Defence (1779 brigantine)



Defence was an American Revolutionary War privateer that was part of the Penobscot Expedition. It was built in Beverly, Massachusetts, and was scuttled near Stockton Springs, Maine in the later stages of the expedition. The location of the wreck was discovered in 1972 by the Maine Maritime Academy and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The wreck was studied later. The wreck site was excavated in the 1970s, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.

Defence was a new ship, and the expedition was its first major voyage. It was owned by Andrew Cabot and Moses Brown of Beverly, MA. Massachusetts archives list her as a 170-ton brigantine with 16 six-pound canon and a crew of 100. Another Defence of 140 tons was built by the same owners in late 1779.

Nearby Defence Point (44.44591°N, -68.85864°W; formerly known as Squaw Point) and Defence Head (44.44365°N, -68.85994°W) were named in honor of the nearby wreck site.