Descendants of USS Constitution's First Captain Celebrate America 250 at Boston's Parade of Sail

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Triplets honor Captain Samuel Nicholson and their late father, Navy veteran Captain J. Phillip "Jack" London, as Old Ironsides leads Sail Boston 2026

BOSTON, MA / ACCESS Newswire / July 22, 2026 / Sixteen-year-old triplets Jackson, Jayson and Jonathon London, descendants of Captain Samuel Nicholson, the first commanding officer of USS Constitution, celebrated their family legacy on July 11 as "Old Ironsides" led more than 50 tall ships into Boston Harbor during the Parade of Sail, the centerpiece of Sail Boston 2026 and part of Sail250, the nationwide celebration of America's 250th anniversary.

The brothers' late father, Captain J. Phillip "Jack" London, discovered the family's lineage to Nicholson in 2010 through research by the New England Historic Genealogical Society, known today as American Ancestors.

Nicholson was commissioned a captain in the Continental Navy in December 1776 and contributed to the maritime success of the Revolutionary War. In 1794 he was assigned to superintend construction of a new U.S. frigate in Boston Harbor, a four-year effort that drew on Paul Revere's foundry for many of the ship's brass fittings. President George Washington, who ordered the ship's construction and named her Constitution, signed Nicholson's commission as her first captain. Nicholson took Constitution on her maiden voyage from Boston on July 22, 1798, and was among the senior ranking officers of the U.S. Navy at his death in 1811. He was an original member of the Society of the Cincinnati, formed in 1783 by officers who served honorably in the American Revolution.

"Our father had a deep respect for the U.S. Navy, our military and American history," said Jonathon London. "Participating in this celebration alongside the ship Captain Nicholson first took to sea was a way to honor them both."

Captain London followed in Nicholson's footsteps. A 1959 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, named a Distinguished Graduate in 2019, he served as a Navy aviator during the Cold War and participated in the Cuban Missile Crisis blockade in October 1962. He joined the Massachusetts chapter of the Society of the Cincinnati in 2010 and, before his death in 2021, served on the boards of the Navy Memorial, the U.S. Naval Institute, the Naval Historical Foundation and the Friends of the World War II Memorial, among others.

His wife, Dr. Jennifer London, carries the legacy forward. She serves on the boards of the Navy Memorial, the Navy League, the Institute for the Study of War and the White House Historical Association, and hosts "E Pluribus Unum," a weekly radio program and podcast on the Cumulus Network. Fittingly, in the year of America's 250th anniversary, she is spearheading legislation sponsored by Senator Roger Wicker to designate November as National American History and Founders Month.

The brothers came away from the parade with U.S. flags flown aboard Constitution that day, keepsakes they plan to hold onto until America's 300th anniversary in 2076. In 2023 the brothers hoisted a flag aboard Constitution in honor of their father during a July 4 voyage.

About the National American History and Founders Month Organization

NAHFMO's mission is to permanently designate November as National American History and Founders Month to ensure the enduring preservation and appreciation of America's founding history and Founders.

CONTACT: Kenny Cunningham, [email protected]

SOURCE: National American History and Founders Month Organization