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 18
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177
WILLIAM LEWIS, SHIP-BUILDER.
Joseph and Sarah Lewis' children were : 1. Sarah, b. Dec. 15, 1703 ; 2. Joseph, b. Oct. 1, 1705, died young ; 3. Thomas, b. Sept. 20, 1707 ; 4. Paul, b. March 25, 1710; 5. James, h. Sept. 9, 1712; 6. Jonathan, b. Dec. 3, 1714; 7. Mary, h. Sept. 6, 1717; Sarah Lewis, the mother of these seven chil- dren, " was taken out of this world," Jan. 5, 1718. Joseph's children by a second marriage were : 1. Elizabeth, b. July 1, 1719 ; 2. George, b. July 23, 1721 ; 3. Hannah, b. July 24, 1723, d. Aug. 17, 1723 ; 4. Samuel, b. June 21, 1724, d. Oct. 28, 1725 ; 5. Jehiel, b. April 19, 1727, d. July ; 6. Ebenezer, b. July 28, 1728 ; 7. Leah, h. Oct., 1730; 8. Hannah, b. Dec. 1734; 9. another name illegible, May 11, 1736, probably Joseph. There is one report that Wm. Lewis went to Plymouth, and built one vessel, and finally moved to Matta- poisett. Whether the following item from an old account book belongs to the same family, we do not know :
"June 3rd, IS16.
Capt. Saml. Tolman to Rogers Lewis Dr., to 10 tides labor on board of your ship at 4-6-$7.50. Rec'd payment,
Rogers Lewis."
Certain it is that Wm. Lewis did build in Pembroke, (prob- ably at the Brick-kilns, ) the following vessels, the first of which is described in a copy of his certificate, as follows :
North River. Pembroke, Jan'y 30, 1796.
This certifies that the Ship called the " HELEN" of Boston was built by me upon the North River in Pembroke and launch'd in December last part for James S. Lovell, Merchant of Boston. That she is square sterned has two Decks & three masts that Her Length is seventy-five feet her Breadth twenty-six & half feet her Depth seventeen & half feet measuring Two hundred & seventy-seven Tons and having a figure head.
William Lewi's
The second and only other vessel found, built by him, was in 1803, sch. "MAY FLOWER," of Plymouth, afterwards of Boston.
178
BRIGGS GENEALOGY.
Elisha, Alden, and Luther Briggs built here about this time. Enos, Daniel, Thomas, and Seth Briggs, the prominent builders of Salem and Milton, served their apprenticeship here with their fathers and brothers, and often had to call on them to assist in special work on some of the noted vessels which they built after they left the little Brick-kiln yard. To better under- stand who this family was the following genealogy is given.
Seth Briggs, shipwright, was b. Aug. 28., 1721, at Scituate, and d. at Pembroke, July 23, 1801. He was the fifth child of James Briggs, who was b. March 2, 1683-4, and who mar. 1st, Elizabeth Garrett, May 7, 1713, and 2nd, Hannah Stowell, Oct. 4, 1716 .. James Briggs was the third son of Ensign Cornelius Briggs, who was the third son of Walter Briggs, who appears in Scituate in 1643. The date of the birth of Cornelius has not been found, but it is stated that at the time of his death, Oct. 20th, 1694, he was 67 years of age. He mar., 1. Mary Doughty, dau. of James Doughty and widow of Samuel Russell, March 20, 1677, by whom only, he had children. He mar. 2nd, Mehitable Annable of Barnstable, May 6, 1683 .* Seth Briggs, mar. in 1745 Abigail Church, who was b. in Scituate, Feb. 11, 1726, and d. Nov. 3, 1795. They had children as follows : 1. Enos, b. July 29, 1746, d. at Salem, Oct. 10, 1819 ; t 2. Seth, b. Nov. 8, 1748 ; 3. Elisha, b. Dec. 21, 1750, d. Sept. 10, 1836 ; 4. Daniel, b. April 14, 1754 ; 5. Nabby, b. July 1, 1756; 6. Thomas, b. Aug. 22, 1758, and d. in 1809 : 7. Mary, b. May 25, 1760, and d. Sept. 3, 1834 ; 8. Alden, b. March 17, 1763 ; 9. Judith, b. May 7, 1765; 10. Rhoda, bap. Feb., 1772.
Enos, the first child of Seth, mar. Sarah, dan. of Edward and Rachel (Cushing) Thomas, who was b. in Pembroke, Feb. 6, 1755, and d. in Salem, Dec. 9, 1833. Their children were : Sally, b. Oct. 25, 1778 ; died April 9, 1856. Enos, b. March 25, 1781 ; d. Oct. 9, 1837. Samuel. b. Dec. 10. 1783 ; d. Nov. 10, 1859. Judith, b. Aug. 26, 1786 ; d. Sept. 3, 1836. Polly, b. March 1, 1789 ; d. March 24, 1834. Betsey, b. March 19,
* See Chapter on Briggs' Ship Yard.
t The Salem Gazette of Oct. 12, 1819, thus notices his decease : "In this town Mr. Enos Briggs, aged 73, one of our most valuable and worthy citizens. He came to this town from Pembroke in the year 1791, and has been eminent as a master shipbuilder, from whose yard a great number of our best ships have been launched. He was also the master builder of the frigate ' Essex,' the work of which did him great credit in the eyes of the nation. In his death his family suffer a severe loss." (Hist. Coll. of Essex Inst. Vol 6., pp. 171-174.)
179
-
BRIGGS GENEALOGY.
1792 ; d. Jan. 7, 1814. Rachel, b. Feb. 28, 1796; d. Sept. -, 1836. Sally, first child of Enos, mar. 1st, David Smith ; 2nd, John Bott. Enos, son of Enos, mar. Lucy A. Morse, and had children : Lucy, mar. Sargent ; Susan, mar.
Merriam ; Enos, Charles, Edward, Nathaniel, and one other, name unknown. Samuel, third child of Enos, mar. 1st, Susan Whittemore, Oct. 16, 1808 ; she d. Oct., 1810, aged 26 years. By her he had one child, Edward Thomas, b. Aug. 25, 1809 ; d. Nov. 25, 1815. He mar. 2nd, Mary S. Bowles, July 5, 1818 ; she d. Nov. 16, 1853. By her he had children : Susan,
b. May 20, 1820 ; d. March 20, 1822. Edward T., b. July 31, 1824; d. May 20, 1882 ; mar., but left no children. Susan, b. April 22, 1830; mar. 1st, Wm. H. Clarke; 2nd, George P. Farrington ; she is now a widow. Mary Eunice, b. Jan. 22, 1832 ; d. July 21, 1832. Judith, fourth child of Enos, mar. George Deane. Polly (or Mary), fifth child of Enos, mar. Nathan Cook. Betsey, sixth child of Enos, d. unmarried. Rachel, seventh child of Enos, mar. John Burleigh (or Burley ) .
Seth, second child of Seth, mar. Deborah Barker, and had children : Seth, (who mar. -, and had children. Sarah, who mar. Shook. Catharine, who mar. Woods ; and George C., who mar. Anne Loring, and had children, viz. : Annie Loring, who mar. George C. Briggs; and Catharine, who mar. Henry P. Briggs). Deborah, who mar. Theoph. Cushing.
Elisha, third child of Seth, mar., Nov. 20, 1777, Laurentia, dau. of Dr. Jeremiah and Elizabeth Bailey Hall, who was b. May 15, 1755, and d. June, 1837, they had children : Rhoda, b. March 4, 1779, mar. Calvin Turner. Elisha, b. 1781; d. about 1850; mar. twice. One wife's name was Sally Webb, and the other Margaret Doyle ; no children. Luther, h. Oct. 20, 1783, at Pembroke; d. April 2, 1864. Lucinda, b. Dec. 15, 1789 ; mar. Alden Loring. Laurentia, b. Sept. 20, 1792 ; mar. Horace Collamore. Robert, b. July 30, 1795, and d. in 1859. Lucretia, b. Dec. 13, 1798, mar. Dion Bryant. Luther, son of Elisha, mar. 1st, March 27, 1812. Susan Stet- son, who was b. Nov. 29, 1784, and d. Oct. 19, 1832; 2ndly, Mercy, widow of Aaron Magoun. His children were : Susan Stetson, b. July 26, 1813 ; mar. Nathaniel Smith. Sil- vina, b. July 6, 1816 ; mar. B. F. Chandler. Luther, who d. in infancy. Luther (another of that name), b. July 24, 1822 ;
180
ELISHA BRIGGS, SIIIP-BUILDER.
mar. Adeline Collamore ; no children. Alexander Parris, who d. in infancy. Augusta, b. Aug. 7, 1827 ; mar. Royal Cheny. Robert, the son of Elisha, mar. Caroline Morton, March 11, 1821. She is a descendant of George Morton of Plymouth, was b. May 30, 1796, and is still living. They had children, viz. : Robert, b. May 18, 1822; mar., 1st, Julia Kidder ; 2ndly, Louise Wagner ; no children. He resided in Philadel- phia, and is now deceased. Silas Morton, d. young. George Henry, who mar. Elsie Hollenbeck ; has two daughters and one son, and resides at Mountain View, Cal. Charles Edward, who mar., in 1869, Rebekah Whittaker, and has one daughter and three sons, and resides in St. Louis, Mo. Caroline, unmarried. Elizabeth, mar. Erastus Worthington of Dedham. Emma, mar. Henry Allen of West Roxbury.
Daniel, fourth child of Seth, mar. and lived in Milton. Nabby, fifth child of Seth, mar. William Briggs, Nov. 29, 1787. Thomas, sixth child of Seth, mar. Sukey Blake ; lived in Milton, and has no descendants. Mary, seventh child of Seth, mar., Oct. 8, 1788, Thomas Sproat of Middleborough. Alden, eighth child of Seth, mar. Mercy Hatch, and had chil- dren, viz. : Sophia, who d. unmarried. Alden, mar. Eliza- beth Robinson. Harriet, b. Oct. 3, 1801; mar. . J. H. Whit- man. Thomas, mar. Eliza Sturtevant, and had children, viz. : Alice, mar. Charles Cushing. Alden, mar. Elva Sampson. Judith, ninth child of Seth, mar. 1st, - Drew ; 2ndly, Bill Vose. Rhoda, tenth child of Seth, did not marry.
formerly resided where Na- thaniel Smith now resides, in Pembroke. About half way from Schooset Creek to the residence of Nathaniel Smith, is the foundation of what is supposed to have been an Indian wigwam; and the traditions of Pembroke say that it was a kind of factory for the making of arrow and spear heads. At the depth of two feet it is paved with stone covered with charcoal dust mixed with the soil, sug- gesting the idea that it had been used for a fire-place for a long period. The great number of arrow heads found in the imme- diate vicinity, also show that it must have been a fixed habita- tion for the red man in the days long gone by. It is situated on the western slope of the range of hills that forms the bound- ary of the Schooset valley, on the farm of Mr. Smith. Elisha
THE BRICK-KILN SHIP-YARD AND PEMBROKE TOWN LANDING, NORTH RIVER.
6811
181
VESSELS BUILT BY ELISIIA BRIGGS.
always had a large number of apprentices, and usually took two or three into his hospitable home. In 1800, he built the sch. " WASHINGTON," 100 tons ; sold to Alden Briggs. He built two vessels at the Brick Kiln, in Pembroke, in 1801. Brig'tn " CUMBERLAND," 183 tons, of Providence. 1801. Ship "ANNAWAN," 299 tons, of Boston; two deeks and three masts ; owned by Alden Briggs and others, Pembroke. Elisha Briggs built the next year, 1802, sch. "ELIZA," 41 tons ; owned by David Church, George Turner, Benjamin Whitman, Mercy Randall Alden, and Chas. Briggs. In 1803, he built the ship " MOSES MYERS," two decks and three masts, 306 tons, of Boston. In 1804, the sch. "LIVELY," 122 tons ; Elisha and Alden Briggs, owners. Also in 1804, sch. "FIVE BRO- THERS," 93 tons, of Duxbury. Elisha Briggs also built the following vessels at the Brick Kiln : 1805. Ship "CANOWA," 263 tons, of Boston ; owned by Thos. Briggs of Roxbury, and Alden Briggs of Pembroke, and others. 1806. Brig " NANCY," 177 tons ; built for Alden Briggs; afterward sold at Roches- ter. 1807. Ship "SUWARROW," 303 tons, of Plymouth ; owned by Alden Briggs, Pembroke, and others. 1810. Ship " MISER," 304 tons, of Boston. 1811. Ship " ACASTUS," 3-43 tons, with two decks, three masts; length, 100 feet ; breadth, 28 feet ; depth, 14 feet ; of Boston ; owned by Alden Briggs of Pembroke, Paul Nash of Petersburg, Va., and others. Also in 1811, sloop "SOPHIA," 35 tons. He and David Church, Daniel Phillips, Joseph Rogers of Marshfield, and Alden Briggs, owners. Alden Briggs was in partnership with Elisha in building some of the above vessels. Elisha after- wards built in Newburyport .* On a head-stone in the Pem- broke Cemetery is the following :
" Elisha Briggs, son of Seth, died IS36, age 86."
We will now leave the Briggs family for the present, and speak of the other ship-carpenters who built at this yard at the very beginning of the present century.
Jonathon Tarragona nately !!! Hanover and
built alter-
Pembroke, between the years 1800 and 1820. Of the vessels
* See John Currier's " History of Ship-building on the Merrimac," at State House.
t For further account of Jonathan Samson see the Bridge Yard at Hanover.
182
JONATHAN SAMSON - SAMUEL ROGERS.
he built in Pembroke. accounts of the following have been found : 1801. Ship "PEMBROKE," 193 tons, of Boston ; owned by Nathl. Cushing of Pembroke, Robert Salmond of Hanover, and others ; built at Pembroke ; Jonathan Sampson, builder. Capt. E. A. Faucon, of Milton, remembers seeing the "Pembroke" lying at Lloyd's or Wales' Wharf, on Sea, now Federal street, Boston, many years ago. 1803. Sch. " WASHINGTON," 70 tons, of Boston, was built at Pembroke by Jonathan Sampson, master carpenter. 1810. Ship " MAR- THA," 273 tons, of Boston ; owned by Nathl. Cushing, of Pembroke, and others ; built at Pembroke by Jonathan Samp- son, master carpenter ; afterward sold to Nantucket, and used as a whaler. During her first voyage in the Pacific, whaling, under Capt. Reuben Weeks, 1815-17, she was detained twenty days at Valparaiso, and part of her crew placed on a patriot armed vessel for a short cruise. In 1821, the " Martha," then under Capt. J. H. Pease, rescued the crew of the ship "Two Brothers," Capt. Pollard, of Nantucket, which was lost in the Pacific on a coral reef in Lat. 24º N., Long. 168° W. About 1841, Capt. Baxter left the " Martha " at Zanzibar, and R. C. Gibbs took command. In 1849, she was owned by Peter Fol- ger, of Nantucket, and still used whaling in the Pacific. She was broken up by the Chinese in San Francisco, Cal., in 1851. Jonathan Samson built in Hanover, in 1803, the sch. "WIL- LIAM," 71 tons.
In 1801, Samuel Rogers, of Marshfield,* was master carpen- ter of a vessel built here, as follows : 1801. Ship " JEFFER- SON," 267 tons, of Boston. This vessel was afterwards a New Bedford whaler.
In 1804 Aaron S. Magoun, Jr., built a large ship at this yard. An old ship's carpenter whose memory at nearly ninety years of age seems very clear, gives the following information about the Magouns. He says that Aaron S. Magoun lived in a house now occupied by John Stetson, at the end of a lane opposite the Quaker Meeting House, Pembroke. He had, among other children, three sons, Aaron, Robert, and Daniel, one of whom was Lorenzo Sherman's wife's father. One of the. daughters married Jonathan Stetson. Aaron S. Magoun, Jr., lived in a house down the lane, opposite Nath'l Smith's, Pem- broke, and with Robert built a vessel just after the war of 1812,
* See Rogers' Yards, Marshfield, and Wanton's, Scituate.
183
MAGOUN & IIATCHI.
on the Pembroke side, opposite Seabury's Point, which ruined Robert financially, he being the principal owner. Robert Magoun married a Bates. Aaron S. Magoun, Jr., left sons : Robert, Daniel and others. In 1804, the ship " XENOPHON," 299 tons, was built in Pembroke, by Aaron S. Magoun, Jr., and owned in Plymouth. Joshua Magoun of Duxbury was a ship-builder and probably built in Duxbury. He had two sons, Enoch and Joshua, who built in Pembroke at the Brick-Kilns, Enoch in company with Turner & Palmer, and Joshua in com- pany with Isaac Hatch, and alone. There was built here in 1804, the sch. "NEUTRALITY," 123 tons, of Duxbury. Capt. Phineas Sprague, of Duxbury. Joshua Magoun and Isaac Hatch were the master carpenters. In 1808 was built the ship " MIN- ERVA," 223 tons, at Pembroke, owned by Ezra Weston, Jr., Duxbury, Calvin Sampson, Joshua Magoun and others, Pem- broke. These are the only vessels it has been possible to locate as having been built by Joshua Magoun in Pembroke, though he later went to Charlestown and there built with Francis Turner, son of Charles, formerly of Scituate, under the firm name of Magoun & Turner. He died leaving a family in Charlestown. Two of his children were named Winchell and Phillip. When in Pembroke he lived at "Brimstone Corner ;" his father's name was Joshua.
We will now take up the Briggs family again. Alden Briggs, as before stated, built in partnership with his brother Elisha many of the vessels before mentioned. After Elisha removed to Newburyport, Alden continued building at the Brick-Kilns for himself and in company with others. He lived a little way up Brick-Kiln Lane, not far from the ship yard in the house recently owned and occupied by Mr. Foster, but now occupied by H. N. Magoun, a descendant of the Thatchers Magoun. Alden Briggs also engaged in farming and making bricks, obtaining the clay from large pits back of his house. Just beyond, on the bank of the river, lives his grandson, Alden Briggs, 3rd, in the house formerly occupied by Alden Briggs, Jr.
Sen., was a very interest- ing old man. Ile had a peculiarity of adding from year to year, by compound interest, to the original cost of his possessions, so that each year he valued his properties higher and higher instead of depreciating
184
VESSELS BUILT BY ALDEN BRIGGS.
them, as most people would do. For instance he valued his watch at one time at over $2000, and his anvil at about $1500. In the same way his losses would grow larger and larger each year, as he would reckon up the compound interest on the sum or con- tract that he originally lost. He was leader of the new choir of the church in Pembroke. Previous to this time, the Deacon always read two lines, which the congregation sang, then the Deacon would read two more. The minister wished a new choir that would sing the whole verse or psalm, which the old choir objected to. The minister got the old choir in one part of the church by themselves, and the new choir together in another part ; he then let the Deacon read the first two lines, and the old and new choirs started. The old choir stopped at the end of the two lines and the new choir kept on, but not to be outdone the Deacon got up and commenced reading two more lines, amid the singing ; the Minister reached over the pulpit and spoke to his son, the Deacon, saying, " Sit down Cy, sit down," and the new choir prevailed. Alden Briggs was in the North Company, 2nd Reg., 1st Brig., 5th Div., Pembroke Militia, 1815. In the year 1800 he built the brig "PALLAS," 156 tons, for Stephen Gorham of Boston. In 1805, he built a ship of 250 tons. His yard was just below that of his brother, Luther Briggs. The sch. "RIVAL," was built by Alden Briggs, and probably the brig " ELVIRA," of New Bedford, which was condemned at St. Thomas, in 1859. In 1818 he built the brig "FLORIDA," 244 tons, owned by Thos. B. Wales, Bos- ton, and in 1820 the brig " PEMBROKE," 199 tons, owned by her builder, Alden Briggs, at Pembroke. He sold her to Thos. B. Wales & Co. about two years after he built her, and the fol- lowing are some of the voyages she made : brig " Pembroke," in 1824, from Sicily to Buenos Ayres with oil and wines ; from Palermo in 1826 with merchandise ; in 1827 from Rochelle with brandy, ochre and wine; in 1833, to Rotterdam with a mixed cargo. She was lost at sea in 1851. In 1825 the brig " MONUMENT," 211 tons, was built by Alden Briggs at Pem- broke for himself. This brig was also sold to Thos B. Wales & Co., Boston, and the following are some of the voyages made by her : ship "Monument," 211 tons, 89 ft. long, in 1827 sailed to Amsterdam ; in 1831, from Charleston to Cowe's, etc., and from New York to Marseilles. In 1832 the brig " ALEX- ANDRIA," 206 tons, of Boston, was built at Pembroke, prob- ably by Alden Briggs. The last of his vessels of which any account appears, was built the same year, 1832, the brig " OLD
185
ENOS BRIGGS.
COLONY," 244 tons, Joshua Smith, master, and owned by Alden Briggs, at Pembroke. She was afterward sold to Thos. B. Wales & Co. and made voyages in 1834, from Alexandria to Amsterdam with tobacco, fustic, etc. ; and from New Castle with coal ; in 1835, Charleston to Hamburg, with rice ; in 1836, from New Orleans with cotton and from Charleston to Ham- burg ; in 1837, New Orleans to Liverpool ; in 1840, Havana to Cowe's for orders, etc. Chas. Howard, of Pembroke, who was born Feb. 23, 1810, is now living, in quite feeble health, but remembers working in the old ship-yards and on the brigs " Pembroke " and " Old Colony." Alden Briggs was getting on in years and probably gave up active business life about this time, although he was later a large owner in a great number of vessels built on the river, as the registers of vessels built in the different yards show. The following is taken from the grave- stones in a Pembroke cemetery, opposite Dr. F. Collamore's :
"Alden Briggs, son of Seth, died May, 1849, age 86."
" Wm. T. Briggs, died July 4, 1873, age 40 years, 9 mos."
"Alden Briggs, born Feb. 20, 1797, died April 30, 1861, aged 64 yrs."
The latter Alden was son of Alden ; William Thatcher Briggs was son of Alden and Elizabeth C. (Robinson). Although it may appear by record that Alden Briggs did not build a very large number of vessels here, it is easily explained when one sees the amount of work he was doing elsewhere. He was especially in demand at Milton and Salem by his brothers, Enos and Daniel. When the Essex was built in Salem they had no good iron workers nearer than the North River, so they sent for Alden Briggs who was an expert, (being considered one of the best iron workers of his day,) to go down and do the iron work. Enos Briggs built the frigate "ESSEX," in 1798-99. From an old paper the following is taken :
"The Salem Frigate. Take Notice. Ye Sons of Freedom! all true lovers of the Liberty of your Country step forth, and give your assistance in building the Frigate, to oppose French insolence and piracy. Let every man in possession of a White Oak Tree, be ambitious to be foremost in hurrying down the timber to Salem, and fill the complement wanting, where the noble structure is to be fabricated, to maintain your rights upon the Seas, and make the name of America respected among the nations of the world. Your largest and longest trees are wanted, and the arms of them for Knees and Rising Timber. Four trees are wanted for the Keel, which all together will measure 146 feet in length, and hew 16 inches square. Please to call on the Subscriber, who wants to make contracts for large or small quantities, as may suit best, and will pay the Ready Cash.
Eva, Briggs
Salem, Nov. 23, 1788.
186
DANIEL BRIGGS.
The frigate "Essex" was of 32 guns. Messrs. Derby and Gray subscribed $10,000 each. In six months, or a little over, they had her completed for launching. There was a great con- course of spectators, and the heartfelt satisfaction of the be- holders of the launching of this beautiful ship was evinced by the concording shouts and huzzahs of thousands. The paper goes on to say, that "the unremitting zeal of Mr. Briggs, the architect, cannot be too highly applauded, and for bringing her into such a state of perfection, in so short a time, entitles him to the grateful thanks of his country." While Elisha Briggs was at work on the " Essex," Gen. George Washington, then in Salem, visited the yard. Gen. Washington took a tree-nail from Elisha, and helped build the vessel by driving it into its place. Enos Briggs also built the ship " Amethyst," 247 tons, in 1801, and a great many other vessels later. On May 3, 1789, Enos Briggs launched a vessel sideways from Derby's Wharf, Salem. It was a novelty which drew together a great concourse of people. On May 18, 1791, the ship " Grand Turk," 564 tons, was launched at Salem. Enos Briggs was the principal architect. His ship-yard was located in South Salem. Between 1791 and 1818 he built over fifty vessels, the largest being 850 tons, the smallest 96 .*
Daniel Briggs
moved from Pembroke to Milton, and occupied a large house built by Abel
Allyne, where a double cottage now stands. It was pur- chased and added to by John M. Forbes. Thomas S. Briggs built a house, in 1830, on the site of Capt. O. W. Peabody's · residence, Milton. The "History of Milton" states that "Mr. Joseph Blake, a merchant of Boston residing a part of the time in Milton, employed Mr. Daniel Briggs, of Pembroke, to build a vessel for him at the ship-yard in Milton, which was launched Oct. 26, 1786." This was the beginning of an extensive busi- ness in ship-building, continued by Mr. Briggs until 1815. Sept. 30, 1788, there was launched in Milton a large vessel built by Daniel Briggs for Ebenezer Wales, Esq., of Dorches- ter. "Some of our citizens now living remember the ' Kana wah,'
* For a list of these vessels, see Historical Collections of Essex Institute, Vol. VI., pp. 172 and 173.
187
DANIEL BRIGGS.
the Milton,' and the 'Jane,' and were present at their launching. Capt. Nat. Thomas,* from Pembroke, who married Jennie, the daughter of Capt. Briggs, lived in the Briggs house on Milton Hill. He was commander of the 'Kanawah,' and also of the 'Milton.' The Milton was caught in Neponset Bridge, on her way to Boston, and was got through with diffi- culty. This vessel, though built seventy-four years ago, is a New Bedford whaleship, still afloat." Daniel Briggs also built the following vessels in Milton : 1798. Sloop "John," 23 tons, of Milton. 1805. Brig " Osprey," 197 tons, of Boston. 1806. Ship "President Adams," 313 tons, of Boston. 1810. Ship " Alert," 376 tons, of Boston. 1810. Ship " Jane," spoken of above, 326 tons, of Boston; owned by Alden Briggs, of Pembroke, and Daniel Briggs, master earpenter, of Milton. 1811. Ship "Huntress," 395 tons, of Boston. 1815. Ship "Milton," spoken of above, 387 tons, of Boston, owned by Nathl. Thomas, of Milton, and others, and Daniel Briggs, mas- ter carpenter. The following is taken from the "History of Milton ": "Capt. Briggs was a man of large frame, stately and commanding in person, also genial and benevolent in like degree. The following incident shows the humor of the man : On one occasion, when busy in his ship-yard, a stranger came up, asking for work. 'What can you do?' inquired the Cap- tain. 'I am a ship-carpenter,' was the reply. 'Can you make a tree-nail on a rock without dulling your axe?' 'Yes, sir.' Well, here is your timber, and here is a sharp axe ; let's see you do it.' He went to work, finished the tree-nail, passed it to Mr. Briggs for inspection, and asked if that would do. Mr. Briggs, viewing the excellence of the work, assented, when the man raised his axe and struck a heavy blow upon the rock, breaking the edge, and nearly ruining the tool. 'What are you about?' exclaimed the excited captain. The workman replied, 'My master always taught me, when I had finished a job, to stick my axe in the block.' 'All right,' rejoined the mollified captain ; 'throw off your coat and go to work.' Mr. Briggs died in Milton, Aug. 11, 1825. He was a useful and excellent citizen, honored and respected by all. At the time of his death he owned the land on the east side of Milton Hill, between Adams street and the foot of the hill, from the Russell land to the old Kinsley estate, including the Peabody and the old Foy estates, except the Swift, now Tappan lot. His daugh-
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