Polly	(1) Commander Nathaniel Leech
Armed Sloop	6 September 1776-
Massachusetts Privateer Sloop	(2) First Lieutenant Isaac Collyer September 1776

Commissioned/First Date:	6 September 1776
Out of Service/Cause:

Owners:

William Blackfair and James Mugford & Co. of Marblehead, Massachusetts [also Nathaniel Leech, Isaac Collyer]

Tonnage:

93

Battery:

Date Reported: 6 September 1776 Number/Caliber  Weight        Broadside 12/ Total: 12 cannon/ Broadside: 6 cannon/ Swivels: eighteen

Crew:

6 September 1776: 101 [total]

Description:

Officers:

(1) First Lieutenant Isaac Collyer, 6 September 1776-[December] 1776; (2) Second Lieutenant John Dixey, 6 September 1776-[December] 1776; (3) Master Samuel Green, 6 September 1776-[December] 1776

Cruises:

(1) Marblehead, Massachusetts to Marblehead, Massachusetts, September 1776-[5] December 1776

Prizes:

(1) Brigantine Laurel (John Whitney), [October] 1776 (2) British Transport Ship Garland (Levi Preston), [November] 1776

Actions:

Comments:

In the late summer of 1776, some Marblehead residents were fitting out the sloop Polly as a privateer. Among these was Isaac Collyer (also spelled Collyer¹ (or Collins,² Colier,³ Collier).⁴ Collyer petitioned the Massachusetts General Court for the return of a cannon he had loaned to the Army. On 4 September the General Court “Resolved, That Colonel Crafts be directed to deliver to Mr. Isaac Collier one four-pound Cannon, which by certificates, appears to have been delivered for the use of the Army at Cambridge, in April, 1775.”⁵ Soon after Collyer petitioned the Massachusetts General Court again, stating “That your petitioner with sundry others are fitting out an armed vessel on a four months’ cruise against our unnatural enemies, to carry twelve carriage-guns and one hundred men, Nathaniel Leech commander, and as it is difficult if not impracticable to procure ammunition, beg your Honours would be pleased to order the Commissioners of this Colony to deliver your petitioner one thousand pounds of gunpowder, he paying for the same. And your petitioner, as in duty bound, shall ever pray, &c.”⁶ On 9 September 1776 the General Court agreed to sell Collyer 700 pounds of gunpowder.⁷

The next day, Leech (sometimes spelled Leach) petitioned the Massachusetts Council for his commission. He stated that he was among the owners of the “sloop called the Polly, burthen about ninety-three tons, armed with twelve carriage-guns, eighteen swivel-guns, and thirty muskets, navigated by one hundred men, Nathaniel Leech Commander, John Dixey Second Lieutenant, Isaac Colyar First Lieutenant, Samuel Green Master, all of Marblehead . . .” The commission was granted the same day.⁸ Her Continental bond was signed by Leech and by James Mugford and Captain John Grush, both of Marblehead. The owners are listed as William Blacklair and James Mugford & Co. of Marblehead.⁹

Five days after sailing from Marblehead a large wave broke over the Polly, washing Leech overboard and drowning him.¹⁰ The cruise continued under First Lieutenant Collyer.

Collyer had some success. The 100¹¹ or 120¹² ton brigantine Laurel (John Whitney),¹³ bound from Lisbon, Portugal with a cargo of salt, was captured. She was sent into Marblehead, arriving there on 17 November 1776.¹⁴ Laurel was libeled on 28 November, listing Isaac Collyer as the commander of the Polly. Her trial was set for 17 December 1776.¹⁵ On 2 December an advertisement in the Boston Gazette announced the auction of the Laurel and her cargo, at Marblehead, on 5 December.¹⁶

Collyer captured at least one more prize, the 270¹⁷ or 280-ton¹⁸ British Transport Ship¹⁹ Garland²⁰ (Levi Preston).²¹ Two of her crew were reported as prisoners at Salem on 11 December 1776.²² These men would have been removed to the Polly, which indicates that the Polly was in port before that date. Garland’s master indicated she was brought into Marblehead on 15 December 1776.²³ Garland was libeled on 9 January 1777, with trial set for 28 January.²⁴ Garland was condemned and was purchased for the Massachusetts Board of War on 8 March 1777, for the sum of £1519.0.4, which was paid to James Mugford for delivery to Jonathan Glover. She entered Massachusetts service as the Gruel.²⁵ Preston applied to the Massachusetts General Court for leave to depart for England on 23 January 1777, on behalf of himself, his mate, and seven more of his crew.²⁶

With the expiration of the cruise, Leech’s commission also expired. No new commission for Collyer was obtained and the Polly seems to disappear from contemporary records.

This Polly is possibly the same as the Massachusetts Privateer Sloop Polly that was at sea in July 1779 under the command of J[ohn] Leach of Salem, Massachusetts.²⁷ Polly was armed with twelve guns, eight swivel guns and carried a crew of 100 men.²⁸ On 10 July 1779 Polly fell in with Massachusetts Privateer Brig Hibernia (Commander John O’Brien) and the pair sailed together.²⁹ Polly had been dogging a merchant convoy. Soon after meeting Hibernia the convoy appeared, together with its escort. The two privateers maneuvered enough to capture a ship (armed with thirteen 4-pounders), a brig, and a schooner with a cargo of molasses. On 11 July Hibernia captured a hermaphrodite brig in ballast. O’Brien dumped his prisoners aboard her and released the brig. Later in the day O’Brien captured another brig. However, Polly had become separated in foggy weather. In August 1779 Polly captured a brig with a cargo of tobacco.³⁰

On 13 August 1779 one Smith Woodward received supplies for the sloop Polly.³¹

¹ NDAR, “Commission of Captain Robert Cochran as Commander of the South Carolina Brigantine Notre Dame,” VI, 212 and note

¹ Allen, Massachusetts Privateers of the Revolution, 239

² NDAR, “Libels Filed in the Massachusetts Maritime Court,” VII, 906-907

³ NDAR, “British Shipmasters’ Petition to the Massachusetts General Court,” VII, 1023-1024

⁴ NDAR, “Return of British Naval Prisoners in Salem,” VII, 560-561

⁵ Force, American Archives, Series 5, 2:476

⁶ Force, American Archives, Series 5, 2:752

⁷ Force, American Archives, Series 5, 2:757

⁸ Force, American Archives, Series 5, 2:758

⁹ Allen, Massachusetts Privateers of the Revolution, 239

¹⁰ NDAR, “Boston Gazette, Monday, November 25, 1776,” VII, 274

¹¹ The Independent Chronicle and the Universal Advertiser [Boston], Thursday, November 28, 1776

¹² NDAR, “Boston Gazette, Monday, November 25, 1776,” VII, 274

¹³ The Independent Chronicle and the Universal Advertiser [Boston], Thursday, November 28, 1776

¹⁴ NDAR, “Boston Gazette, Monday, November 25, 1776,” VII, 274

¹⁵ The Independent Chronicle and the Universal Advertiser [Boston], Thursday, November 28, 1776

¹⁶ The Boston Gazette, and Country Journal, Monday, December 2, 1776

¹⁷ NDAR, “Libels Filed in the Massachusetts Maritime Court,” VII, 906-907

¹⁸ NDAR, “Inventory of the Ship Garland,” VIII, 55-56 and 56 note

¹⁹ NDAR, “Libels Filed in the Massachusetts Maritime Court,” VII, 906-907; “British Shipmasters’ Petition to the Massachusetts General Court,” VII, 1023-1024; “Inventory of the Ship Garland,” VIII, 55-56 and 56 note

²⁰ NDAR, “Return of British Naval Prisoners in Salem,” VII, 560-561; “British Shipmasters’ Petition to the Massachusetts General Court,” VII, 1023-1024; “Inventory of the Ship Garland,” VIII, 55-56 and 56 note

²¹ NDAR, “Libels Filed in the Massachusetts Maritime Court,” VII, 906-907; “British Shipmasters’ Petition to the Massachusetts General Court,” VII, 1023-1024

²² NDAR, “Return of British Naval Prisoners in Salem,” VII, 560-561

²³ NDAR, “British Shipmasters’ Petition to the Massachusetts General Court,” VII, 1023-1024

²⁴ NDAR, “Libels Filed in the Massachusetts Maritime Court,” VII, 906-907

²⁵ NDAR, “Inventory of the Ship Garland,” VIII, 55-56 and 56 note

²⁶ NDAR, “British Shipmasters’ Petition to the Massachusetts General Court,” VII, 1023-1024

²⁷ Maclay, History of American Privateers, 62. Maclay gives the name as “J. Leach.” He lists some service notes about this Leach on pp. 62-63, by which we learn that Maclay has conflated James Leach of New Jersey, John Leach of Salem, John Leach, Jr. of Salem, and, perhaps, Joseph Leach of Salem. (See Claghorn, Naval Officers of the American Revolution, 182). I have concluded that John Leach of Salem is the skipper.

²⁸ Maclay, History of American Privateers, 63

²⁹ Maclay, History of American Privateers, 62

³⁰ Maclay, History of American Privateers, 63

³¹ MASSRW 17:870

Posted 6 February 2011

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