J. & W. R. Wing Company
Encyclopedia
The Joseph & William R. Wing Company was the largest whaling
firm in the United States. Based in New Bedford, Massachusetts
during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the J. & W. R. Wing Co. was the agent for 236 whaling voyages from 1852 until 1914 and was among the very last whaling companies operating in the United States.
business in a New Bedford in 1849, providing clothing for mariners embarking and returning on New Bedford whaling voyages. The Wings began to invest in whaleships
in 1849, and in 1852 they became the owners and agents of their first vessel.
and whalebone. Typically, they would indebt a recruited sailor for the cost of their clothing and supplies, the cost for boarding them before the ship departed, and then charge substantial interest on these loans.
, and by 1866 were managing 16 vessels. By 1870 they controlled the largest fleet of whaleships in the United States. Among their possessions was the Charles W. Morgan
, today moored at Mystic Seaport
in Mystic, Connecticut
.
Whaling
Whaling is the hunting of whales mainly for meat and oil. Its earliest forms date to at least 3000 BC. Various coastal communities have long histories of sustenance whaling and harvesting beached whales...
firm in the United States. Based in New Bedford, Massachusetts
New Bedford, Massachusetts
New Bedford is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States, located south of Boston, southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, and about east of Fall River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 95,072, making it the sixth-largest city in Massachusetts...
during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the J. & W. R. Wing Co. was the agent for 236 whaling voyages from 1852 until 1914 and was among the very last whaling companies operating in the United States.
The Wing brothers
Brothers Joseph Wing (1810- ) and William Ricketson Wing (1830–1908) were born on a farm at Russells Mills near South Dartmouth, southwest of New Bedford. They opened as partners in a dry goodsDry goods
Dry goods are products such as textiles, ready-to-wear clothing, and sundries. In U.S. retailing, a dry goods store carries consumer goods that are distinct from those carried by hardware stores and grocery stores, though "dry goods" as a term for textiles has been dated back to 1742 in England or...
business in a New Bedford in 1849, providing clothing for mariners embarking and returning on New Bedford whaling voyages. The Wings began to invest in whaleships
Whaler
A whaler is a specialized ship, designed for whaling, the catching and/or processing of whales. The former included the whale catcher, a steam or diesel-driven vessel with a harpoon gun mounted at its bows. The latter included such vessels as the sail or steam-driven whaleship of the 16th to early...
in 1849, and in 1852 they became the owners and agents of their first vessel.
Profits
The Wings made their fortunes primarily from outfitting seamen, and to a lesser extent from the production and sale of the whale oilWhale oil
Whale oil is the oil obtained from the blubber of various species of whales, particularly the three species of right whale and the bowhead whale prior to the modern era, as well as several other species of baleen whale...
and whalebone. Typically, they would indebt a recruited sailor for the cost of their clothing and supplies, the cost for boarding them before the ship departed, and then charge substantial interest on these loans.
The Wing Co. fleet
The Wings increased their fleet during the Civil WarAmerican Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, and by 1866 were managing 16 vessels. By 1870 they controlled the largest fleet of whaleships in the United States. Among their possessions was the Charles W. Morgan
Charles W. Morgan (ship)
Charles W. Morgan was a U.S. whaleship during the 19th and early 20th century. Ships of this type usually harvested the blubber of whales for whale oil, which was commonly used in lamps...
, today moored at Mystic Seaport
Mystic Seaport
Mystic Seaport, the Museum of America and the Sea, in Mystic, Connecticut, is notable both for its collection of sailing ships and boats, and for the re-creation of crafts and fabric of an entire 19th century seafaring village...
in Mystic, Connecticut
Mystic, Connecticut
Mystic is a village and census-designated place in New London County, Connecticut, in the United States. The population was 4,001 at the 2000 census. A historic locality, Mystic has no independent government because it is not a legally recognized municipality in the state of Connecticut...
.