Defence (ship)



Defence was an American Revolutionary War privateer that was part of the Penobscot Expedition. It was commissioned in New Haven, CT in 1776 as a Brig. The ship burned to the waterline and sank. 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.

1776 Crew

 * Captain: Seth Harding of Norwich, CT
 * First Lieutenant: Ebenezer Bartram of Fairfield, CT
 * Second Lieutenant: Samuel Smedley of Fairfield, CT
 * Third Lieutenant: Henry Billings of Norwich, CT
 * Lieut. of Marines: Joseph Squire of Fairfield, CT
 * Master: Josiah Burnham of Lyme, CT
 * First Mate: Edward Beebe if Stratford, CT
 * Second Mate: Jesse Jeacocks of New London, CT
 * Surgeon: Dr. Ezra Bushnell of New Haven, CT