USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Kingston > Ships of Kingston. : "Good-bye, fare ye well" > Part 6
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15
The following item taken from Notes and Queries in the Boston Saturday Evenir Transcript for August 3, 1912, shows that the brig, Two Pollys' first voyage was to Eng land and reads thus: "Sometime ago an inquiry appeared asking for data as to tim required to cross the Atlantic in the 1800 to 1850 period. At that time my attest copy ( the old Marland Family Bible was loaned. Today it is returned and it seems authent enough to copy the following: "Memorandum from the family Bible of Abraham Ma. land (born 1772, died 1849) of Andover, Mass an early and successful manufacturer of woolel at Andover. The within named Abraham ar .. Mary Marland left England in brig Two Polly Capt. Seth Johnson, on the 9th day of Augu 1801, together with William Sykes, brother Mrs. Marland and arrived in Boston in the U. : 17th of September following. I should be inte ested to learn of longer voyages than thirty nil: days in the early part of the last century Signed S. J. M.
TWO POLLYS
LIVERPOOL PITCHER OF STAFFORDSHIRE WARE. BRIG Two Pollys, SETH JOHNSON, MASTER, 1801
In reply to the above, it may be said that th; was not a bad passage for a small vessel bour! west, for in 1846, the ship Herculean, owned } Joseph Holmes and called by her captain ver fast, besides being much larger than this litt: brig, was 55 days from Havre to New York.
JOSEPH HOLMES
Joseph Holmes, the son of Joseph, was bon on his father's farm in Kingston in 1772. Th; farm, called Egypt, was situated in the nort . west part of the town. The reason for so namilf
41
SHIPS OF KINGSTON
being given in the Remarks on bark Egypt of Kingston.
Always of a studious and deeply religious mind he entered the College of Rhode Island in Provi- dence, now Brown University, and on graduat- ing in 1797 became a minister, taking charge of a parish on the Cape. A dislike for the parish or finding himself unfitted for this work caused him to give up the ministry and in 1801 he leased a shipyard on the Taunton River near Pratt's Bridge in Bridgewater for the building of vessels. Here he remained until 1806 when he removed to the Kingston Landing and con- tinued building vessels up to the time of his death, in 1863. Mr. Holmes was a man of large frame, well over six feet in height, and their ancestry can easily be traced in his descendants today.
He lived in the large, square house on the · corner of Main and Elm Streets, or the Mill Road, as it was once called, near the Meeting House of the First Congregational Parish. This house was built by his brother Lemuel, in 1797, JOSEPH HOLMES and bought by him in 1805. It faces to the east and the room to the right of the front door on the northeast corner was unfinished and used for a store. His office was in a small room on the westerly end of this store with an outlook onto the Main Street. Here he transacted all of his business, consulted with his captains as to their voyages, and carried on his correspondence with bankers, merchants, and those in charge of his vessels at home and abroad.
The account of the seizure of his ship Lucy, in 1807, shows the danger of loss he and other ship-owners were exposed to when sending vessels to England or European ports during the Napoleonic wars.
The ship Lucy of Kingston, 208 tons, was launched in 1806. This ship was named Lucy for the wife of Joseph Holmes, Jr., and was the first ship owned by him. She was built for him by Lysander Bartlett, Sr., master carpenter in the Bartlett Yard above the railroad bridge where the boatshop of the heirs of Captain E. A. Ransom now stands. She cost $7,366, ready for sea, Joseph Holmes, Jr., owning one-half, Jedediah Holmes one-quarter, and Jesse Inglee, who was master, one-quarter. This was the first vessel built by Joseph Holmes, in Kingston, the previous ones being built in Bridgewater, in what he called his Bridgewater Ship Yard and taken down the Taunton River, though hailing from Kingston.
Very little can be told about this ship, and what I know of her voyages was found in a few old bills, letters, protests, etc. She left Kingston in May, 1806, bound for Boston, Inglee, master, and Captain Peter Winsor was paid $10 for piloting her to Boston, and the same month he was paid $1 for piloting brig Trident down the river, and in July was paid $2 for piloting brig Brunette down the river. At that time, Joseph Holmes had these vessels employed, besides schooner Alexander and brig Algol, the others he had built appearing to have been sold. The first voyage of this ship was from Boston to Charleston, S. C., in ballast, loading cotton there for Liverpool, where she was in September, 1806, on for Boston, loaded with coal, salt, crated goods and passengers. October 27, 1806, she arrived in Boston and entered protest that date, having had bad weather on the passage. Protest read as follows: "That she sailed from Liverpool, September 4, 1806, bound to Boston, with dry goods, tight and strong and well equipped and manned for the voyage,
h
b er
e
SS
hi
in
t
y.
m ¢
in
=
al
42
SHIPS OF KINGSTON
that on September 14, 1806, Latitude 59° 17' North and Longitude 20° 10' West from London, experienced a sudden change of wind from southwest to north, obliging all sail to be furled, except foresail, wind blowing very hard and ship leaking considerably and from the 14th to the 22d, weather and wind was variable with hard gales in which the ship was kept close reefed the greater part of the time and sometimes only foresail set, the ship making considerable water, and on the 29th experienced a heavy gale of wind, continuing two succeeding days, with heavy rains, and at times a very bad sea, by which ship labored and strained and leaked much. After this had variable weather, mostly strong gales till October 25th when the ship arrived at Boston." This protest was signed by Captain Inglee, Bartlett Holmes, 2d mate, and Banjamin Coffin, seaman.
This Bartlett was Joseph Holmes' brother-in-law, and with Captain Inglee, was in the ship till she was seized by the French and condemned.
The vessel received $2,070.22 for this first voyage, and after being repaired in Boston, she sailed from there December 18, 1806, for Charleston, S. C., loading there the last of January, 1807, for Liverpool with cotton and staves. Being in Liverpool the last of March, 1807, she loaded there with coal, salt, crated goods and passengers for Boston, arriving there June 2, 1807, this being her second voyage.
Her accounts show that $201.27 was secured from passengers brought from Liverpool to Boston and $641.50 freight money on cargo. Having secured a freight from New York to London she proceeded to New York and loaded staves, Jesse Inglee, master, and Bart- lett Holmes, 2d mate. In London a cargo of sugar was taken for Hamburg, where she was seized and condemned by the French authorities for smuggling, her papers not being correct. From what is known of the affair it appears that the captain was not honest in his settlements with the other owners of the ship, as on the passage to London a quantity of cotton in bales was picked up at sea and sold there by him for much more than appeared in his ship's account, the captain calling the cotton of the most inferior quality and claim- ing to have sold it for such, when it was afterward proved by the 2d mate, Holmes, to have been of, and to have sold for, the best quality. It also appears that after the ship arrived at Hamburg, some of her freight was sold, Inglee receiving the money, and he had $400 that he was unable to account for in his settlement with the owners, and had no funds of his own on leaving New York.
Helbers, James & Co. chartered the Lucy for the Hamburg voyage and under date of August, 1809, wrote in answer to Mr. Holmes' letter inquiring as to the seizure that the ship was entered out and bound for Tonningen to get a set of real papers which they had been promised, and then to proceed to Hamburg, having also American simulated papers to serve in case of need. She did not go to Tonningen on account of a gale or was warned off, they did not know which, as they never had any further word of her. She was condemned in consequence of a French Customs Officer introducing himself as an American sailor and then getting at the secret of her having loaded in England. They received $30,000 insurance on cargo on account of her being condemned. The American owners of the ship were insured, but were unable to collect, as was the case of two other American ships who made the same voyage and were condemned at that time.
This act of the captain in making this voyage, which seems in every way illegal, and the consequent loss of the ship, caused Joseph Holmes great financial embarrassment, which was also increased by the United States Embargo Act, as is shown by his letters of these years. The ship, at time of seizure, was almost new, this being her third voyage, and as he had only been in the business of building and owning vessels a few years, it was a number of years before he recovered from these losses and became the large and successful ship-owner of his later years.
In connection with her capture we find from a copy of a memorial for a claim for damages to the United States Commissioners appointed by the United States Government to settle claims for American vessels seized and condemned by the French Government about 1806 and 1807 and since called "French Spoliation Claims," dated August 6, 1833, and
43
SHIPS OF KINGSTON
signed by Joseph Holmes and Jedediah Holmes, both of Kingston, Mass., that they then in 1806 and 1807 owned the ship Lucy of Kingston, Mass., of 253 82/95 tons, together with Jesse Inglee of Kingston, master of said ship and the memorial reads in part as follows as to her loss:
That the said ship Lucy was employed by your memorialists in the business of freighting. That the said ship being arrived in the port of London from New York, did discharge the said cargo in London, take on board in the month of Oct. 1807 as freight, a full cargo of coffee and sugar for Tonnigen and proceeded accordingly from the said port of London toward the said port of Tonnigen and arrived off the island of Heligoland and came to anchor. When the said ship Lucy encountered a long continued
and heavy gale of wind lasting for several days, that the wind shifting to a quarter that prevented the anchors from holding the officers and crew of said ship, judged it prudent to get the ship under sail, cut the cables and made for the opposite port of Crushaven when upon arrival or soon after, the said ship and cargo, was seized and sequestrated by the French Government Custom House officers from Hamburg and by them confiscated and con- demned.
The value of this ship was $12,000 and cargo $10,000, but the United States Government never allowed the owners' claims.
During the years 1805, 1806 and 1807, Joseph Holmes was building in Kingston and Bridgewater, for the schooner Alexander, the last vessel he built in Bridgewater, cleared from Dighton on the Taunton River for Boston, May 28, 1807, and he had already com- pleted and launched the brig Brunette in 1806 from the yard at the Landing which he had lately acquired from Stephen Drew.
Among Joseph Holmes' papers as to ship Lucy is a bill from Lysander Bartlett of King- ston, a copy of which follows and shows the date of his final work on ship Lucy in the Bartlett yard.
Joseph Holmes, Jr., to Lysander Bartlett, Dr. April 6th, 1806
To use of the yard for building of your ship
D. cts. O To 74 days work at 6/ per day 74"
To days work on your rudder at 9/ per day
00 April 19th,
To Graving your ship 12"
100. 00
May 10th
To 12 days work Uncle Abijah, graving
Received Payment,
LYSANDER BARTLETT.
Another bill among the ship's papers is from a carver of figureheads in Boston and reads:
Boston, April 26, 1806.
Mr. Joseph Holmes to Saml. Skillin. Dr. D.
To Carving six & half feet womans head for ship Lucy with brackets & trailboards
00" To Priming & carting
45" Receivd Pay. 47" 50 cts. m
SAML. SKILLIN.
The carving done by Skillin must have been a six and one-half foot figurehead, or, as some- times called, a head, of a woman's figure, representing Joseph Holmes' wife Lucy, for whom the vessel was named. Previous to this period and for many years after, it was the fashion for vessels to carry on their bows a large and elaborately carved figure, often of a man or a woman, which would now be considered out of all proportion to the size of the vessel. Later, these figureheads were made much smaller, adding to the vessel's looks and also
44
SHIPS OF KINGSTON
safety by the less weight hanging on the stem. On the Herculean, as will appear in the story of this vessel, a figure of a man about seven feet tall sup- posed to represent Hercules was carried for a figurehead. It was about the size of that on the Lucy, and although this ship was much larger than the Lucy it gives a ship a very heavy appearance forward as can be seen in the painting of her. It had to be removed on account of its weight. About 1859 and after, the style of ornamenting the bows of a vessel changed. If a full-length figure was used it was made much smaller and often only a head and bust was carried. In many cases a small piece of planking or timber was fashioned with graceful curves and scrollwork on the forward end and sides, into an ornament called a billet or fiddle-head. This wasfitted to the vessel's stem under the bowsprit and the customs records were very particular in their de- ELISHA TURNER HOLMES From a Miniature scription of a vessel registered as to whether she was distinguished by a figure or a billet-head. Today, regardless of the shape or size, it is customary to call all these ornaments figureheads and sometimes none were carried, which gave to the vessel a very unfinished look forward.
INVENTORY. SHIP Lucy. 12 MONTHS OLD JUNE 1807 Mast, yards and Booms Complete
SAILS
Four Top Sails
One Main Stay Sail
One Jib
One Main Sail
Two Top Gallant do-do-do
One Main Top Mast Stay Sail
Two Royals
One Fore Sail
One Mizzen Stay Sail
One Spanker
Three Top Gallant Sails
Two Top Mast Studding Sails
One Fore Top Mast Stay Sail
One Mizzen
One Lower do-do-do
One Middle Top Mast Stay Sail
Two Bower Anchors
One Per Grains
One Kedge
One Stream Anchor
One Crobar One Spare Top Mast
One Stream Cable
Two Bower Cables
One Spare Top Sail Yard
One Camboose & House
One Hawser
One Shovel
One Hand Lead & Line
One Deep Sea Lead & Line
One Tea Kettle
One Half Hour Glass
One Log Reel & Line
One Sauce Pan
Ten Water Casks
Two Second Glasses
One Pendant
Three Marling Spikes
Nine Hand Spikes
One Coffee Mill
One Runner & Tackle
One Long Boat & 4 Oars
Three Serving Mallets
Two Cat Blocks
Three Burton Blocks
A Quantity of Bolts, Spikes & Nails
Hatch Bars Locks & Keys
One Fish Hook
Two Spare Top Gall Masts
Three Setts Pump Gear Two Hammers
Two Scrubbing Brushes
One Frying Pan
One Ships Axe
One Cooks Axe
One Ensign
Four Paint Brushes
Three Scrapers
Three Covered Buckets
Two Draw Buckets One Pair Can Hooks
One Pair Hnd. Slings
A Quantity Blocks, Sheaves and Pins
Four Chairs
One Boat Hook
One Brush Two Tea Cannisters
One Dozen Plates
One Side Ladder
One Case Knives & Forks
Two Wood Compasses
One Looking Glass
One Tea Pot
One Hand Trumpet
Six Cups & Saucers
One Turene
A Quantity Spare Hooks & Thimbles One Table
Six Tea Spoons One Pr. Man Ropes
Two Table Cloths
Two Dishes
One Cabin Bell
Two Pitchers
One Brass Compass One Speaking Trumpet
One Castor
One Coffee Pot
One Medicine Chest
Four Table Spoons
Four Small Mugs
Six Wine Glasses
Two Lanthorns
One Grind Stone
Six Paint Pots & Bucket
Two Mops
45
SHIPS OF KINGSTON
1
This inventory does not mention a num- ber of articles that must have been on board, but gives a very good idea of what was required for a ship's use that was en- gaged in foreign trade at this time. As in the later vessels, passengers were usually carried on the return voyage from Eng- land and the Continent to this country, but no life-rafts, life-preservers or extra boats were provided, and in case of dis- aster at sea there was little chance to save life, which offers a striking contrast to the safety devices employed on the passenger steamships of today.
CAPTAIN ELISHA TURNER HOLMES
He was a brother-in-law of Joseph Holmes and born in North West Kingston near Sil- ver Lake, in 1778, being one of ten brothers.
A genealogical sketch of the Holmes family in "The Giles Memorial" speaks of him as the first to carry the Stars and Stripes into the Black Sea.
He commanded the brig Brunette of King- ston, 180 tons, when new, making several voyages in her. This is the first record of a vessel built by Joseph Holmes in his building yard at the Kingston Landing. She was launched in 1806. December 9, 1807, the brig was Bort not in Nadrog Blocked By His. at Liverpool from Lisbon, being repaired, and sailed for Boston in February, 1808, withstanding and Här Activities or mötenderstanding beton Hotlinetid kind form of dried Boxtain & Irgend and any Barer whatsoever Witness my home uns seal of the Sitten the 18+ Salade21807 Elisha T. Holmes of Kingston, master. December 1, 1808, the vessel was again at Liverpool from Lisbon, bound for Boston, captain, E. T. Holmes, and as no further accounts appear of the brig among Joseph Signed I Glicher? Holmes' papers she was probably sold on arrival. A number of years later, June, 1830, one of Joseph Holmes' captains wrote him that the brig Brunette was at Ponce, P. R., from New York, loaded with fish, 31 days' passage.
The following is a copy of the Protection paper given to Captain Elisha Turner Holmes, master of the brig Brunette of Kingston by the representative of the Eng- lish Government at Lisbon for a voyage from Lisbon to Liverpool, October 16, 1807. This passage of the brig from Lisbon to Liverpool was made on her first voyage. At this time England was at war with France and all French ports were in a state of blockade by the English fleets. The Protection given Captain Holmes was
1.
PROTECTION OF BRIG Brunette OF KINGSTON, 1807 ELISHA TURNER HOLMES, MASTER
BARQUE Turbo OF BOSTON, HENRY L. ADAMS, MASTER. SAILING OUT OF THE PORT OF CORK, MARCH 6TH, A.D. 1833
47
SHIPS OF KINGSTON
a very important paper as it would save him from unnecessary delay if overhauled by English cruisers on the high seas. The Protection reads:
Whereas, I have received Instructions from the Right Hon- orable George Canning, one of His Majesty's Principal Secre- taries of State, Directing me to grant certificates to foreign Vessels for the purpose of removing British property from Portugal, in the event of emergency and of there not being in the Ports of Portugal a sufficient quantity of British Shipping.
And Whereas, circumstances render it, at present, necessary to have recourse to such a measure, I do by virtue of the said authority so vested in me grant this certificate to the American Vessel called Brunet. E. T. Holmes, Master, bound for Liver- pool or any other Port in the British Dominions, laden with the Property of John Turner, Richard Witherell and other British subjects, and I therefore recommend the said Vessel, cargo and crew of the said American Vessel, Brunet and British Subjects going Passengers to the protection of His Majesty's Government, Ships of War, Cruisers and Privateers, and I venture to undertake on the part of His Majesty's Government that this protection shall continue until her arrival at and during her stay in the Port of delivery being in the British Dominions and also until she shall go to some other Port not in a state of Blockade by His Majesty's forces notwith- standing any War, Hostilities or misunderstanding between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and any Power whatsoever. Witness my hand and Seal of Office. Lisbon the 16th October 1807, Signed, J. GAMBIER.
CAPTAIN HENRY L. ADAMS
There is nothing to show that he ever went in any other Kingston vessel. He married a Charlestown woman and for a number of years made his home there while sailing out of Boston. On giving up the sea he returned to Kingston and died there in 1860.
His picture is from a miniature that was painted abroad, probably at the time of his marriage and is beautifully done. It is now owned by Alexander Holmes of Kingston.
BARK Turbo
Bark Turbo of Kingston, 294 tons, built at Kingston by Joseph Holmes in 1831; owned by Joseph Holmes, Alexander Holmes, Henry Hall and George T. Williams, Boston.
REMARKS
When this bark left Kingston for Boston, new, Edward Holmes was in command. He did not go in her from Boston and very little is known about this vessel. From a picture of this bark, owned by Dr. Arthur B. Holmes of Kingston, it is shown that she was in Cork, Ireland, March 6, 1833, commanded by Captain Henry L. Adams, who had previously served as mate.
January 20, 1834, she was at Charleston, S. C., in command of Captain Melzar Whitten, loading rice and cotton for Antwerp, and later at Boston, Joshua Delano, mate.
January 29, 1835, she was again at Charleston, in command of a Captain Washburn who took
BENJAMIN DELANO
48
SHIPS OF KINGSTON
JOSHUA DELANO
Captain Whitten's place, the ship Rialto being there at the same time.
September 26, 1839, she was at Boston with coal and iron from England, 45 days' passage, and on December 16, again at Boston with coal.
December 31, 1839, Alexander Holmes writes his father, Joseph Holmes, that he thinks of send- ing the Turbo south in ballast to Savannah or Mobile. As nothing more can be found about this vessel she was probably sold about this time; two Boston merchants owning her with Joseph and Alexander Holmes.
CAPTAIN HENRY L. ADAMS
He was a younger brother of Captain William S. Adams, and was born in Kingston in 1810. He commenced going to sea when a boy and most of his voyages were made in Boston vessels. The only Kingston vessel he commanded was the bark Turbo, owned by Joseph Holmes, Alexander Holmes and Boston parties.
Upon retiring from the sea, about 1845, he was engaged for a number of years in a com- mission business of freighting vessels at Wilmington, N. C., and afterward carried on a lumber business in Havana, Cuba.
He died at Kingston, September II, 1888.
BENJAMIN DELANO
Benjamin Delano was born in Kingston, dying here in 1868, eighty-nine years old.
The Records in the Plymouth Custom House give him and Peter Winsor the ownership of the sloop Two Sisters, 44 tons, in 1803. From the time his son Joshua was old enough to be- come his partner he seldom owned a vessel alone, and whenever a Delano vessel was men- tioned it was always considered as belonging to both, so closely were they associated in business.
Custom House books did not always give the names of all of a vessel's owners, after her first registration, and if owned in a family the real ones can only be found by a careful search through old letters and journals, and a vessel registered to the father alone might also be owned in by a son.
He lived in Rocky Nook, Kingston, on the old Boston road, near Smelt Brook and not far from his Rocky Nook wharves, and his house is now owned by his granddaughter, Mrs. Marcia D. Demmon of Boston.
JOSHUA DELANO
Joshua Delano, a son of Benjamin Delano, was born at Rocky Nook, Kingston, in 1809, and when a young man sailed in his father's vessels for several years. In 1831 his name is on record as owning with his father the schooner Sedum of Kingston, and from this time until the selling of the last vessel, about 1882, he was a large owner in the shipping of Kingston.
Like Joseph Holmes, when the Delanos owned a vessel with others their interests were usually controlling ones, which allowed them to be the managing owners. For many years more sea captains lived in Rocky Nook than in any other part of the town, almost every house being owned by one of them, and many going in the Delano vessels as long as they followed the sea.
In 1831, Benjamin Delano owned, with his son, Joshua, and Captain Francis Johnson of Kingston, the brig Angeline, 195 tons.
49
SHIPS OF KINGSTON
This brig was built at Wells, Maine, and her Captain, Francis Johnson, superintended her construction. Valued at $9,000 when ready for sea. Carried a crew of six men. Captain Johnson continued to be master of her for several years and the following is an account of some of her earlier voyages. Her first voyage was from Boston to Smyrna and return in 1831 and 1832, ar- riving in Boston, January 19, 1832. The following is from a letter that Captain Johnson wrote to Mr. Delano from Boston Quarantine, dated January 19, 1832, as to the homeward passage:
Arrived at last without losing a hair of my head, thank God. Left Smyrna, Oct. 16th, 1831, full of plague and cholera morbus, dying at the rate of 500 per day. Passed the Rock (Gibralter) the 34th day. Off the Western Islands met the westerly gales, when we lay to 10 days to commence with. Such weather as the month of December I have never seen. My whole passage nothing but westerly winds. Still I think myself fortunate for there has not been a day since I left but the brig has been in condition to make most of every slant of wind. The brig possesses every quality we can expect or wish. She has not met with the slightest damage. I have seen one vessel under jury-
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.