USA > Maine > Maine; a history, Volume IV > Part 2
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Dr. Whittier was united in marriage, June 24, 1895, with Eugenie Harward Skolfield, daughter of the late Alfred Skolfield, the well known ship owner of Brunswick, Maine, mentioned below. Dr. and Mrs. Whittier are the parents of three children: Isabel M. S., born April 10, 1896; Alice A. S., born January 24, 1898; Charlotte Harward S., born February 27, 1903, and died January 17, 1912.
ALFRED SKOLFIELD-No scamen or navi- gators are more famous than the hardy mariners developed in our New England states during the old days when a sea voyage was an enterprise of moment and a very real peril. They made their
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HISTORY OF MAINE
names known in every part of the world. If their fame as seamen was great, it was scarcely less so as the builders of the great ships which sailed the seas and bore the American flag in honor to the four quarters of the globe. Indeed, it was often the same men who both built and sailed these vessels. This is particularly true in the case of the Skolfield family, which for a number of generations was closely identified with the shipping interests of Maine, and of whom the late Alfred Skolfield was a distinguished member.
Alfred Skolfield was born in Harpswell, Maine, December 5, 1815. He was descended from a prominent English family, and was a great-great- grandson of Thomas Skolfield, an officer in King William's army at the battle of the Boyne, 1690 Thomas Skolfield had a son named Thomas, who was the founder of the family in the United States. The younger Thomas was educated at Dublin University. He came to America with the Orr family. He married the daughter, Mary Orr, and lived in Boston a year or two and then moved with the Orr family to the district of Maine, where they bought land from the Indians. This land was at the head of Casco Bay. A large pine tree stood on this land, marking the dividing line between the towns of Harpswell and Brunswick.
The third child of Thomas and Mary Orr Skol- field was Clement. He was a man of most hon- orable character, and held many town offices. He married Alice Means. One of their sons was George, the father of Alfred Skolfield, who is the subject of this sketch. George was known as Master George Skolfield, and became a con- spicuous figure in the shipping world of Maine. He built many vessels in the Skolfield shipyard at the head of Casco bay. He became very wealthy as a result of his business, but he never lost his simple and direct attitude of mind, and had no false pride. Although a shrewd business man, he never took advantage of others, but was always liberal and generous. He married Lydia Doyle, September 13, 1805.
Alfred Skolfield, son of George and Lydia (Doyle) Skolfield, attended the local public schools during his boyhood. He was little more than a lad when he gave up his studies and started his life at sca on one of his father's ves- sels. In a short time he had risen to be captain. His first vessel was the Dublin. He afterwards commanded the Scioto, the Roger Stewart and the John L. Dimmock. All of these vessels were engaged in the cotton trade. Mrs. Whittier, his daughter, has a painting of the Roger Stewart, by Walters, in which the ship is shown passing
the Great Orme's Head on her way out of Liver- pool, and the Scioto is seen in the distance, enter- ing the port. This represents an actual occur- rence. Mrs. Whittier also has a card advertising the sailing of the Roger Stewart :
Landing Berth, South Side Waterloo Dock. Black Star Line Packets, Liverpool to New York. American Packet ship. "Roger Stewart." A. Skolfield, Com- mander. 1066 tons register, copper fastened and cop- pered, a fast sailer. August 25, 1833.
C. Grimshaw & Co.
This ship was lost at sea April 28, 1860.
After the death of his father, in 1866, Alfred Skolfield went to Liverpool, England, and there became a partner of James R. Ross, formerly of Brunswick, Maine. They formed the firm of Ross, Skolfield & Company, which firm engaged in the business of chartering vessels. Captain Skolfield continued active in this business for twenty years. He was a member of the Liverpool Ex- change. Although Mr. Skolfield withdrew from the business in 1887, and his partner, Mr. Ross, is long since deceased, the business is still car- ried on in Liverpool under the name of Ross, Skolfield & Company. The high honor in which the firm's name and his own name was held was always a source of great pride to Captain Skol- field. He was a staunch Democrat in politics, but never sought public office for himself. He attended the Congregational church in Bruns- wick, and occupied the pew which has father bought when the church was erected. For many years he was a director in the Pejepscot National Bank and the Union National Bank.
Alfred Skolfield was united in marriage, No- vember 30, 1858, to Martha Isabel Harward, daughter of Major John and Jane M. (Spear) Harward, of Harward's road, Bowdoinham, Maine. The Harward family was of English ori- gin; the first of the family in this country came from Guildford, Surrey. He was the seventh preacher at King's Chapel, Boston. Mrs. Skol- field was a woman of unusual character and an- tainments. She died in Brunswick, June 5, 1904. To Captain and Mrs. Skolfield three children were born: Eugenie Harward, married Dr. Frank N. Whittier, of Brunswick; Augusta Marie, who died in Brunswick in 1902, and Eveline Blanchard, died in England in 1874. When Alfred Skolfield returned to the United States he took up his abode in his Brunswick home, which he con- tinned to occupy until his death, in 1895.
Captain Skolfield was of a retiring disposition, but very hospitable and charitable, thoroughly upright, a man who commanded the respect of all who knew him.
الكور +كبيمار
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BIOGRAPHICAL
CHARLES WAY SHANNON-The following is the record of the lives and activities of three generations of the family of Shannon long resi- dent in Maine and identified in many channels with the town of Saco, Maine.
Charles Way Shannon was born in New Lon- don, Connecticut, April 24, 1837, the son of Charles Tebbets Shannon, who was a native of Saco, born October 21, 1803, son of Doctor Rich- ard Cutts Shannon, born in Dover, New Hamp- shire, August 10, 1773, a graduate of Harvard Col- lege of the class of 1795, a surgeon in the United States Navy during our naval war with France (1798-1800) and later became the leading prac- ticing physician of Saco, Maine, and a member and deacon of the First Parish Congregational Church of that place.
As the son, Charles Tebbets, grew up, he dis- played a great fondness and an unusual talent for music which seems to have been transmitted to his children. He was allowed and encouraged by his father to assist in furnishing the music at church on Sundays, probably at first by playing the base viol and later the organ. Strange to say, while allowing and encouraging him to play on Sundays, he would not allow his son to play on week days, as it was not then thought pro- per for a young man to occupy himself too much with music. He should learn a trade and give his time chiefly to that. Accordingly he was later sent to New York to live in the family of an uncle and, as an apprentice, to enter his manu- facturing establishment for the purpose of learn- ing a good trade and business. This arrangement did not prove to be wholly acceptable to him and when he reached his majority, feeling free to act as he pleased, he decided to leave as soon as a good opportunity offered a position which had already become unbearable. This came one Sunday afternoon, while walking with a friend along the wharves of East river. There he roticed moored at one of the piers a man-of-war dis- playing a large banner whereon was the adver- tisement, "Musician Wanted." He boarded the vessel and made inquiries of the officer in charge. He was asked what instrument he played. "I'll try anyone you have," was his answer. Then a clarionet, an entirely new instrument, was brought. by the band master and placed in the hands of the young man. After running the scales up and down a few times, his musical ability was at once recognized and his services accepted. Thus he shipped for a five years' cruise on board the United States steamer Corvette Cyane, which sailed for France a few days after. He wrote
his father at once informing him of the step he had taken, but when his father received the letter the son was already on the high seas. At the ex- piration of the cruise he took passage on a schooner from New York to Saco, landing at the ferry and walking up to his old Saco home where he was joyfully received by his father and other members of the family. Later in life this five years' cruise up the Mediterranean afforded many interesting narratives for the entertainment of his children.
He married Jane Randell Stanwood, of East- port, Maine, July 21, 1836, and after residing in New York for a time they moved to New Lon- don, Connecticut, where the subject of this sketch was born. A second son also was born there, the Hon. Richard Cutts Shannon, of Brock- port, New York, who was named after his grand- father. Subsequently the family moved to Provi- dence, Rhode Island, where a third son was born, the late Doctor James Harrison Shannon, of Saco, Maine. Afterwards the family moved to New Bedford, Massachusetts, where they lived until 1852 when the parents decided to move back to their native State, Maine, taking up their resi- dence in Biddeford, now the twin city of Saco.
The eldest son, Charles Way Shannon, the princi- pal subject of this sketch, a little later in that year (1852), and while a pupil of the Biddeford High School, began his career, as organist, by playing at the Methodist Episcopal church in Biddeford, located at that time on the corner of Alfred and Bacon streets. In the fall of 1853 the Unitarian church of Saco was to receive a new organ, and an opening concert was to be given by the regu- lar choir and others. A noted organist from Bos- ton, Mr. John Wilcox, was to preside at the organ on this occasion. The choir was to meet weekly for rehearsals in preparation for the concert, and young Shannon had been engaged through his father to play for the choir at these meetings. He was then at his bashful age and had little or no confidence in himself, especially as he was to meet singers who were entire strangers to him. It was indeed no easy task and he still vividly re- calls the dread he felt while attending these re- hearsals.
When he learned that the new organ had ar- rived and was being set up, and being desirous of seeing it, he walked quietly by himself over from Biddeford one afternoon to have a look at the organ. What followed is best told in his own words by Professor Shannon himself :-
As I reached the corner of Middle and School streets cf Saco, I met Mr. Charles Twambley, one of the
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HISTORY OF MAINE
most influential men of the society and greatly inter- ested in music. He decided to accompany me and together we went up into the choir gallery where I was introduced to the man who was setting up the organ as "the organist." This was a great surprise to me; for 1 had never once thought they would have me play the organ and my father had never told me that I had already been engaged by him to play it.
I naturally felt much elated over the happy surprise thus given me, and went at once to the front of the organ to examine it; that is, to read the names of the stops and to consider their various combinations and management. In a very few minutes I found that I thoroughly understood the organ. The fact is I had already prepared myself with a good deal of study, so that it all seemed to come natural and easy to me. I have always recalled with pleasure the knowledge that came to me so swiftly during those first few minutes.
The concert was a great success, and on the follow- ing Sunday I took my place as the church organist. The organ was a most musical one and a delightful one to play. This position, as organist. subsequently proved to he a most valuable experience. The follow- ing year, in the autumn of 1854, the choir decided to give another concert and this time ] was to be organ- ist. I selected as my solos, Home Sweet Home, and variations, and The Last Rose of Summer.
Business had called my father from home. and I was thus prevented from having his assistance so an Italian teacher was engaged to help me. We met at the church, and as he played the organ I realized at once that he did not know as much about the stops as I did. although bis execution was excellent. When I showed him the solos I had selected he said in broken English, "No, impossible for you to play these pieces on the organ." This was a very unexpected statement to me, and I hardly knew what to make or it and that was the end of the lesson which cost me a dollir. although neither one of us had tried a note of the music I wished to learn. However, I was not at all discouraged, but became more determined than ever to master those two pieces. I hired a boy by the name of Horatio Blaisdell to blow the organ for me, paying him twenty-five cents a day. I practised daily for two weeks, playing from morning until evening with only short recess for the noon dinner.
About the middle of the afternoon, on the tenth day, I left the organ stool, feeling quite encouraged with the progress made; but before I knew it I was sound asleep. The boy awoke me and while trying to explain my sleepiness. I went to sleep again and was again awakened by the hoy. The fact is that I had become completely exhausted physically and mentally with the exertions ] had made. However, 1 resumed my prac- tising immediately after the second nap, and was only interrupted once, by Mr. Twambley, who called to tell me that he would pay the boy for doing the blowing. This was a great financial relief to me as my exchec. quer was then at a pretty low ebb.
The concert was entirely satisfactory and proved to be a great success for me personally as the Bidde- ford "Journal" gave me a most flattering notice. I opened the concert with "Home Sweet Home." with variations, but there was no response from the audi- ence, nor was there any during the first part of the programı. After the usual intermission I opened the second part of the program with my other solo, "The Last Rose of Summer," with variations, and I will never forget how I felt at the moment I finished play- ing. I felt as if I wanted to get out of sight, and I remember saying to myself. "If they will only not hiss me how thankful I will be." All at once there was a tremendous applause, the very first of the even- ing. It was so unexpected that at first I was afraid they were only making fun, but the next moment I realized that it was true appreciation of may playing.
My brother, Richard, was the only member of the family, besides myself, who was present at the con- cert. On his way home he made a call at the Bidde- ford House and there saw Mr. Richard M. Chapman, the cashier of the Biddeford Savings Bank. pacing the floor and exclaiming in an excited manner how wonderfully 1 had played. He kept asserting that he had never heard anything like it in his life :til that it was "wonderful, wonderful."
My progress from this time was marked, and though young in years, I soon had a good teaching business, and a little later began playing at public entertainments and concerts. This position as organist I was able to retain with the aid of members of my family for nearly twenty years. My father played the organ. also my twn brothers, later my wife, and still later. my daughter, Mabelle.
During the early part of these years, with my brother. Richard, supplying my place at the Unitar- ian organ, I was able to play at the Second Congrega- tional church of Biddeford, where I had my first ex- perience as chorister. Later, with the able assistance of my wife. I was enabled to take charge of the music at the First Parish Congregational Church of Saco. Many years previous to this arrangement, however, probably during 1853, I played at the State conference held in the same church which I remember was largely attended, and that I was, as a hoy, much surprised upon receiving from Deacon Sawyer, through my father. the sum of six dollars for my playing. This church was destroyed by fire in 1860.
My three children were brought up to assist me in the music at church on Sundays: my daughter, Mabelle Stanwood Shannon, at the organ and with her voice; my daughter, Grace L. Shannon, with her violin and voice : and my son, Charles, with his cornet and voice. They were all able to transpose music; that is, to play it in the key thought best suited to the voices of the singers, which was of invaluable assistance to me.
I will here refer to an incident. which as I now recall it, seems quite remarkable. My daughter, Mabelle, was then a little girl of ten years. My wife was play- ing at the Unitarian church and myself at the First Parish church. While breakfasting one Sunday morn- ing, I noticed my wife looking rather pale. Presently she said to me, " I do not feel well this morning. Could not Mabelle play for me?" I said, "Yes, she can, if she will." 1 asked Mabelle if she would play. she simple nodded her head signifying that she would. After breakfast we made ready for church and on eur way to the church, calling at Parson Nichols for the hymns I went over the music with her, and she played with such ease, at the same time footing the pedals and handling the stops that her mother never played that organ afterwards. Mahelle continued playing it for nearly two years.
And here I might refer to one of the earlier incidents of my musical training showing the persistent deter- mination of our father that his boys should fully enioy the pleasure of studying music-a pleasure which h's own father had denied him. On the wall of the dining room he had fastened a musical staff and while we were at table during meal times my brother, Richard, and I were required to give promptly the names of the notes on the different lines and spaces. My brother was not so interested in this matter as I was. He was more anxious to eat: and the result was that my answers came a little quicker than his. In fact ] stood at the head of the class while he was at the foot, and necessarily so, since there were only two in the class. Our younger brother. James, was not then more than Bve or six years old, quite too young to be a member.
Our father was also determined that his boys shoul] begin early to play in public. So while he was serving as the organist at the William Street Baptist Church in New Bedford, Massachusetts, he would occasionally
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BIOGRAPHICAL
have one of them play the voluntary at the close of the service. I well remember on one occasion, when my brother Richard was presiding at the organ (our father meanwhile manipulating the stops), our dear mother sat in the gallery nearby proudly viewing the triumph of her son. On another occasion there had been a sudden strike of the orchestra in one of the local theatres, just before the performance was to begin, and my father was earnestly entreated to heip out the management. So leading his two boys by the hand, he marched down the theatre, and undertook, with a piano to supply the music for that performance, which was done to the great applanse of the amnsed andience.
Before closing this statement there is one more re- markable fact that I would like to mention, showing the terrible energy with which we pursued our musical studies. The instrument upon which we practised almost constantly, day and night, during those early years was a Wilcox and Gibbs piano. Most fiercely and nnmercifully did we hammer its keys and their surfaces were so worn and hollowed ont that they finally came to look like a row of ivory tea-spoons. I am quite aware that preposterous stories are some- times told to amuse. For instance, a French gentleman is said to have been a favorite guest at dinner because he was always accompanied, hy a young elephant who was a brilliant pianist. One evening as he took his seat at the piano he began to weep. Upon being asked the cause of his grief he said, "As I look at these ivory keys I see the tasks of my mother." Now that story few would believe. But my story is absolutely true and I am ready to swear to it on a whole stack of bihles, if necessary.
Professor Shannon's career really dates from the installation of the new organ in the Saco Unitarian Church in 1853. Later he had charge of the music as organist and choirmaster of the First Parish Congregational Church in the same city, which position he held almost continuously for upwards of fifty years. For many years he was playing for two churches attending the morning and evening services at one and after- noon service at the other. Through the efficient services of his brother, the late Doctor J. H. Shannan, also of his wife and daughter, Mrs. Mary E. Shannon and Miss Mabelle S. Shannon, all of whom often supplied his place, he was thus enabled to have charge of several organs, and was able to accept a lucrative position as organ- ist and choirmaster at the Third Congregational Church at Bangor.
In Bangor he also established and conducted with the assistance of his former pupil and friend; Mr. John Hoyt. the Bangor Conservatory of Music. conducting it for nearly three years, when he re- ceived a call from the Congress Square Univer- salist Church of Portland, Maine, to serve that church as organist and choirmaster, which posi- tion he held until he received a tempting offer to resume once more his old position as organist and choirmaster at the Saco Congregational Church, which position he retained until his resig- nation in 1914.
His combined services rendered as organist at the different churches cover a period of about sixty-one years, and during these sixty-one years he was not for even one Sunday without a posi- tion, which is an unusual record.
Professor Shannon during these years was also engaged in giving instruction upon the piano and church organ, and playing more or less in concerts. He, with his friend and brother musi- cian, the late Charles Henry Granger, gave the first public concert ever given in the Town Hall of Saco in 1856, and the two brothers of Profes- sor Shannon, also took part in this concert, which was repeated the following week in Central Hall, Biddeford. Professor Shannon still carefully pre- serves the original copies of the programs of these concerts, also the programs of their first concert which was given at Saco, in 1856 in con- junction with their father, Charles Tebbets Shan- non, assisted by the Cornet Band and Glee Club of the town.
Under Professor Shannon's auspices there were given in Saco the only four musical conven- tions ever held in York county. The conventions were not only largely attended by singers from Saco and Biddeford but by singers from different parts of the country. They were each of four days duration, proved to be very profitable, and were greatly enjoyed. They were given annually, the first being held in 1872.
He also established the Saco and Biddeford Music School which was carried on by him most successfully for years. In this school was taught chiefly the pianoforte and organ in classes on the plan of the Boston music schools. It was in the early seventies that these schools were held in his music rooms on Main street, Saco, which rooms he continued to occupy for nearly a half century. Later, in these same rooms, he carried on an instrument business, selling and renting pi- anos and organs quite extensively for many years.
In 1902 Mr. Shannon became one of the pro- prietors and an equal owner with his son-in- law, Frederick I. Ordway, of the Bay View Hotel located at Ferry Beach, Saco, the continuation of the famous old Richard beach. Mr. Ordway was postmaster at Bay View for the season of 1902, Mr. Shannon succeeding him for the following seasons up to and including that of 1917.
At the time of his resignation as organist of the First Parish Congregational Church at Saco, in honor of his many years of service he was voted by the church to be organist emeritus, and a little later the church tendered a reception to
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HISTORY OF MAINE
Professor Shannon and his wife. At this func- tion there was presented to him a beautiful silver loving cup suitably inscribed accompanied by a set of resolutions beautifuly engrossed and framed. A copy of these resolutions was also inserted in the permanent records of the church. To Mrs. Shannon was presented a beautiful bou- quet of English violets.
Hon. R. C. Shannon, of Brockport, New York, gave to this church the beautiful Shannon Me- morial Organ, in remembrance of the many years of service rendered by his brother, Professor Shannon, and a handsome memorial window to the memory of the grandfather, Dr. Richard Cutts Shannon, was placed in the same church in 1903, by his grandsons.
Professor Shannon is very proud of the patriotic service rendered by members of his family during the Great War.
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