Episode 24: The Mary Celeste

Smarticus Tells History

The Mary Celeste is one of the most enduring and intriguing maritime mysteries in history, and on this episode of Smaritcus Tells History, we tell you why. After setting out from New York with his wife and daughter, Captain Benjamin Briggs, his family and crew were never seen again. But his ship, Mary Celeste, was found off the coast of Portugal, still seaworthy and with no signs of invasion, illness, or disaster. Following a contentious salvage hearing, theories about the fate of Briggs and his crew ranged from sea monster to murder. However, many familiar with the history of the vessel had another theory: a curse. Was Briggs damned from the moment he set foot on board or is there is a logical explanation for the sudden disappearance of ten people in the middle of the Atlantic?

Highlights:

Mary Celeste earned the reputation of being a ghost ship after being abandoned near the Azores in 1872. In this week’s episode of Smarticus Tells History, we explore the history and legend behind the infamous ship. Highlights include:

• Captain Morehouse and his crew of the ship Dei Gratia discover the abandoned Mary Celeste 400 miles from the Azores.
• The troubled history of Mary Celeste, including captain deaths, shipwrecks, and seizures.
• How Captain Benjamin Briggs came to be in possession of the newly retrofitted Mary Celeste
• The proposed voyage from New York to Genoa that would take Briggs, his wife Sarah, and their daughter Sophie to Italy along with nearly 2,000 barrels of crude alcohol
• The arrival of Mary Celeste in Gibraltar and the investigation that followed
• Theories about the fate of Mary Celeste’s captain and crew
• Mary Celeste’s return to New York and reputation as a cursed ship
• Captain Parker’s attempted insurance fraud by running Mary Celeste aground near Haiti
• Attempts to locate and salvage the wreckage of Mary Celeste

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Sources:

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/abandoned-ship-the-mary-celeste-174488104/

https://www.history.com/news/what-happened-to-the-mary-celeste

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Celeste

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