“The Remains of Captain Daniel Malcom”

On Thursday, 26 Oct 1769, the Boston News-Letter announced:

On Monday last departed this Life, Capt. DANIEL MALCOM, of this Town, Merchant, in the 44th Year of his Age: His Remains are to be interred To-Morrow at half after Three o’clock Afternoon.

The following Monday, 30 October, the Boston Gazette reported:

On Friday last were interred the Remains of Captain Daniel Malcom of this Town Merchant, who died a few Days before in the 44th Year of his Age.

By Means of his honest Industry, he left his Family in good Circumstances. And tho’ this Gentleman was one whom the Nettleham Baronet had stigmatiz’d in his infamous Letters, his Funeral was attended by a long Train of his Fellow Citizens, as a Token of Respect to the Family of one who in his Life was zealously attached to the Liberties of his Country.

The “Nettleham Baronet” was Sir Francis Bernard, the royal governor who had sailed away from Boston a three months earlier. He had mentioned the 1766 stand-off between Malcom and the Customs service in reports to London, and those letters had been leaked back to Boston—which only enhanced Malcom’s local reputation.

In fact, Malcom’s profile was so high that even his grave marker made news, in the 17 November Boston News-Letter:

The following Inscription is on the Grave-Stone of the late Capt. Malcom.

Here lies buried in a Stone Grave 10 feet deep, Capt. DANIEL MALCOM, Merchant, who departed this life October 23d 1769. aged 44 Years.

A true Son of Liberty.
A Friend to the Publick.
An Enemy to Oppression.
And one of the foremost in Opposing the Revenue Acts on America.

That stone, shown above courtesy of Find-a-Grave, stands in the Copp’s Hill Burying Ground.

In addition, there’s a memorial plaque inside Old North Church, as shown here on Vast Public Indifference. That inscription must have been put up years after the captain’s death. It doesn’t use the long s like the gravestone, and it refers to “British Bullets” while in 1769 Bostonians still saw themselves as British.

Daniel Malcom’s widow Ann died the following April, aged only forty.

TOMORROW: Balls for Capt. Malcom.