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Writer's pictureZachary Taylor

Photo of "Uncle" Thomas E. Warren (1908)

Updated: Aug 30, 2022



This is a photo of the Southampton whaleman Thomas E. Warren, originally joined with the caption "The oldest living resident of Southampton". The photo was taken on April 14, 1908.


Warren was born in 1814 and took his first whaling voyage at the age of 19, on the "Ship Hudson" with Captain Henry Green". While he never officially became a captain himself, he still sailed on 9 different vessels in a span of over 30 years. He was also a 2nd mate on the Sabina as well as a stockholder in the Southampton & California Mining and Trading Company, when he and other whalemen and captains left for San Francisco in 1849.


During a break from one of his voyages, he married Elmira C. Hildreth (sister of Lewis Hildreth), who founded the Hildreth's Department Stores in 1842. He was known for sitting in Hildreth's with other whalemen telling stories of their voyages. Such stories are believed to have influenced his son Thomas P. Warren, who grew up to become a whaling captain himself.


When he passed away in 1911, he was celebrated as the oldest living resident of the town, affectionately referred to as "Uncle" Thomas Warren to this day.

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