John Peck (June 12, 1725 Boston – May 3, 1790 Boston) was an American merchant and naval architect of the 18th century. He had been trained as a merchant, and as apprentice in that matter had served at sea as supercargo for a few voyages. Having become interested in naval architecture while studying mathematics in school, the experiences of observing ships at sea furthered that interest. It would appear, however, that his designing of ships was more of a hobby, compared to his main trade as a successful merchant. Additionally, he was appointed inspector of saltpeter in Watertown, Massachusetts , around the time the American Revolution started.
16-547: John Peck may refer to: John Peck (naval architect) (1725–1790), American merchant and naval architect of the revolution era John Peck (footballer) (1937–1993), Australian rules footballer, played for Hawthorn, 1954–1968 John Peck (diplomat) (1913–1995), British ambassador to Senegal, 1962–1966, and Ireland, 1970–1973 John Peck (poet) (born 1941), American poet John Peck (politician) (1922–2004), British communist politician John Peck (cartoonist) , cartoonist known as
32-590: A New Deal project designed to research American naval history and staffed by unemployed marine architects. During World War II , Chapelle served in the United States Army Transportation Corps ship and boatbuilding program, rising to lieutenant colonel. In 1950, he ventured to England , where he researched colonial ship design on a Guggenheim fellowship . In 1956/57, he served the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization as
48-532: A consultant on fishing boat construction to the government of Turkey . Upon returning to America, he was appointed Division of Transportation curator of the National Museum of History and Technology . Ten years later, in 1967, he stepped down as curator to assume the role of senior historian. He retired in 1971, accepting the title of historian emeritus. Chapelle died in Lewes, Delaware , on June 30, 1975. Chapelle
64-561: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages John Peck (naval architect) John Peck was married to Hannah Jackson, died 1770, with whom he had a son, William , born in 1763. Peck's son stated that Peck Sr. never had laid eyes on drawings of ships, but developed his own method to draw plans. The same source admits that these plans later on were close to unintelligible even to Peck Sr. himself, and states that his father only ever owned one book on ship building, although probably not when
80-541: Is quoted by Chapelle as saying that she was one of the fastest sailing ships at sea. According to Humphreys, she was spelled Bellesarius and of 110-foot (34 m) length, with a breadth of 30 feet (9.1 m). Belisarius was captured in 1781 by the British after, as Peck claimed, she had been sent out to sea without sweeps and was caught in a calm. She served in the Royal Navy as a 20-gun ship. A better-known Peck design
96-624: The Smithsonian Institution , Washington, D.C. In addition, he authored many books and articles on maritime history and marine architecture. Chapelle was born on February 1, 1901. From 1919, he worked as a marine apprentice and designer for a number of shipbuilders. After 1936, he went into business for himself, and later served as head of the New England section of the Historic American Merchant Marine Survey ,
112-528: The Mad Peck John C. Peck (1828–?), American businessman and building contractor John E. L. Peck (1918–2013), first permanent head of the computer science department at the University of British Columbia J. Eddie Peck (John Edward Peck, born 1958), American actor John H. Peck (1838–1919), tenth president of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute John J. Peck (1821–1878), U.S. soldier who fought in
128-613: The Mexican–American War and American Civil War John L. Peck (1857–1927), Canadian politician in the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick John M. Peck (died 1985), American politician from Virginia John Mason Peck (1789–1858), American Baptist missionary John Weld Peck (1874–1937), United States federal judge John Weld Peck II (1913–1993), United States federal judge John Peck (sergeant) , American marine sergeant [REDACTED] Topics referred to by
144-641: The distinction of being the first ship built abroad to American plans. One ship that was probably, but not with certainty, built to his design was the large privateer Rattlesnake which later in the Royal Navy was known as a fast ship as well. According to Chapelle, she was built in Plymouth while Peck was there as well to supervise the construction of the Continental packet-ketch Mercury . Rattlesnake ' s lines differ from Belisarius , so it might be possible he
160-459: The first ships of his design and ideas were being built. Most of Peck's ships were built at yards, in Boston , Plymouth and Newburyport . One was built abroad ( Maréchal de Cartries ), two on his own land, with a few of the others under his direct supervision in a private ship yard in Plymouth. For the majority, Peck served as naval architect, but he was not a shipwright. This distinguishes him from
176-539: The other ship-designers of his time, and makes him the first naval architect of the United States, insofar as the term is understood for one who draws ships, but is not a shipwright or -builder as well. In designing ships, Peck appears to have had his own ideas, supported by the building of the Minerva as a means to evaluating them. According to Howard I. Chapelle , he was "secretive, egotistical and easily discouraged," but
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#1732858504472192-403: The same term This disambiguation page lists articles about people with the same name. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=John_Peck&oldid=1248192904 " Category : Human name disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description
208-502: Was Empress of China , the first American ship to arrive at China under the new flag of the equally new nation. Owned by Robert Morris , and others, of Philadelphia , she was built in Boston in 1783. Despite being a rather full ship, she had a reputation for being a fast sailer. Maréchal de Castries was a ship of 390 tons, built about 1781–1783 in France as an East Indiaman packet . She has
224-499: Was a "very clever designer," his ships being reputed as fast, handy, and able to carry a large press of sail. In 1774, Peck had a ship built to test his own ideas on ship design. Minerva , of about 20 - 30 tons, was exceptionally broad compared to other ships of that time, but proved to be a fast and seaworthy vessel. When he learned that the Massachusetts legislature wanted to build ships-of-war, he submitted plans and proposals and
240-543: Was experimenting with the design. Around 1785, possibly earlier, Peck went to Portsmouth , or perhaps Kittery in Maine across the river, where he operated a small shipyard. In 1790, he fell ill and, by doing of his son, went back to Boston where he died in May of the same year. Howard I. Chapelle Howard Irving Chapelle (February 1, 1901 – June 30, 1975) was an American naval architect , and curator of maritime history at
256-490: Was granted approval. One ship built thus was the brig , or brigantine , Hazard , with sixteen guns, that was constructed in Boston. This ship proved to be a very fast vessel, but her career ended short when she was burned during the Penobscot expedition . Another ship by Peck Sr. was the privateer Belisarius . Being intended for that particular trade, she too was to be fast, a goal achieved according to Joshua Humphreys , who
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