Captain Ben Gregory

Captain Ben Gregory was born at Bristol, England, April 2, 1848. At an early age he came to America with his parents, and settled at Niagara Falls.

The strong desire to follow the sailor's life was manifest when he was but a lad, and at the age of fourteen years he began the work to which he has since devoted himself. His first experience was on the brig Christena, in command of Capt. James Kelley. He remained three years, then going on the schooner Margaret A. Muir. He commanded the schooner Canada two years, and the following season brought out the T. J. Merritt, from Port Dalhousie, which he commanded one year.

Captain Gregory then shipped on the Edward Blake as mate with Capt. William McAvoy; and after two seasons served in the same capacity on the F. B. King and R. B. Hayes, with Capt. B. Griffin. His next boat was the Aloha, upon which he acted as mate two years with Capt. Alfred Ade. Upon the F. B. Gardner, in command of Captain King, he sailed three seasons; and later upon the Winona, with Captain Davis, and on the Kate Brainard with Captain Donnelly. At this writing he is on the Winona with Captain Davis.

About 1875 Captain Gregory was married to Miss Margaret McAvoy, sister of Capt. William McAvoy, with whom he sailed in the Edward Blake. To them three children have been born: Anna, who was married to James Dillon, and who is deceased; Minnie, who is unmarried and resides at her father's home, No. 78 West Chippewa street, Buffalo, N. Y.; and Emma, who is married to S. R. Gill, a well-known steward on the lakes, and is deceased.

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Volume I

This version of Volume II is based, with permission, on the work of the great volunteers at the Marine Captains Biographies site. To them goes the credit for reorganizing the content into some coherent order. The biographies in the original volume are in essentially random order.

Some of the transcription work was also done by Brendon Baillod, who maintains an excellent guide to Great Lakes Shipwreck Research.