Elijah Cobb

Born on July 4, 1768, in Brewster, Massachusetts, Elijah Cobb was an American mariner whose life followed the rhythms and dangers of the New England seafaring world. He became known as a ship captain and later for the memoir built from his recollections, Elijah Cobb, 1768–1848: A Cape Cod Skipper.

Cobb's career took him across the Atlantic during a turbulent era shaped by war, trade, and privateering. One of the best-known episodes of his life was his capture by the French in 1794 and his eventual release by order of Maximilien Robespierre, an experience that gives his story an unusual place in both maritime and political history.

Published long after the events it describes, his memoir is valued for its direct, personal view of merchant sailing from Cape Cod in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He died on November 21, 1848, but his account still offers readers a lively window into the risks, routines, and resilience of an earlier age at sea.