Mary Ann Brown Patten
Mary Ann Brown Patten | |
|---|---|
Patten, c. 1857 | |
| Born | April 6, 1837 Chelsea, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | March 17, 1861 (aged 23) Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Spouse |
Joshua Adams Patten
(m. 1853; died 1857) |
| Children | Joshua Patten |
Mary Ann Brown Patten or Patton (April 6, 1837 – March 17, 1861) was the first female commander of an American merchant vessel. She was the wife of Joshua Patten, captain of the merchant clipper ship Neptune's Car. The ship was bound around Cape Horn from New York towards San Francisco when Joshua Patten collapsed from fatigue in 1856. His wife took command for 56 days, faced down a mutiny, and successfully managed to navigate the clipper ship into San Francisco. At the time of docking, she was 19 years old and eight months pregnant with her only child.