify as to what he saw and heard. Mungo stated in his own words the following description:

I Mungo Mackey, of lawful age testify and say That on the evening of Tuesday 5 September instant, between seven and eight o'clock, being in the street near the front door of the coffeehouse in Boston, hearing an unusual noise in the coffee-room, I went in and saw a crowd of people, in the middle of which I perceived a man hustled back by the crowd towards the door in the entry, but soon saw the same man advance towards the middle of the room, with his arms up, as though he was striking as some person, which person I then knew not, but afterwards heard his name was Robinson. The person who was hustled by the crowd was bare-headed, and I observed a number of sticks at least three, over his head, and the blood running; and as I approached nearer I found it to be James Otis, Esq; I saw two officers of the navy talking together, one of whom said "You have come too late to see your friend Otis have a good drubbing" to which he replied "I am very glad of it, he deserved it" I saw William Burnet Brown in the room with a whip In his hand, who came up to Capt. Bradford who was looking for Mr. Otis's hat and wig, and asked him in a scornful manner what he looked at him for, it appeared to me that he had a desire to pick a quarrel with Capt. Bradford. I further declare that after the confusion was over, I looked around and observed that company in the room were almost all of them officers of the army and navy. Mungo Mackey

Aside from the proof of the affair by his testimony, Mungo's words help to define the 29 year old's personality. Mungo became a member of St. John's Grand Lodge of the Masonic Order of

Freemasons Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...

in 1768. On November 23, 1768, he attended the installation of John Rowe as Grand Master. The Marine Society and the Grand Lodge were composed of most of the notable men of Boston at that time. With these memberships Mungo Mackay validated his place in the culture of the town.

Revolutionary War activities

In November 1775 Massachusetts enacted a law which authorized the issuance of commissions for

s and provided for the establishment of

prize court A prize court is a court (or even a single individual, such as an ambassador or consul) authorized to consider whether prizes have been lawfully captured, typically whether a ship has been lawfully captured or seized in time of war or under the te ...

s.Allen, Gardner Weld. ''Massachusetts Privateers of the Revolution''. Boston. The Massachusetts Historical Society.1927 This was the opportunity for Mungo to both support and profit from the war for independence. On September 24, 1776, naval authorities at Boston received a petition for William Brown to become commander of the Massachusetts privateer ship ''Boston''. The proprietors were

Paul Dudley Sargent Paul Dudley Sargent (Baptized June 23, 1745, Salem, Massachusetts – September 28, 1828 Sullivan, Maine) was a privateer and soldier in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. Early life Sargent was born in 1745 and baptized ...

, James Swan, Thomas Adams and Mungo Mackay. The vessel was a

frigate A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied somewhat. The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and ...

of 300 tons, 22 guns and 210 men. It was one of the largest privateers to be commissioned. Also in November 1776 Mungo's brother Alexander was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant of the privateer ''American Tartar''. Mungo Mackay was a bonder of this ship which carried 24 guns and 150 men. In March 1777 Mungo Mackay appeared in prize court on behalf of William Brown, commander of the ''Boston''. ''Boston'' had captured the

brig A brig is a type of sailing vessel defined by its rig: two masts which are both square rig, square-rigged. Brigs originated in the second half of the 18th century and were a common type of smaller merchant vessel or warship from then until the ...

''Independence'' and brought it into Boston. This was his first profitable privateer voyage. There were more in 1777, including the ships ''Revenge, Sturdy Beggar'', and ''Lizard'', and in 1778 the ''Lizard, Hancock, Revenge'', and ''Little Weasel''. In 1779 Mungo and his partners outfitted ''Adventure, Harlequin, Mifflin, Jason, Tartar, Hazard, Revenge, George, General Washington'' and ''Sally.'' One of Mungo Mackay's business practices was to hire prominent Masters for his privateers. He employed David Porter (father of the commodore of the same name), Joseph Olney, Samuel Dunn, Jr., Samuel Avery, John Grimes, and John Manley, among others. In 1780 Mungo outfitted and sent out more privateers, including ''Chance, Hope'', and ''General Mifflin''. In 1781 he sent ''Flora, Aurora, Prospect, Ranger'' and ''Peacock'' to sea. The prize court records are replete with mention of Mungo appearing to claim prize money for himself as owner, on behalf of his partners, or as a bonder and debt holder. This activity was extremely profitable. In addition, his brother Alexander Mackay received a portion of the profits of captured cargo and vessels as he was a member of the crew of some of Mungo's ships. Alexander bought a house and land on Federal Street in May 1780. In 1786 Alexander ran an advertisement in the Boston papers for his Wine-Cellar and Store at Town Dock where he offered a general assortment of wines in their original purity, both wholesale and retail also Jamica Spirits, Brandy, West-India and New England Rum and all kinds of Groceries, cheap for cash. In 1781 Mungo commissioned five more ships. Even though

Cornwallis Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis, (31 December 1738 – 5 October 1805), styled Viscount Brome between 1753 and 1762 and known as the Earl Cornwallis between 1762 and 1792, was a British Army general and official. In the United S ...

had

surrendered Surrender, in military terms, is the relinquishment of control over territory, combatants, fortifications, ships or armament to another power. A surrender may be accomplished peacefully or it may be the result of defeat in battle. A sovereign ...

in late 1781, the privateers continued their efforts to capture and bring British cargo ships into port. Not until 1782 when the peace treaty was signed did the voyages come to a stop. Mungo became the Master of the Boston Marine Society in November 1782 in a meeting at the

Bunch-of-Grapes The Bunch-of-Grapes was a tavern located on King Street ( State Street) in Boston, Massachusetts, in the 17th and 18th centuries. Typical of taverns of the time, it served multiple functions in the life of the town. Often touted as the genesis f ...

tavern. In 1783 he bought some of John Rowe's property on Long Wharf, and a mansion house, distill house and land on Cambridge Street from the confiscated estate of Richard Lechmere, a

Loyalist Loyalism, in the United Kingdom, its overseas territories and its former colonies, refers to the allegiance to the British crown or the United Kingdom. In North America, the most common usage of the term refers to loyalty to the British Cro ...

who went back to England.

Post-revolution business development

With the end of the revolution and the creation of the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

, business development started to take Mungo Mackay's time. He also became more active in Boston town affairs. In January 1784 Mungo became one of the merchants of Boston who became the original stockholders of the Massachusetts Bank, now known as the

First National Bank of Boston BankBoston was a bank based in Boston, Massachusetts, which was created by the 1996 merger of Bank of Boston and BayBank. One of its predecessor banks started in 1784, but the merged BankBoston was short-lived, being acquired by Fleet Bank in 199 ...

. Also in 1784 he was elected a fire ward, an important position as wards assigned fire insurance proceeds to fire companies. He also bought a store on Long Wharf from Isiah Doane and enlarged his presence there. His brother Alexander was approved as a retailer of rum at another shop in Dock Square. From 1787 to 1792 he was Master of the Boston Marine Society for the second time. In 1790 he was elected Grand Treasurer of St. John's Lodge. In 1790 he provided three hogsheads of New England rum for the second voyage of the ship ''

Columbia Rediviva ''Columbia Rediviva'' (commonly known as ''Columbia'') was a privately owned American ship under the command, first, of John Kendrick, and later Captain Robert Gray, best known for going to the Pacific Northwest for the maritime fur trade. "R ...

'' to the

Northwest The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each sep ...

, part of Commander Robert Gray's effort to explore trade on the Northwest Coast. Mungo's brother Alexander Mackay provided 39 hogsheads of water. Mungo and Ruth's daughter Ruth had married Samuel Wells Hunt in 1786, and he was the collector of the

excise file:Lincoln Beer Stamp 1871.JPG, upright=1.2, 1871 U.S. Revenue stamp for 1/6 barrel of beer. Brewers would receive the stamp sheets, cut them into individual stamps, cancel them, and paste them over the Bunghole, bung of the beer barrel so when ...

fees at the Port of Boston when the ship sailed. It was family business at work. Mungo and Alexander participated in the outfitting of the new

American Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage of ...

that was ready for duty in response to the

Quasi-War The Quasi-War (french: Quasi-guerre) was an undeclared naval war fought from 1798 to 1800 between the United States and the French First Republic, primarily in the Caribbean and off the East Coast of the United States. The ability of Congres ...

with France. On September 3, 1798, Mungo received $627.08 for 1050 pounds of

gunpowder Gunpowder, also commonly known as black powder to distinguish it from modern smokeless powder, is the earliest known chemical explosive. It consists of a mixture of sulfur, carbon (in the form of charcoal) and potassium nitrate (saltpeter). ...

that he sold to Henry Jackson, Naval Agent for the United States, for outfitting the USS ''Constitution''. In February 1799 Alexander sold a night glass

telescope A telescope is a device used to observe distant objects by their emission, absorption, or reflection of electromagnetic radiation. Originally meaning only an optical instrument using lenses, curved mirrors, or a combination of both to observe ...

to Captain C.C. Russell for use on the corvette {{USS, Herald , 1798, 6. In April 1789

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...

was inaugurated as the country's first president. Afterwards Washington made a tour of the 13 states and came to Boston. Mungo Mackay was part of the welcoming committee. Mungo was one of three Grand Lodge Masons to send a letter to fellow Mason George Washington on December 27, 1792, to congratulate him on his election. In 1792 a company was formed to build a bridge to

Cambridgeport Cambridgeport is one of the neighborhoods of Cambridge, Massachusetts. It is bounded by Massachusetts Avenue, the Charles River, the Grand Junction Railroad, and River Street. The neighborhood contains predominantly residential homes, many of the ...

over the

Charles River The Charles River ( Massachusett: ''Quinobequin)'' (sometimes called the River Charles or simply the Charles) is an river in eastern Massachusetts. It flows northeast from Hopkinton to Boston along a highly meandering route, that doubles b ...

. This became the

West Boston Bridge The Longfellow Bridge is a steel rib arch bridge spanning the Charles River to connect Boston's Beacon Hill neighborhood with the Kendall Square area of Cambridge, Massachusetts. The bridge carries Massachusetts Route 3, US Route 3, the MBTA Re ...

, later the site of the Longfellow Bridge that exists today. Some of the original stockholders included Mungo Mackay,

Francis Dana Francis Dana (June 13, 1743 – April 25, 1811) was an American Founding Father, lawyer, jurist, and statesman from Massachusetts. He served as a delegate to the Continental Congress in 1777–1778 and 1784. A signer of the Articles of Confederat ...

, Oliver Wendell, James Sullivan, Henry Jackson, William Wetmore, Harrison Gray Otis,

Perez Morton Perez Morton (November 13, 1751 – October 14, 1837) was a lawyer and revolutionary patriot in Boston, Massachusetts. Life and career Morton was born in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1751, and raised in Boston. His father, Joseph Morton, worke ...

, Samuel Parkman,

Charles Bulfinch Charles Bulfinch (August 8, 1763 – April 15, 1844) was an early American architect, and has been regarded by many as the first American-born professional architect to practice.Baltzell, Edward Digby. ''Puritan Boston & Quaker Philadelphia''. Tra ...

, Joseph Blake, Henry Prentiss, John Derby,

Caleb Davis Caleb Davis (October 25, 1738 – July 6, 1797) was an American merchant, revolutionary patriot, and public servant in Boston, Massachusetts. He held several positions of public trust, including state legislator (1776–1788), Speaker of the Mass ...

, John Winthrop and Jon Austin. The bridge was opened in November 1793. The town of Boston initiated a tax list in 1798 that included all property. At that time Mungo was one of the wealthiest land and building owners in the town with numerous sites having a total value of over $37,000. Mungo went with members of the Boston Marine Society to Quincy and met with President

John Adams John Adams (October 30, 1735 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, attorney, diplomat, writer, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the second president of the United States from 1797 to 1801. Befor ...

in September 1798 regarding French interference in American shipping, known as the

. Mungo had a strong interest in protecting his shipping enterprises, as well as protecting his nephew John Mackay, the son of Alexander Mackay, who was Master of the ship ''Galen'' making frequent trips to the

Caribbean The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...

. The ''Galen'' was captured by the French. Claims were filed by the owners, and eventually, in 1906, some 21 heirs of the owners and Master received about $1000 each. After the Quasi-War ended there was a period of peace at sea, but in 1806 and 1807 the American merchant fleet became a target of the British, primarily HMS ''Leopard''. Mungo Mackay's ship, the ''Mendon'', was captured by HMS Leopard. Mungo Mackay was a director of the

Middlesex Canal The Middlesex Canal was a 27-mile (44-kilometer) barge canal connecting the Merrimack River with the port of Boston. When operational it was 30 feet (9.1 m) wide, and 3 feet (0.9 m) deep, with 20 locks, each 80 feet (24 m) long and between 10 and ...

Corporation in 1805. This was a waterway from the

Merrimack River The Merrimack River (or Merrimac River, an occasional earlier spelling) is a river in the northeastern United States. It rises at the confluence of the Pemigewasset and Winnipesaukee rivers in Franklin, New Hampshire, flows southward into Mas ...

to the Medford River to facilitate trade. Mungo Mackay died at his mansion house on Cambridge Street in Boston on March 29, 1811, age 71. He had been a member of the Boston Marine Society for 47 years. Members were particularly instructed to attend the funeral. He is buried in the

Granary Burying Ground The Granary Burying Ground in Massachusetts is the city of Boston's third-oldest cemetery, founded in 1660 and located on Tremont Street. It is the final resting place for many notable Revolutionary War-era patriots, including Paul Revere, the ...

. His estate was valued at over $100,000. His legacy to his family enabled them to invest in several musical instrument manufacturing businesses in Boston. His son-in-law John Mackay financed

, the piano manufacturer.

References

{{Reflist

External links

Article about the Revere sauce boats
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mackay, Mungo 1740 births 1811 deaths People from Orkney People of Massachusetts in the American Revolution American privateers Burials at Granary Burying Ground English emigrants to Massachusetts Bay Colony

Early achievements in Boston

Revolutionary War activities

Post-revolution business development

References

Further reading

External links