In the 1 March 1939 Denver Post, Ripley's Believe it or Not featured Captain BLANCHARD "had seven sons who were sea captains and all sevens sons were lost a sea - each son went down with his ship." Ripley's was a syndicated cartoon, and probably appeared simultaneously in other newspapers. Ripley explains further, quote: The father of captains - James BLANCHARD, Maine shipbuilder, was the father of (1) William H., (2) Raymond, (3) Jubilee, (4) Elbridge, (5) Lock, (6) James, (7) Shepard. All seven sons were ship captains and all were lost at sea. Of his four grandsons, who were likewise ship captains, one Fred P. BLANCHARD, was also lost at sea. Numerous other bearers of the BLANCHARD name were shipmasters, being more distantly related to the subject of my cartoon. Unquote. Ripley didn't get it exactly correct. According to "Ancestors and Descendants of James Blanchard, Jr., Thomas Shute Blanchard, Shepard Blanchard" by William H. Pendleton [Searsport, Maine : W.H. Pendleton, 1983]: Captain James BLANCHARD (1798-1859) was a ship carpenter and a master ship builder; he was also a part time farmer according to the Searsport, Maine tax records. Pendleton believes it is true that seven sons were lost at sea but he can only document six -- and they were not all shipmasters when they went down. 1. Raymond Smith BLANCHARD, lost at sea 1863 as first mate on the bark Sarah A Nichols. 2. William Houston BLANCHARD. As a retired Captain, he took a voyage with his son Captain Frederick P. BLANCHARD. The bark Willard Mudgett left Norfolk, Virginia on 10 Sep 1904 and was never heard from again. 3. John Clifford BLANCHARD died at sea on the ship Wachusetts, 10 Dec 1879. 4. Elbridge Gerry BLANCHARD was lost at sea 1877/88 while in command of the ship B.F. Metcalf. 5. Jonathan Locke BLANCHARD was lost at sea in 1866 as first mate on the ship Bosphorus. 6. James Mossman BLANCHARD was lost with wife and child on the bark Travatore, 6 Dec 1870. 7. Edward Payson BLANCHARD is believed to be have been lost at sea in 1867. These seven brothers are my second cousins, three generations removed. James 1798 b Prospect,ME 1859 d Searsport,ME 1997 11 16 Raymond Smith 1832 b Searsport,ME 1863 d at sea 1997 11 16 William Houston 1835 b Searsport,ME 1904 d c at sea 1997 11 16 Frederick P. 1904 d c at sea 1997 11 16 John Clifford 1837 b Searsport,ME 1879 d at sea 1997 11 16 Elbridge Gerry 1840 b Searsport,ME 1877/88 d at sea 1997 11 16 Jonathan Locke 1842 b Searsport,ME 1866 d at sea 1997 11 16 James Mossman 1846 b Searsport,ME 1870 d at sea 1997 11 16 Edward Payson 1848 b Searsport,ME 1867 d at sea 1997 11 16 -- John Clement, 6940 E. Girard 205, Denver, CO 80224-2917 Email: jclement@m2.sprynet.com Voice: 303-691-0613