Captain Edward Tyng
(1683-1755).

Edward Tyng was born in Falmouth (present day Portland, Maine). Tyng's father was Colonel Edward Tyng (b.1636) whom we touch upon in our history. Tyng, Sr., was sent up to Port Royal in 1691 to become its governor after Phips had captured the place for the English in 1690; he didn't take up his duties; he was captured by the French at the mouth of the St. John River and sent off to Quebec, then to France where, Webster reports, he died.1 Edward Tyng, junior, the subject of this sketch was to first marry the daughter of Captain Cyprian Southack; his second marriage2 was to Ann Waldo, the sister to Samuel Waldo.

Tyng was active in his earlier years in the defense of Boston. He was eventually to command his own ship and was employed in chasing French privateers off the coast. It was Tyng who brought the badly needed supplies and men to the besieged Annapolis Royal in September of 1744. Afterwards, he was to capture the French corsair, Cantabre; all of Boston was much impressed as Tyng towed his prize and its 93 man crew into Boston harbour.3

Sailing on the Massachusetts, Tyng was put in charge of the provincial fleet (90 transports and 13 armed vessels) when the colonials came up the coast to lay siege to Louisbourg in 1745. After the capture of Louisbourg Tyng continued to be active in sea duty coordinating much of his activity with the younger Captain John Rous. Tyng spent his last years suffering from the effects of a "paralytic stroke" which he had in 1749; he died at Boston on September 7th, 1755.

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