James Magee (1750–1801) was one of the first Americans involved in the Old China Trade and the Maritime Fur Trade. He was born in County Down, Ireland, probably near Downpatrick. James and his brother Bernard immigrated to New England shortly before the American Revolutionary War Described as a "convivial, noble–hearted Irishman", he married Margaret Elliot, sister of Thomas Handasyd Perkins (T.H. Perkins), in October 1783. Magee lived in Roxbury, today part of Boston, ultimately in the Shirley–Eustis House, which he bought in 1798. His brother, Bernard Magee, was also a sea captain in the maritime fur trade. James Magee had three sons: James Magee Jr., Charles Eliott Magee and Augustus Magee. Augustus Magee led the 1812-13 Gutierrez-Magee Expedition, a filibuster in Spanish Texas that briefly liberated that province during the Mexican War of Independence.
American Revolution During the American Revolutionary War James Magee commanded several ships. First, in 1777, the privateer Independence, which was captured and brought into Boston Harbor by the British ship Countess. In 1778 he briefly commanded the brigantine Ann. Then he took command of the General Arnold, a brigantine of 20 guns that was issued a letter of marque in May 1778. The General Arnold wrecked in Plymouth Bay with the death of 83 of the crew. From 1779 to 1783 James Magee commanded at least three more wartime vessels, the Amsterdam, Hermione, and Gustavus. In 1781 the Amsterdam was captured off Cape Ann by the British frigate Amphytrite. The Gustavus was issued a letter of marque in December 1782.
China trader Magee was the captain of one of the first American ships to sail to Guangzhou (Canton), China, the Hope, in 1786–1787. The Hope, owned by Samuel Shaw, Isaac Sears, and other New York merchants, left New York City on 4 February 1786. Sailing via the Cape of Good Hope, the Hope arrived at Batavia (today Jakarta) in April, the first American ship to visit that port. Within months of his return to Boston, James Magee became captain of the Astrea, one of four ships owned by Elias Hasket Derby that sailed from New England to Canton via the Cape of Good Hope in the late 1780s. With Magee's brother-in-law Thomas Handasyd Perkins as supercargo, the Astrea sailed in 1789 with a cargo including 38 tons of ginseng, about $30,000 in specie, and quantities of beeswax, butter, rum, cod, candles, snuff, and iron. It returned to Salem on 1 June 1790 with a cargo of tea and silk. While at Canton Magee encountered Captain Robert Gray of the Columbia Rediviva and John Kendrick of the Lady Washington, who inspired Magee and T.H. Perkins to enter the maritime fur trade themselves. This resulted in the voyage of the Hope under Joseph Ingraham (not the same Hope that Magee had captained earlier), and the Margaret, under James Magee. After the voyage of Astrea Thomas Handasyd Perkins and his brother James Perkins organized a merchant company known as James and T.H. Perkins and Company or J. and T.H. Perkins, which became one of the largest American companies involved in the China and maritime fur trade business. T.H. Perkins also created a criminal opium syndicate known as The Boston Concern. James Magee was part owner of several ships involved in the maritime fur trade. Along with Thomas Handasyd Perkins and Russell Sturgis, he was part owner of the Hope, a 70-ton brigantine built at Kittery, Maine in 1789. The Hope sailed to the Pacific Northwest Coast and China from 1790 to 1792 under Joseph Ingraham. He was also part owner of the Eliza, along with J. and T.H. Perkins, Russell Sturgis, and others, which was built at Providence, Rhode Island in 1796 and voyaged to the Northwest Coast and China in 1799–1800, under captain James Rowan and with 15–year old William F. Sturgis aboard. Magee was also part owner, along with J. & T.H. Perkins, Russell Sturgis, and Eleazar Johnson, of the Hazard, which was built at Newburyport, Massachusetts in 1796. The Hazard made several voyages to the Northwest Coast and China under captain Benjamin Swift. The first was from 1797–1799, the second was from 1799–1802, the third from 1802–1805. The fourth, under captain William Smith, was from 1805–1808. After James Magee's death his widow Margaret Magee inherited his share and she was one of the owners of the Hazard from July 1802 to April 1809. Margaret Magee was the only Boston woman known to have owned a share in a maritime fur trade vessel.
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