Sea Captain James Abercrombie (1717-1760) was born 22 December 1717 at Dundee, Scotland, third son of James Abercrombie and Janet Maxwell.

From 1748 to 1753 James Abercrombie (1717-1760) was master of the ship St. Andrew, and from 1754 to 1755 of the Peggy. He made his final voyage to Charleston from Madeira (an island well off the coast of southern Morocco), arriving in April 1760 on the Charming Peggy and leaving in June for Scotland.

On 30 October 1760 his ship and all the crew were lost in the German Ocean (North Sea) near the mouth of the River Elbe.   This is also near the port of Bremerhaven Germany.

Significant dates
1717 James Abercombie born in Dundee, Scotland, third son of James Abercrombie and Janet Maxwell
1742 Frist sailed as master (caption) of a ship (the Lydia)
13 May 1744 married Janet Stedman at Rotterdam, Holland
July 1744 the Lydia was plundered at sea by French ships
August 1744 the Lydia was taken at sea by the Spanish
October 1744 Capt. James Abercombie returned to Charleston following an exchange of prisoners with the Spanish at Havana, Cuba.
27 November 1753 he married Margaret Bennet (1728-1803) in Philadelphia
1754 to 1755  sailed as master (caption) of a ship Peggy
 Oct. 16, 1754 The ship Peggy landed at Philadelphia with our Ludwig Friedrich Freysinger on Board.  The ship sailed form Rotterdam Netherlands via Cowes on the Isle of Wight  off the south cost England.  Rotterdam is at the mouth of the Rhine River.  The Rhine flows through the Netherlands then through the south western corner of Germany down to Switzerland.
1758 he built a townhouse in Philadelphia which survives at 270 South Second Street.
June  1760 set sail from Charleston for Scotland.  (Typical crossing times were one the two months at this time)
30 October 1760 his ship, the Charming Peggy  (same as the Peggy?), and all the crew were lost in the North Sea near the mouth of the River Elbe.  This is also near the port of Bremerhaven Germany.
Note: Nosing around the internet I find what looks to be multiple ships called Peggy and Charming Peggy from around this time.
1767 his widow, Margaret Bennet Abercrombie, married Charles Stedman at Philadelphia.   This COULD be the Charles Stedman who was commissary to the British Army during the War of Independence and later, in 1794, from London published the British view of the war as The History of the Origins, Progress and Termination of the American War.

Frisinger Genealogy Information

Return to Home page