I want to thank the people at the Scituate, Mass. and Quincy, Mass.. Libraries for their help in getting me the 1936 newspaper accounts: Wareham Courier-Boston Sunday Herald-Boston Sunday Globe-Boston Sunday Post-Dorchester Beacon-Boston Sunday Advertiser and
the  N.Y.Times

1830 Mass Bay Shark Attack 

I will attempt to put the story in perspective from newspaper articles from the 1830s, and from other sources.

Remember this event took place in 1830.   If you went fishing then, it was by sailing or by rowing.  It was the horse and buggy days. No electricity. Very little was known about sharks in that period. And not a big population around.

Locally, in the 1830s era, common folk didn’t have a name for what we call  a white shark, Carcharodon carcharias.  

The fishermen and newspapers in 1830 called  white sharks as "man - eaters" or  "basking sharks".  

Basking shark was probably a generalization of any large shark they saw cruising on the surface. 

Here is the story below that I pieced together, based on the articles from the 1830 newspapers, the Boston Gazette-
Essex Register-Salem Gazette- 
Lynn Record-Eastern Argus- and the Baltimore (Md.) Patriot.

I thank Mark Parkinson for alerting me to this fatal attack which took place in Mass Bay,  5 miles east of Scituate in 1830. 

Brian Best from the Swampscott Historical Commission supplied me with a tremendous amount of information and I thank him for that.

Jackie from the Antiquarian society helped me finalize the date of the attack to Monday July 12, 1830.

The 1830 shark attack story

On Monday July 12, 1830, a group of four fishermen sailed a schooner from Swampscott Mass. and anchored  5 miles east of Scituate, Mass.  (Swampscott is north of Boston and Scituate is south of Boston, a sail of about 18 miles.)
On board the schooner Finback, was Capt. Nathaniel Blanchard, his father in law Mr. Joseph Blaney, and a Mr. Stone and a Mr. Proctor.

Mr. Joseph Blaney, age 52,  took a small dory and rowed away from the schooner about a half mile, and was fishing by himself. 
After a few hours went by, Mr. Blaney was seen waving his hat and calling for help, and apparently he had an injury to one of his arms.  A nearby schooner dispatched a boat.  As they started toward Blaney  they noticed a large fish laying across  his dory amidships.  The fish ended up back in the water, and Blaney's  dory  was still afloat, and Blaney was still  onboard.  Blaney's son in law, Capt. Blanchard, was also rowing toward him.

Essex Register, July 15,  1830- But before the boat which went to his assistance had reached him, the shark renewed his attack, the boat instantly disappeared, and the water appeared in a foam.  Nothing more was seen of Mr. Blaney, but the boat reappeared, and was picked up, together with his hat.......

The boat was uninjured excepting that her thole pins were all broken, and there were scratches about her, as if made by the rough skin of a shark. There was no doubt amongst the crews of the two vessels who witnessed the whole scene, that Mr. Blaney was destroyed by the shark.        (Thole pins were used then instead of oarlocks.- Tom )

The saga continues-

Capt. Nathaniel Blanchard, who was married to Mr. Blaney's daughter Alice,  and who witnessed the attack,  
returns to the area, 5 miles east of Scituate,  on a Wednesday along with a couple of Mr. Blaney's sons,  to try to catch the shark that killed his father in law.  They used a half inch rope, and a hook baited with mackerel and other fish.

Amazingly Capt. Blanchard and crew, encounter 2 white sharks in that same area.  They catch one about a thousand pounds, and they manage to get it onboard the schooner.    They  catch  the second shark  that is estimated by them to be about 16 feet long.  They cannot get it onboard.  (That size white would weigh about 3,000 pounds.)   They killed it, and cut it loose.

Boston Gazette 1830-  Sharks! A basking shark. (called by some a man eater) is now on exhibition.................
We learn that is was taken on Wednesday evening last, 5 miles east of Scituate, by Captain Blanchard of Lynn son in law of Mr. Joseph Blaney ,the gentleman who was seized and devoured by a shark while fishing in a dory on Monday of last week. ..........

The shark now exhibited has two rows of sharp serrated teeth in the lower jaw and one row in the upper jaw. Its mouth is large enough to take in a common sized man-its skin dark and rough as a rasp.  

1700s fatal shark attack, Boston Harbor

I thank Charles Stockler for e- mailing me info on this attack.

Finding out what happened in this attack in the 1700s is more difficult than getting information on the 1830 and 1936 shark attacks mentioned above. 

Here is the basic story:  In Boston there was, and still is, a well know family the Shattucks.
One of the members,  Rebecca Shattuck married Alexander Sampson around the year 1724, when she was not quite 14 years of age. (So this attack on Alexander Sampson, would have happened after the 1724 date.)

• Excerpt:  From the (Memorials of The Descendants of William Shatttuck; Lemuel Shattuck; Dutton and Wentworth, Boston, 1855. Page 106)
  
  "Mr. Sampson is said to have been a reputable gentleman from London, who had visited this country for the benefit of his health, with an intention of a speedy return; but meeting with the beautiful Miss Shattuck, her attractions were too irresistible to allow him to carry out his purpose. He married and remained here; but while upon a pleasure excursion in Boston harbor, his boat was attacked by a shark, and he was tipped overboard and devoured."

  Not a lot of info there, but something happened.  If you have any info on this situation or other shark information, I would appreciate getting it for the website.  

  Charles Stocker who e- mailed me the info, speculates it is also possible Rebecca remarried an Alexander Sampson and her first husband who died in the shark attack had a different name. 

  (There was another Alexander Sampson around in that period of time and he appears to be a descendent of the "Mayflower" group) - Tom