Biography.guide
Home › People › Planter class › William Scarbrough
Portrait of William Scarbrough

William Scarbrough

1776 – 1838

American planter and inventor

Planter classInventor
Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About William Scarbrough

Lived 1776 – 1838 (aged 62). William Scarbrough was an American planter class and inventor.

William Scarbrough (February 18, 1776 – June 11, 1838) was an American sea merchant. He was one of the principal owners of the SS Savannah, which in 1819 became the first steamship in the world to cross the Atlantic Ocean.

Life and career Scarbrough was born in Barnwell County, South Carolina, in 1776, the son of William Sr., a wealthy planter,

He was educated at the University of Edinburgh, before moving to Savannah, Georgia, around 1798.

He became a bank director, an election manager, a member of the board of health, a vestryman at Savannah's Christ Church, was on the vice council of Denmark and Sweden, and was council general of Russia. He was 62. He was interred in a vault in Savannah's Colonial Park Cemetery along with his wife, who survived him by thirteen years.

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Birth century
Occupation
Planter class, inventor
Nationality

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped William Scarbrough's

Frequently asked questions

Who was William Scarbrough?

American planter and inventor (1776-1838)

When was William Scarbrough born?

William Scarbrough was born on 18 February 1776 in Barnwell County.

When did William Scarbrough die?

William Scarbrough died on 11 June 1838 in New York City.

What was William Scarbrough's occupation?

William Scarbrough was a planter class and inventor.

What nationality was William Scarbrough?

William Scarbrough was American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: William Scarbrough

· Wikidata: Q106729041

· DBpedia: William Scarbrough

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). William Scarbrough. https://biography.guide/william-scarbrough/

MLA: "William Scarbrough." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/william-scarbrough/.

Chicago: "William Scarbrough." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/william-scarbrough/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-22 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:27 UTC