USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > History of shipbuilding on North river, Plymouth county, Massachusetts, with genealogies of the shipbuilders, and accounts of the industries upon its tributaries, 1640 to 1872 > Part 13
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The first ship-yard in Hanover, not spoken of in the chapters preceding this, was the " CLARK YARD," next below the " Bridge Yards," and it was located on land owned by the late J. O. French, M. D. This yard was probably improved as early as 1736 by John Clark, who mar. Abigail Tolman, of Scituate, and lived in an ancient house, two stories high in front, and sloping on the back nearly to the ground, which stood on Wash- ington street, between the residence of the late Sam. Salmond and the Four Corners. He was a descendant of Thomas, who came into Scituate from Plymouth in 1674. His sons Nathan- żel and Belcher succeeded him at this yard. Nathaniel was born in 1741 and died in 1814. He lived on Washington street, nearly opposite where Barney Dagan now resides. He has de- scendants in Plymouth and Hanover, Mass., in Rochester, and in Maine. His son Nathaniel was a ship-carpenter, also his son Benjamin, who moved to Medford, where he was employed by Jonathan Sampson, and left a family there. Belcher was born 1742, and died Oct. 17, 1826. He lived on Washington street, on the spot where now stands the house of the late Sam. Sal- mond, still occupied by Mr. Salmond's widow. He mar. first,
124
THE CLARK YARD . AND BATES YARD.
Ann Wade, 1771; second, Sarah Perry, dau. of Nathaniel Josselyn, of Pembroke, 1783. They had nine children, some of whom have descendants living in Maine, Hanover, Pem- broke, Medford, and Bridgewater. His son Zebulon, a ship- wright, b. 1780, mar. Christiana, dau. of Isaac Josselyn, in 1812. They had eight children, among whom were William, b. Nov. 23, 1823, and Charles, b. July 27, 1819, mar. Sarah Cook. Charles lives in Pembroke, and has had one son, Chas. Carrol, who d. in the war, one dan., Fanny, who mar. Frank White, of Pembroke, and who has two children. Another dau., Eliza Hobart, is mar. and lives at So. Braintree. A third dau., Lomira, mar. Peleg Sturtevant, and lives in Centre Hanover.
It was probably at this yard that Solomon, and, later, Seth Bates built. Solomon Bates was the eldest son of Solomon, and a direct descendant of Clement Bates, of Hingham. He was b. June 29, 1741, and lived in the house built by his father, situated near Broadway, a few rods northeast of where Morrill Phillips' barn now stands, in South Hanover. It was afterward occupied by Miss Leah Damon and her dau., and later by Laban, father of Joshua Rose, of So. Hanover. The house was on the old road that led from Weymouth to the Indian Head, which was discontinued some seventy-five years ago. A descendant of Mr. Bates, in describing the house some thirty years ago, wrote : "It was substantially built, mostly of oak timber, and evidently by a ship-carpenter. The walls were constructed of plank, grooved together, and tree-nailed to the sills and plates. The posts were all kneed in the same manner that ships are kneed." There seems to be an account of but one vessel built by him, which was his last in Hanover. This was in 1787, Sch. " SPEEDWELL,"57 tons, of Scituate ; owned by James Briggs of Scituate, Jos. Otis of Boston, Mercy Otis of Scituate, widow, Elijah Cushing of Pembroke, yeoman, and by Solomon Bates of Hanover, shipwright. Built at Hanover. This same year he moved to Fayette, Me., where he d. in 1818, aged seventy-seven. He left a large family, having had thir- teen children, some of whom have descendants living in Han- over, Mass. ; in Leeds and in Green, Me .; St. Albans, Vt. ; and a son, Solomon, a ship-carpenter, who lived in Norridge- wock, Me. For twenty-one years he was Town Clerk of Fay- ette, in the Massachusetts Senate two, and in the House ten years. He left many descendants in Maine and New York.
Solomon Bates' cousin Seth probably succeeded him at this
125
KINGMAN'S YARD.
yard. It is certain that he built here late in the last century, and in 1797 the Sch. "LITTLE CHERUB," 65 tons, of Dux- bury, owned by Seth Bates, of Hanover, and others, was built at Hanover by Seth Bates, shipwright. Col. Seth Bates was b. 1735, and mar., in 1757, Anne Neal. He built the house on Centre street, near Myrtle, at So. Hanover, afterward the residence of Enos Bates, where the widow and son of Enos, Jr. now live. He d. in Boston, April 9, 1820, leaving a numerous posterity, whose descendants can easily be traced in Barry's " History of Hanover."
Passing the Perry, Smith, Eells, and Barstow yards, accounts of which are given in the preceding chapters, we come to the " KING- MAN YARD," so called, which is next to the last yard in Hanover in location, and was situated a little below Barstow's lower yard. David Kingman, who built at this yard, employed, for a time, David Stockbridge as agent to look after his ship-building in- terests, Mr. Kingman being busy at the Four Corners, where he built the tavern stand, afterward kept by Joseph Pocorny, later by Henry Costley, Frank Howard, William Rand, and W. B. Ames, respectively, but still owned by the widow of Frank Howard. It is now known as the "Hanover House." David Kingman was b. 1763, at East Bridgewater, and mar. Elizabeth, dau. of Col. or Capt. Smith, of Mendon. He was. son of Capt. David, b. 1733, who was son of David, b. 1708, who was son of John, b. 1664, who was son of John, who was son of Henry, of Weymouth, who was made free in 1636. David d. 1812, aged forty-nine years, leaving children : 1. So- phia, who mar. Simeon Ford, and d. 1839. 2. Mary, who mar. Lauren Ford, 1816; both reside in Herkimer, N. Y. 3. Eliza, mar. 1809, Elijah Hayward, who became a partner of Mr. Kingman ; she d. 1834. 4. Lucy, mar. Oran Gray Otis, of Herkimer, N. Y., and d. in 1837. 5. Susan. 6. George. 7. Frances.
David Kingman lived at East Bridgewater, in the house occupied later by Mr. Chamberlain, opposite the Common, on the left hand side going from Hanover, opposite the Soldiers' Monument. His ships and Smith's stood less than three rods apart when building at the ship-yard. His son George went with Elijah Barstow to a private school, kept by Walter Wal- cott and Parker, over Flavell's store, at the Four Corners. The entrance used to be by the present back stairway. He evi- dently came to Hanover about 1799, as he launched, in 1800,
126
SAMUEL ROGERS, ELIJAH HAYWARD, JOSHUA TURNER.
the ship " MIANTINOMO," 281 tons, of Norwich, named after a famous Narragansett Sachem ; David Kingman, builder. She was seized by the Spanish, and condemned at Valparaiso in 1801. This vessel he built on his own account. In 1801, he built the Sch. "UNION," 86 tons, for Mr. Jaxson of Plymouth. He built, in 1802, Brig't'n " CALLISTO," 190 tons, of Boston. In 1803, ship " NANKING," 290 tons, of Boston. In 1804, he built two ships, and in 1805 three, as follows: 1804. Ship "ROLLER," 293 tons, of Boston ; David Kingman, master carpenter. 1804. Ship " ANN," 296 tons, of Baltimore ; David Kingman, master carpenter. 1805. Ship "LAURA," 293 tons, of Boston ; David Kingman, master carpenter. 1805. Ship "ROMEO," of Boston, 312 tons, two decks, three masts ; length, 96 feet ; breadth, 27 feet; depth, 13 feet. David Kingman, master carpenter.
1805. Ship "SUSAN," 311 tons, of Plymouth ; David King- man, owner ; built at Hanover. Samuel Rogers was master carpenter of the "Susan," which is the only vessel he built in Hanover. Later, he is found building in Marshfield, and at the Foster's yard, in Norwell.
It will be seen that the following vessels, built by David Kingman, averaged larger than those built at any other yard in Hanover, nearly all of them being over three hundred tons. In 1806, he built the ship " CHARLESTON & LIVERPOOL PACKET," 325 tons, of Boston, David Kingman, master car- penter ; and in 1807, ship "ISABELLA," 308 tons, of Hing- ham, David Kingman, master earpenter. The next year he formed a partnership with his son-in-law, Elijah Hayward, and they built in company until the year of David Kingman's death. Mr. Kingman discontinued active connection with the business, and the new firm employed Joshua Turner as " boss," to super- intend the building of the vessels. An account of him can be found under accounts of the Pembroke Yards. They launched, in 1809, ship " MASSACHUSETTS," 286 tons, built in Han- over, by Joshua Turner ; owned in New York. In 1810, ship "AMERICA," 362 tons, built in Hanover, by Joshua Turner ; owned by David Kingman, Hanover, Lake Hall, Marshfield. Also, in 1810, they launched the ship "MT. VERNON," of 352 tons, which they sold to New York. The next year, 1811, they built their last vessel, which was probably the last vessel built at this yard ; and this gave them the honor of building the largest vessel ever built in Hanover. This was the ship
BARSTOW'S LOWER YARD. Cushing's, Wing's, and Stockbridge's Yards, below the wall, on the left.
127
THE LARGEST VESSEL EVER BUILT IN HANOVER.
" MOHAWK," 407 tons, built in Hanover, by Joshua Turner ; owner in New York. That empty casks, and perhaps gunda- lows, were used to get the " Mohawk " out of the river there is little doubt ; and it is truly wonderful that so large a vessel could be launched at this point in the river, and safely reach the ocean.
The next yard below, which was the last in location in Han- over, was known in later years as the " WING YARD." Its first occupant of record was Dea. Isaac Perry, who came down from his old yards above and built one ship, of some 300 tons. This was undoubtedly the yard used by Wm. Coushing & Co., who built, in 1801, for David Kingman, a brig, probably the " FREDERICK," 153 tons, afterward sold to William Gray, of Boston. Mr. Coushing (or Cushing) also built, in 1803, the brig "SHORT STAPLE," 172 tons, of Boston. There ap- pears, by a certificate from the Deputy Collector of the District of Barnstable, dated Aug. 30th, 1806, and filed at the Custom House in Boston, that this vessel having been stranded, the papers were surrendered at Wellfleet. She was condemned as unseaworthy, and broken up at Teneriffe. She was built at Hanover, by
film Cushing. master carpenter. Who William Cushing was I have been unable to ascertain. Ile lived in Pembroke, and may have been a descendant of "Col. Cushing, whose death is recorded in the Boston News Let- ter and New England Chronicle, of June 28, 1762 :
" Saturday last, as Col. Cushing, of Hanover, having been transacting some business in the town, was preparing to return home, while he was putting on one of his boots, instantly dropped down dead, without eom- plaining of any disorder, or speaking a word."
In 1806, Sch. "RISING SUN," of 80 tons, was built in Han- over, by Calvin Turner and Ichabod Thomas, who were pre- viously the "& Co." of Wm. Coushing & Co. She was owned by Freeman and Ebenezer Burgess, of Harwich. David Tur- ner was son of Calvin Turner, and grandson of Capt. Benjamin. He lived on the Briggs Farm, on the Neck, in Pembroke, and moved to Duxbury, where he died, leaving a family. (See Pembroke Yards for Thomas and Turner. )
In 1814, Benjamin and Martin Stockbridge built a " pinka" on the Wing Yard, and the next year they built a vessel next
128
STOCKBRIDGE'S YARD.
to the largest ever built in Hanover, which ruined them and their father, and was the cause of their losing all of their prop- erty. This was in 1815, the ship "SOLON," 402 tons, of Hanover ; owned by Benjamin and Martin Stockbridge, of Han- over ; Benjamin Stockbridge, master carpenter. This was the last vessel built by them. After keeping it until the interest money had eaten up most of their principal, they got Alden Briggs to sell it at a great sacrifice. Benjamin and Martin were sons of Squire David Stockbridge, who lived on the farm now occupied by E. Q. Sylvester. Squire David owned all the land which was built on by the Barstows, Smiths (Josiah and Al- bert), Kingmans, and Benjamin and Martin Stockbridge, and others. Squire David d. in Hanover, May 15, 1858, aged sev- enty-four. He had children : Benjamin, who mar. and had a dau. Mary, who mar. Robert Eells. Martin, who mar. late in life. David, whose grandson, Benj. F. White, son of Caroline, has recently been appointed Governor of Montana. Joseph. Jane, who mar. Capt. Miller Smith, who went in Stockbridge's ship, which was the elephant on the hands of the Stockbridge family. Deborah, who mar. Thomas Turner, father of Thomas Turner, of Hanover. Ruth, who mar. James Turner, father of the present James, of Hanover, and lived on the farm now occu- pied by Welsh, near the Third Cliff. The following account of the death of John, brother of Squire David Stockbridge, ap- peared in The Boston Chronicle for 1768, Feb. 8-15 :
" On Wednesday last, Mr. John Stockbridge, of Pembroke, son of Col. Stockbridge, of Hanover, was unfortunately killed by the falling of a tree. This young gentleman's death is much lamented."
Also, in The Boston Chronicle for 1768, Feb. 15-22 :
" Mr. John Stockbridge, the young gentleman who was unfortunately killed by the falling of a tree, as mentioned in our last, was second son of David Stockbridge, Esq., and grandson of the Honourable John Cushing, Esq., and of the worthy and aged Deacon Stockbridge; was only twenty- six years old."
Their genealogy may be found in Barry's " History of Han- over." *
* On his grave-stone in the Cemetery at Centre Hanover is a representation of his accident (he being beneath the tree, with axe in hand), and the following inscription : " Sic Transit Gloria Mundi , Memento Mori. Erected in memory of Mr. John Stock- bridge of fair & unblemished character. In deportment modest, benevolent, uniform & virtuous. Son of Coll. David Stockbridge descended from ye mother's side from ye eld- est daughter of the Hon. John Cushing, Esq : whose mortality has rendered the male issue of that branch of that respected family extinct. He Lived beloved and died uni- versally lamented. His death was sudden, premature, awful & violent, providentially occasioned by the fall of a tree. He was born December Anno Domini 1741 and de- parted this transitory life February 10, A. Domini 1758 aged 26 years 1 month 23 days. No sum can purchase such a grant that man shall never die.
Naked as from the earth we came and crept into life at first We to the earth return again and mingle with the dust."
129
WING'S YARD.
The next year, 1816, the Wings built a vessel at this yard which came near ruining them, and which was finally sold for them by Alden Briggs at a great loss. Isaiah built the vessel, and interested with him were Bachelor and Elijah, his brothers, who furnished timber from their extensive lands. Benjamin Wing, another brother, was also interested in this vessel. Their yard was located about where the wall now runs to the river, below Barstow's last yard in Hanover. Paul Perry was their master workman. This vessel was finished in 1816, after lying at Union Bridge until the Embargo was removed, and was finally sold to Capt. Levi Starbuck, of Nantucket. Isaiah Wing was a native of Hanover. He attended the Academy, after which he studied law with Mr. Winslow, and practised for a time at the Four Corners. He finally removed with his fam- ily to Cincinnati, O., where he died. The Wings, including Sylvanus and Ebenezer, lived in the western part of the town, corner of Winter and Circuit streets, on the site of the house afterward erected and occupied by Thomas M. Bates, a relative. Isaiah Wing, 2nd, was Lieutenant Second Regiment, First Brig- ade, Fifth Division, Hanover Militia, 1815. The male branch of the family is probably extinet, and of the female descend- ants, Lydia, dau. of Bachelor, mar. Capt. Thomas M. Bates, 1807. William, possibly a brother of the elder Wings, mar. Huldah C., dau. of Robert L. Eells, Nov. 26, 1789. She d. in New York.
The following is a list of vessels built in Hanover, but at what particular yard each was built is not known : 1784. Sch. "POLLY," 52 tons, of Plymouth. 1784. Sch. "LARK," 40 tons, of Plymouth. 1784. Sch. "SALLY ROBBIN," 58 tons, Thomas Jackson, Jr. , Plymouth, owner. 1784. Sch. "SALLY," 58 tons, of Newburyport. 1784. Ship " BRITANNIA," 163 tons, of Boston. 1784. Sch. " AMERICA," 49 tons. 1785. Sch. "HAWK," of Plymouth. 1787. Sch. "LYDIA," 54 tons, of Plymouth. 1787. Sch. "AMERICA," 50 tons, of Boston. 1788. Sch. "BETSEY," 43 tons, of Plymouth. 1789. Ship " ROBERT." 1791. Sch. "DIANA," 52 tons, of Cohasset. 1792. Ship " FRANKLIN," 179 tons, of Boston, afterward sold to Marblehead. 1792. Sch. "PAULINA," 74 tons, of Boston. 1793. Brig "JANE," 145 tons, of Boston. 1793. Sch. "JANE," 120 tons, of Boston. 1795. Brig " NEP-
TUNE," 138 tons, of New London, Con. 1795. Sch.
" LYDIA," 54 tons, of Plymouth. 1796. Sloop " PACK- ETT," 22 tons, owned by Jed. Ewell, Marshfield, and Reuben
130
VESSELS BUILT IN HANOVER, MASS.
Curtis, Hanover. 1796. Brig " ALERT," 164 tons, of Bos- ton. 1798. Sch. REBECCA," 77 tons, of Duxbury. 1798. Sch. "NEW STATE," 51 tons, of Plymouth. 1799. Brig't'n " MARY," 169 tons, of New York ; afterward sold to Boston. She was formerly rigged a ship. 1799. Sch. "LUCY," 93 tons, of Plymouth. 1801. Sch. "FREDERICK," 107 tons, of Boston. 1802. Sloop "PACKET," 22 tons, of Boston, "the said vessel having been forcibly entered, and the original pa- pers stolen," as appears by the oath of James Fenno, master and owner, filed in the Custom House at Boston. 1803. Ship " MENTOR," of New Bedford. 1804. Sloop " PACKET," 52 tons, of Plymouth. 1804. Ship "HURON," of New Bedford. 1804. Ship " ALONZO," of New Bedford. 1806. Ship "CEN- TURY," 280 tons, of New York. 1806. Ship "LEONIDAS," of New Bedford. 1807. Ship "FANNY," of New Bedford. 1810. Ship "ELIZA BARKER," of New Bedford. 1810. Ship "LUCIES," of New Bedford. 1817. Bark " FRANK- LIN," of Rochester; lost at Macio, on the coast of Brazil, in 1834. In 1881, there was at Greenport, L. I., the whaleship " PENN," which, after sixty-three years of service, was to be broken up at New Bedford. She was built in 1818, in Hano- ver. 1823. Ship " COREL," 335 tons, of New York. 1838. Hermaphrodite Brig " PAULINE TAYLOR," 150 tons, oak, copper and iron fastened, one deck; owned in 1859 by H. Lin- coln, Boston, Capt. Taylor. 1844. Brig " PARANA," 209 tons, oak ; owned in 1863 by H. S. French & Co., Sag Harbor, Capt. Green.
FOX (OR SUNSET) HILL SHIP-YARD. North River.
CHAPTER IX.
FOX HILL YARD.
1690-1869.
NATHANIEL CHURCH, JOIIN PALMER, MICHAEL FORD, WILLIAM COPELAND, ELIAS W. PRATT, ELISHA TOLMAN, MR. MERRITT, CAPT. THOMAS WATERMAN, JOSEPH S. BATES, CAPT. ELISHA BARSTOW, THOMAS B. WATERMAN.
CARCE a mile below North River Bridge at the foot of S the easterly slope of Fox Hill and at the foot of Sunset Hill was located a shipyard, whose earliest occupants were probably Nathaniel Church and John Palmer, about 1690. Nathaniel Church settled in Scituate (now Norwell), in 1666. His farm was on North River, south of Cornet Stetson's, and included the "Bald Hills." His house stood by the river nearly opposite Job's Landing. He was a younger brother of Col. Benj. Church, the noted hero of the Indian wars. Nath'l had sons : Nathaniel, Joseph and Caleb, who have descendants living in Hanover and Marshfield. Nathaniel, the shipbuilder, d. in 1700.
John Palmer's son, John Jr., lived near the junction of the roads southeast of Church hill, not far from the 3rd Herring Brook. The father was in So. Scituate previous to 1660, and during that year built " John Palmer's Log Bridge," so called, over the 3rd Herring Brook, near where the present bridge that connects Hanover and Norwell is located. The descend- ants of Church and Palmer probably continued the business of shipbuilding here. The next names that appear to have been used in connection with shipbuilding at this yard were those of Michael Ford and his brother-in-law William Copeland.
.
132
MICHAEL FORD.
Michael Fond was gr. son of Wm. of Marshfield, who lived on the east side of North River, near "Gravelly Beach," where Michael was born. Michael, Sr. mar. Roda Copeland in 1778, and settled on a farm purchased of Ebenezer Stetson, one half mile above Cornet's Rocks on North River. His son Michael succeeded him. William Copeland and Michael Ford, Jr. worked on Smith's Yard in Hanover in 1799. Michael Ford was Sergeant in the militia company commanded by Lient. Tolman. He did the joiner work on the vessels on the way down river, and while working on the " Samos," (?) stuck a chisel into his knee, which lamed him for life. Michael Ford had sons : Michael, now living in East Boston and spoken of farther on, William C., now dead, and David Barnes, who married Lavinia Sherman, and they have children : Angela B., Chauncy D., Edith F. and Howard I. David Barnes Ford now resides in Hanover Four Corners. Michael Ford, 2d, died in 1877, at an advanced age. His son Michael, who now lives in East Boston, works in the ship yards there at the age of 75, and can hew a spar more " true " than most carpenters at 30. He was b. in 1814, mar. Mary A. Russell of Ipswich, and had children : Mary G. and John W. At sixteen years of age, Michael 3d, went into the shipyard of his father-Copeland, Ford & Pratt. The " Mary Ballard " was the first vessel that Michael, 3d, worked on. He remembers going down river in her and anchor- ing off the Gurnet, being one of the crew under Capt. Cushing, and he also remembers nearly freezing to death, besides being very sick, while waiting for a wind to get to Boston. He went to Medford in 1836, and worked for Jotham Stetson, Waterman & Ewell and Paul Curtis. In 1842 he went to East Boston, where he made windlasses for Samuel Hall, Donald Mackay & O., and for E. & H. O. Briggs, South Boston. Before leaving North River he worked on Barstow's, C. O. & Henry Briggs', Foster's and other yards, and built together with Abner and Joshua Stetson and Martin Curtis in 1838 the "Outesie," in Hanover, some 200 feet above Barstow's Yard. An incident is related as having occurred on the old Copeland & Ford Yard. One day some one on the yard, who believed in eating consid- erable beef, was planing a cathead, pushing the plane with great strength, when another man, who was Grahamite, and did not believe in meat, being surprised at seeing a person who lived on beef displaying so much strength, when he himself was quite weak, exclaimed, "Why, Mr. Ford, what makes von so
William Copeland
133
COPELAND & FORD - BARKER TURNER.
strong ?" "Beef, beef," was the reply. We hope the other man was converted.
William Copeland was a grandson of Joseph, who came into Scituate from Bridgewater in 1730. The children of Joseph were remarkable for their longevity. In 1830 ten of his children were living, the youngest 72, the oldest 93, the sum of their ages being 825 years, and all, save two, had families, but there are no male descendants now living. The female members married into the families of Eells, Barker, Tolman, Ford and Stetson. Charles Tolman was grand- nephew of a Copeland. William's father, William, and his uncle, Ebenezer, were shipbuilders. William Copeland, Jr., was born in the house now owned and occupied by William C. Tolman, grandnephew of William, Sr., next the old Dea. Eben Stetson place. William, the shipbuilder, left no children. Michael Ford and his ancestors were shipbuilders and earpen- ters at the old Chittenden yard and at the yards in Marshfield, Hanover and Pembroke, previous to Michael's occupying the Fox Hill yard. William Copeland was joiner on other yards before building as partner with Mr. Ford at this yard. It is therefore a question whether the Copelands or Fords occupied this yard previous to 1815.
Before 1815 Barker Turner, who afterwards built at the " Brick-kilns " and " Bridge " occupied this yard. Here in 1813 the sch. "ORIENT," 42 tons, was built by Barker Turner for Ensign Otis, Jr., Thomas Rider and Shadrach Standish, Scit- uate, and in 1814 the sch. "BEAVER," 29 tons, was built by Barker Turner for Lemuel Vinal and Isaiah Alden, Jr., Scit- uate. In 1815 Mr. Copeland built a large ship at this yard. B. & M. Stockbridge's gundalo was used under this ship during three tides in 1815. This was the ship "HEROINE," 337 tons, owned at Boston, by William Shimmin & O., Wil- liam Copeland, master carpenter. In 1829 the "Heroine" was added to the Fairhaven whaling fleet, and made voyages in the South Atlantic until 1839, when she went into the Pacific and Indian Oceans. In 1852 during a severe gale the second mate, C. Fuller, and five men were washed overboard and the " Heroine" was badly injured, and in September of the same year she was considerably damaged by fire. She was con- demned at Honolulu, December, 1852, in her 38th year.
134
TURNER & COPELAND.
Barker Turned Halliam Copeland
built together in 1816 two vessels, viz : sch. " MORNING STAR," 65 tons, of Orleans, afterward of New Bedford.
The oak for this sch. cost $7 per ton. She was begun in Oct., 1815, and launched May, 1816. They also built the sch. "MILO," 53 tons, of Boston, built at Scituate. William Copeland built alone the same year, 1816, the sch. "FRIENDSHIP," 53 tons, of Hull, owned by Paul Billings, James H. & Martin D. Merritt and Reuben Damon of Scituate. Owned in 1850 by Jacob Walden & O. at Boston, William Copeland, Jr., M. C. Built prob- ably on the same model as the " Milo." These two latter schooners were pink sterns, or " pinkies," or "pinkas," as they used to call them, and built for fishing smacks. They were launched on the same ways ; one was on the stocks ahead of the other and both were launched at dusk in the early evening of the same day. Mr. Turner signalized the event by lighting a number of tar barrels, the illumination being visible for miles around. An incident is related of a certain Mr. Nye of Pem- broke, who, while Mr. Turner was building at this yard, would come across the river at night and "hook " rum from a jug that Mr. Turner used to keep in his chest. Finally two men were set to watch and after Mr. Nye had taken a good drink and filled up his flask they seized him. Sometime afterward Mr. Nye suddenly died from the effects of an overdose of liquor, taken through a straw from a barrel.
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