William Bassett c. 1600-1667

If there is one thing I discovered about William Bassett it is that his ancestry is still very much in question. Then, to make matters even worse, information on William, the father, and William, the son, have been combined, twisted and confused.  I have found reports stating that the elder Bassett was married four times when, in fact, he was married twice and the son was also married twice. Other reports have William, the son, married to his mother. It has been a struggle trying to decipher who was who, when and where. I can say that I have not found any report or record that states exactly where the elder William Bassett was born. It is not even certain that he is the father of the William Bassett who went to Plymouth in 1621. All circumstantial evidence points to him being the father and it does seem probable, but there is no evidence. Interestingly, the DNA project of the Bassett Family Assoc. show that William, the immigrant, may not have been connected to the Kent, England, Bassetts.

In doing recent research on William Bassett, I have discovered that there are at least four different locations given for his birth. The one I’m using is Sandwich, Kent, England, as it was mentioned in records concerning him while he was in Leiden, Holland. This does not mean this is where he was born, just that he was there before he left for Holland. This William was born about 1575 and was the son of Edward Bassett and Elizabeth Lygon. He married Cecelia Light, Dec 30 1592. Cecelia died in 1606. In 1608, he became involved with the ‘Pilgrim Church’ at Scrooby, near York, England, where they hoped to return to a more pure form of worship, excluding the Pope, and embracing the thinking of the Protestant Reformation. And so, he was among the members of the church who left England to settle in Leiden, Holland. He was to marry again, in 1611, but his intended wife, Mary Butler, died before they could exchange vows. Yet marry again he did, to Margaret Oldham on Aug 13 1611. William was a master mason. He died and was buried Apr 23 1631 at St. Nicholas, Gloucestershire. I believe this shows that he returned to England. It is not generally believed that he went to Plymouth.

William Bassett (1600-1667) left Leiden on the Speedwell, but it proved to be unseaworthy and returned to England. He is believed to be the son of William (1575-1631) and Cecelia Light Bassett. But Robert Charles Anderson in The Great Migration Begins [vol. I, p.130] says that it is "possible" that the William Bassett of Leiden in 1611 was the father of the immigrant to Plymouth in 1621, but there is no evidence directly favoring this hypothesis. William Bassett, the immigrant, arrived in Plymouth, in 1621, on the Fortune.  William married Elizabeth (nee unknown – not Tilden), in 1623 (or before), who may have been a passenger on the Fortune as well. He was a blacksmith and a gunsmith. Blacksmith tools were found within the inventory of his personal goods after his death. It is believed he was a well educated man since many books, some on theology, were found in his inventory, as well. He moved to Duxbury, MA arund 1637. He married a second time to Mary Tilden Lapham in 1651. All of his six children were with his first wife. It is unclear whether she died after the last child was born (c. 1634) or later.  They had six children:

          William          (1624-1670) m. Mary Raynesford – 3 children

          Elizabeth       (1626-1661) m. Thomas Burgess

          *Nathaniel     (1628-1710) m. Dorca Joyce – 10 children

          Sarah                     (1630-1712) m. Peregrine White – 6 children

          Ruth             (1633-c 1693) m. John Sprague

          Joseph         (c 1635-1712) m. Martha Hobart – 7 children

*Nathaniel started out in Duxbury but then moved on to Marshfield (both in Plymouth Colony). Eventually he moved to Yarmouth, located on Cape Cod where he lived until his death, at age 82. He and Dorcas had 10 children:

          Samuel         (c 1672-1760) m. Elizabeth Jones

          Dorcas          (c 1675-1707)

          Nathan         (1677-1723) m. Mary Crowell

          *Hannah       (c 1679-1741) m. Joseph Covell

          Sarah           (c 1689-c 1744) m. John Nickerson

          William          (c 1698-?) m. Martha Godfrey

          Nathaniel      (?-1728) m. Joanna Borden

          Joseph         (?-1750) m. Susanna Howes

          Ruth             (? - ?)

          Mary             (? – 1741) m. Thomas Mulford

                           Red dot indicates location of Yarmouth (pronounced Yah-muth)

*Hannah Bassett m. Joseph Covell, son of Nathaniel Covell and Sarah Nickerson. Nathaniel Covell became an indentured servant of Edward Winslow, of Marshfield in New England, on Apr 18 1653 in Chelmsford, England. Nathaniel arrived in Boston Aug 26 1653 and was assigned to Peregrine White, a step-son of Edward Winslow. Peregrine White is the first English male child born on the Mayflower while it lay at anchor in Cape Cod Bay. Peregrine’s father died in Feb 1621 and his mother, Susannah, married Edward Winslow. Peregrine married Sarah Bassett, d/o William and Elizabeth (unknown) Bassett. Through these marriages the Whites, Bassetts, Winslows, Covells and Nickersons all became inter-related, as the ensuing generations intermarried with each other.

*Hannah Basset and Joseph Covell’s farm was part of William Nickerson’s land and was located on the east side of Muddy Cove. Hannah and Joseph had 8 children:

          Lydia            (1701-?) m. Thomas Nickerson, s/o Thomas and Mary                                       Bangs Nickerson 

          *Sarah          (1705-bef 1790) m. William Nickerson, s/o William and                                        Deliverance Lombard Nickerson

          Constant       (c 1706-1772) m. Ebenezer Nickerson, s/o Thomas and                                      Mary Bangs Nickerson

          James          (c 1709-?) m. Mehitable Nickerson, d/o Samuel and Hannah                                       Hall Nickerson

          Joseph         (1710-?)

          Dorcas         (1714-1803 m. James Nickerson, s/o William and                                               Deliverance Lombard Nickerson

          Hanna          (?-?)

          Nathaniel     (?-?) m. Mary Chase

*Sarah Covell and William Nickerson had 12 children, all born in Chatham, MA:

         

          Absalom       (1724-?)

          Stephen        (1726-1801)  went to Barrington, NS, Canada

          Deliverance   (1728-1780)

          James           (1730-bef 1781)

          Mercy            (1732-aft 1805)

          *Elizabeth      (1735-1826)  went to Barrington, NS, Canada

          William          (1736-?)

          Lumbart        (1739-?)

          Susanna       (1741-?)

          Joshua          (1743-?)

          Gideon          (1746-?)       went to Barrington, NS, Canada

          Nicholas        (?-?)

At this point, my blog converges with a former blog on the Nickersons. I will just quickly list the remaining generations.

          Sarah and Williams daughter Elizabeth:

          *Elizabeth Nickerson (1735-1826) m. Archelaus Smith (1734-1821).                                            Their son Hezekiah –

          *Hezekiah Smith (1754-1834) m. Abigail Doane (1758-1847)                                                       Their son Stephen

          *Stephen Smith (1786-1870) m. Elizabeth Spinney (1789-1874)

              Their daughter Rachel

          *Rachel Smith (1823-1881) m. Samuel Scarr (1814-?) Their daughter                                        Mary Ellen

          *Mary Ellen Scarr (1854-1913) m. Henry Gordon Carmichael (1850-1910)

              Their daughter Nora

          *Nora Carmichael (1875-1921) m. Jesse Pye (1865-1940)

Nora and Jesse are my grandparents.

Plymouth Colony: Its History and Its People

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~bart/BASSETT.htm

http://massandmoregenealogy.blogspot.com/2014/04/joseph-covell-b-ca-1675-and-hannah.html

http://www.bassettbranches.org/dna/casestudy.shtml

The Mayflower Descendant: Volume 9 1907

Rumney Marsh Burial Ground

Rumney Marsh Burial Ground

This is a bit off my usual genealogy topic, but I found this so interesting I wanted to share it with everyone. In my early blogger days I had written some articles about Winthrop, MA, my hometown. So, in essence, this is a return trip to my homeland with another historical event that occurred on Aug 28 1926.

The Winthrop Sun Transcript publishes reprints of news items that happened over the last 100+ years, in a “Then and Now” column, by G. David Hubbard of the Winthrop Improvement and Historical Association. The event I’m referring to in this blog was a rededication exercise of the Rumney Marsh Burial Ground in Revere, MA. Mr. Frank W. Tucker of Winthrop read the names of the early residents of Pullen Poynte, which is the name Winthrop was known as in its earliest days when it was still part of Chelsea, MA.

Mr. Tucker read aloud the names of:

The Winthrop’s:

Deane Winthrop, d. March 16 1703, on his birthday at age 81 – the youngest son of Gov. John Winthrop. He had been a resident for more than 50 years. {His home is still standing and is the only continuously inhabited wood frame home in the USA. It is the site for many of the town’s social events.}

Capt. Jose Winthrop, d. Nov 15 1702 – the only son of Deane Winthrop to live to

maturity, but died at the age of 36.

Mercy Winthrop Haugh, d. Nov 16 1702 – the daughter of Deane Winthrop and the wife of Atherton Haugh.

Priscilla Adams, d. Nov 4 1702 at the age of 33 – a granddaughter of Deane           Winthrop.

Jotham Grover, d. Aug 5 1685 at the age of 35 – a grandson of Deane Winthrop.

Eiliah (sic.) Adams, d. May 26 1697 – at the age of 9 weeks – a great grandson of Deane Winthrop.

The Belcher’s and the Bill’s:

Jeremiah Belcher, d. Feb 4 1722 – He was a tenant of Judge Sewall on Hog Island and the first of the Belcher family to live in the area.

Joseph Belcher, d. Nov 15 1739 – He was the first Belcher to live at Pullen Poynte and was the husband of Hannah Bill. Hannah was the daughter of Jonathan Bill, who owned one-half of the Winthrop farm in 1720.

Tewksbury’s:

John Tewksbury, d. Apr 2 1829 at the age of 81 – His wife was Ann Bill Tewksbury and great-granddaughter of Jonathan Bill.

James Tewksbury, d. Nov 5 1800 at the age of 55 – He was the brother of John.

James Sargent Tewksbury, d. Nov 12 1837 – He was the son of James. He gave to the town the land that is the current site of the Winthrop Town Hall.

Floyds:

Sarah Floyd, d. June 16 1717, at the age of 75 – She was the wife of Capt. John           Floyd and the first of the Floyds to be buried at Rumney Marsh.

  

Find a Grave photo by Bill Boyington

Photo of Deane Winthrop House by Bill Boyington

Wikipedia – History of Revere

John Whipple 1617-1685

*John Whipple was first mentioned in the Colonial records in Oct 1632 when he was ordered to pay a small fee to his master, Israel Stoughton, for wasting shot and powder.  He was, at that time, about 14 years old. It is believed that he arrived in the new world with Israel Stoughton in 1631, who had sailed to the colonies on the Mary and John.  It is most often claimed that John Whipple was born in Bocking, Essex, England, since that is where Stoughton was from. But nothing has come to light to verify this.

By 1637, he had been given a grant of land in Dorchester, MA where he and his wife, Sarah, settled. His wife’s maiden name is not known. She is sometimes called Sarah Darling, but there seems to be no record of who she really was. There, eight of his eleven children were born. The youngest three were born in Providence RI. There is some confusion with John Whipple of Ipswich, MA, who some say was a cousin. This is still up in the air and may never be solved.  John Whipple of Dorchester was married c. 1638 while John of Ipswich was married in 1659. John of Dorchester and his wife are my 9^th gt. grandparents.

John and his family relocated to Rhode Island around 1659. In 1666, John Whipple became the owner of a piece of land, sold to him by Benedict Arnold, for £180. The deed dated “the tenth day of September in the 18^th year of the reign of our sovereign Charles II King of England, Scotland and Ireland…”  John’s son, John Jr., married Mary Olney and they lived in the house that had belonged to William Arnold, father of Benedict.

John acquired quite a bit of land in or near Providence but also land in Louquisset and other parts of RI. His Will of 1685 specifically states which sons were to receive which pieces of land. Some of these were 6 acres and one was 60 acres.

John served the community in several different capacities over the years. He was on the Town Council, served as Town Clerk at three different intervals, and was a Deputy of the RI Gen. Assembly 8 different times.

Their eleven children:

(Whipple)

John             1641-1700              m. Mary Olney

Sarah           1642-1710              m. John Smith

Samuel         1644-1711              m. Mary Harris

Eleazer         1646-1719              m. Alice Angell

Mary             1648-1698              m. Epenetus Olney

William          bef.1652-1712        m. Mary Tower

Benjamin      1654-1704              m. Ruth Matthewson

*David          bef. 1656-1710        m. Hannah Tower

Joseph         1662-1746              m. Alice Smith

Jonathan      1664-1721              m. Margaret Angell

Abigail 1665-1725              m. Stephen Dexter

David and William married two sisters, Hannah and Mary, both daughters of John and Margaret Ibrook Tower.

David and his family lived in Providence RI, on the estate he inherited from his father, until 1692. At that time he purchased the estate of John Blaxton, son of William. John’s father was the first person to settle within the original lands of Rehoboth, which today is in Cumberland RI. Capt. Joshua Hubbard married David and Hannah, in Hingham, on Nov 11 1677. His will is date Mar 24 1709 with Hannah as executor. 

*David and his wife Hannah had 8 children:

(Whipple)

Israel            1678-1720              m. Mary Wilmarth

*Deborah      1681-1755              m. Benjamin Tower

Jeremiah      1683-1721              m. Deborah Bucklin

William          1685-?                   m. Elizabeth Wilmarth

Sarah            1687-?                   

Hannah         1690-1708

Abigail           1692-?

Their daughter, Deborah married Benjamin Tower, who was her first cousin. Benjamin’s father, John Tower was an older brother of Deborah’s mother Hannah Tower Whipple and her aunt Mary Tower Whipple.

At this point, the Whipple line ‘daughter’s out’ and the family line continues with Tower. This family has been discussed in an earlier blog and explains how they ended up in a part of Nova Scotia, which later became New Brunswick. There is considerable reference to the Tower family and the families they intermarried with in the records of Sackville, NB.

Benjamin and Deborah married about 1699 in Rehoboth MA. They had 11 children:
(Tower)

Gideon         1700-1772              m. Mary Ray

Patience       1702-c 1743           m. Nathan Carpenter

Sarah           1704-1792              m. Elisha Sabin

Margaret       1706-1787             m. Jeremiah Bartlett

Zipporah       1709                      m. Joseph Jackson

John             1711                       m. Hannah Hancock

Hannah         1714                       m. William Hancock

Benjamin      1715-1792              m. Ruth Unknown

Hester           1718

*Joseph        1721-1761              m. Judith Briggs

Enoch           1724-1774

Joseph Tower was lost at sea in 1761. He had been a grantee of Sackville but did not take possession of his grant. He and his wife Judith Briggs had 7 children, the last one born posthumously. Judith and her children were in NB by 1770 when Joseph Jr. took possession of the grant, originally his father’s. This same Joseph eventually moved to Ira, VT, having married Ellen Mason. Nathaniel Tower married Lucy Tingley and, at some point, departed for Lennox PA. Another son, Joshua died as a toddler in RI. William was lost at sea and no records have been found to show he married or had children. Their daughter Lucy married Gideon Smith and remained in Sackville. The youngest child, born after her father was lost at sea was Nancy and she married Gershom Maxwell, in Sackville. The oldest child, Benjamin, married Anne Finney and they are my 5^th gt. grandparents.

The descent is:

Phoebe Elizabeth Tower m. Edward Buck

George Buck m. Phebe Palmer

Catherine Buck m. Edward Cole

Rebecca Cole m. Alexander Chambers

Alvina Broderick m. Patrick John Broderick  -  my grandparents.

I apologize for the lack of photos. I searched for anything pertinent associated with the people and places in this blog but was unable to find anything appropriate.

Papers of the Rhode Island Historical Society

The NEHGS for the year 1878, vol. XXXII, p. 426

The Annals of Our Colonists, p. 48

http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~rigenweb/articles/251.html     History of                  Cumberland RI

John Wheeler 1591-1670

It is claimed John and his wife, Ann Yeoman Wheeler, set sail for the colonies in March 1633/34 on the “Mary and John”.  They are my 8x gt. grandparents. FamilySearch says he was b. in St. Edmunds, Salisbury, Wiltshire, England, and that his father’s name was Domincke and his mother was Mercy (nee Jellye). Six of his children came with them but they left four sons in England. They settled in Aggawam, now known as Ipswich, in Massachusetts Colony. The following year they moved to the north side of the Merrimac River to an area which is now called Salisbury. By 1650 he was living in Newbury, MA where he died in 1670 at the age or 78. His wife, Ann, had died there Aug 15 1662. A transcription of John’s will appears in The Genealogical and Historical History of the Wheeler Family. 

John and Ann Wheeler had 12 known children:

(Wheeler)

Edward         b. 1612         remained in England

John             b. 1614         remained in England

Adam           b. 1616         remained in England

Elizabeth       b.1618          m. Matthias Button

William          b. 1622         remained in England

David            b. 1625         m. Sarah Wise

Mercy           b. 1627

Ann              b. c.1629      m. Aquila Chase

Thomas        b. 1629

Roger           b. 1631

*Henry          b.1634-1696 m. *Abigail Allen

George         b. 1637-?      m. Suzanne

*Henry d. 1696. His wife, *Abigail, was listed as a widow of Boston for that year, but I’ve found no death date for her. They also had 12 children:

(Wheeler)

Henry           1659-1684    m. Rachel Squires

Abigail 1661-?

William          1663-1704    m. Ann Phippen

Moses                    1665-?

*James         1667-1753 twin m. *Grizzell Squire (sis/o Rachel)

Ann              1667-1723 twin m. Thomas Riggs

Josiah           1669-1734

Ruth             1671-?

Nathaniel      1675-?          m. Mary Bridges

Jeremiah      1677-?

Benjamin      1682-?

Mary             1685-1777    m. Thomas Harris

*James Wheeler and his brother Henry married two sisters. Henry married Rachel Squires and James married her sister, Grizzell. James and Grizzell had 8 children:

(Wheeler)

*Abigail         1690-1733    m. *Ebenezer Martin

William          1691-?          m. Elizabeth Cole

Mary             1694-?          m. John Read

**James        1697-1740    m. Elizabeth West

Philip            1698-1774    m. Martha Salisbury

Rachel          1701-1755    m. Samuel Thurber

Squire           1703-?          m. Sarah Bowen

Ann              1705-?          m. Azariakim Peirce

A side bar on the Squires, to give a little background on them. Philip Squire was a brewer/distiller and a proprietor of Rehoboth, MA, although he didn’t live there. In King Philip’s War he was a Cpl. in Capt. William Turner’s Co. in Medfield. Although he continued to live in Boston, he did own lands in Rehoboth. Philip was b. 1642 in Escrick, Yorkshire, England and d. 1693 in Boston MA. He’s buried in King’s Chapel Cemetery in Boston. He married Rachel Ruggles, the d/o George and Elizabeth Ruggles. George was a weaver who migrated in 1633 from England. There are several versions of where he was born, none of which are proven. So for now, just England will have to do. By 1640, he had relocated to Braintree MA. George bought considerable acreage of land in Braintree over the course of time. He also deeded land to Rachel Squire, his daughter, adjoining land that she and Philip already owned. Later, after his death, his wife, Elizabeth, also deeded land in Boston to Philip and Rachel.

James and Grizzell relocated to Rehoboth MA where most of their children were born. They are my 6x gt. grandparents. Grizzell died sometime before 1738 and James remarried Elizabeth Brintnal from Norton MA. There was no issue from this 2^nd marriage.

It is important to note that James and Grizzell Wheeler were also the 4x gt. grandparents of President James A. Garfield. Their son, James, m. Elizabeth West in 1716. This couple had a daughter, Elizabeth Wheeler, b. 1717, who m. Ebenezer Ingalls. Elizabeth and Ebenezer had a son, Henry Ingalls, who m. Sybil Carpenter. Their daughter, Mehitable Ingalls married James Ballou. Mehitable and James’ daughter, Eliza Ballou m. Abram Garfield. Eliza and Abram were the parents of James A. Garfield, President of the United States. This makes me a 5^th cousin, twice removed of President Garfield.  

Back to James and Grizzell, their first born was Abigail, b. c. 1690 in Swansea.

She m.1, Ebenezer Martin in 1716, Barrington RI. 

{A short note on this location. Barrington was once part of Swansea but was eventually divided off when the state lines were created. Anyone doing research for this area would find it helpful to look at the history of both towns to see what might have happened before the state lines were              drawn.}                                                                         King's Chapel Burying Ground                                                                                                                    Boston MA

Abigail m.2, John West, brother of Elizabeth West. So, again, we have siblings married to siblings. Abigail m. John West and her brother, James Wheeler, m. Elizabeth West, sister of John. Whew!!!

*Abigail (Wheeler) and Ebenezer Martin had 4 children:

(Martin)

Jemimah       1717-?          m. Valentine Bowen

John             1718-?          m. Mary Reed

Ebenezer      1721-1769    m. Mary Bowen

Nathaniel      1722-1893    m. Susanna Kent

*Abigail         1725-c.1814  m.1 William Estabrooks; m.2 *Jonathan Cole

Ebenezer Martin d. 1727 and Abigail m. John West.

Abigail (Wheeler) and John West had 2 children:

(West)

Grizzel          1729-

Elizabeth       1733-1755    m. *Jonathan Cole

*Abigail Martin 1725-c. 1814 and William Estabrooks had:

(Estabrooks)

Elizabeth       1748-?          Believed to have died young

Grizell           1751-?          m. Jeremiah Alverson - relocated to Poughkeepsie                                                                                     NY

William          1752-1838    m. Miriam Thornton - they settled in Sackville, NB                                                                                       Canada

The elder William Estabrooks died in 1753, leaving Abigail with 2, if not 3, small children. Her half sister, Elizabeth West married Jonathan Cole in 1750, had two sons James and Edward, but then she died in 1755. Jonathan then married his sister-in-law, Abigail Martin Estabrooks in 1756.  This became a version of his, hers and theirs. Since we don’t know when Abigail’s first child died, this new marriage started out with either 4 or 5 children. They then proceeded to have 5 more. Another interesting connection is that Abigail’s older sister, who married Valentine Bowen, now became a cousin to her sister through marriage. Jonathan and Valentine were 1^st cousins, once removed, through Jonathan’s mother, Elizabeth Bowen Cole. Oh, what a tangled web we weave…….

Jonathan and Abigail Cole were the progenitors of the New Brunswick Coles. There are former blogs on them so I will only list the descent lines.

Jonathan and Abigail Martin Estabrooks Cole:

          Ebenezer and Margaret Wade Cole (his 2^nd marriage)

                    Edward and Catherine Buck Cole

                              Rebecca Cole and Alexander Chambers

                                        Alvina Chambers and Patrick John Broderick – my                                                                                      grandparents.

         

The reason it’s taking me so long to get blogs out is that I’m re-researching as I go. So much of what I have was done so long ago that I have found it necessary to go back and re-check that information. Fortunately, much of what I had was verified, but I did pick up new dates, additional siblings, burial information, etc., so although it was tedious at times, I do believe it was worth it. With so many searchable places on-line, I found an abundance of new additions, new research and new connections.

I hope you are able to find something to add to your research. 

The Genealogical and Encyclopedic History of the Wheeler Family

New England Families Genealogical and Memorials vol. 3

http://www.dartmouth.edu/~jac/cmc/at01/at01_013.htm

Barrington, Bristol Co., RI, Biographies, Part 2

Ship’s Registry – Canada

I was working diligently on a totally different subject which involved descendancy from William Marshall (1146-1219), when I unexpectedly hit a snag. I ran into a piece of data that had been used to verify a family line only to find out that it has since been discredited. This proves to me that I should go back and check documentations and verifications, every so often, instead of thinking they were carved in stone. Since I didn’t want to spread misinformation, I have tabled that blog until such time that more solid documentation can be found.

My replacement blog is very far from blood lines and who was who. My maternal ancestors hail from New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. I’d have to make a guess they all fall into three categories, farmers, ship builders and seamen. The areas around Hopewell, Dorchester and Sackville, NB, were noted for their ship building. So I have included a number of ship registrations that, in some way, were connected to my family. Perhaps you will find a connection to a name listed here, if you have family links to NB. I haven’t compiled NS information yet – another day, another blog.

Port of Registration: Saint John, New Brunswick

“Hattie C.” – A wooden schooner built in Hopewell. Gross and New tonnage were both 159. Registered in 1883; Official #85598. Sold to Rufus Palmer of Hopewell Cape, NB, a carpenter, dated Aug 13 1888, by Caleb Dowling. Other owners were: Mary M. Steeves, Mariner Teed, Martha Buck, Emma Backhouse and Bessie Backhouse. These parties sold their interests in this schooner to Frederick Clinton Palmer of Dorchester, NB, a merchant, on Aug 26 1902. The schooner was lost in a storm while captained by John Pynn.

“W. W. McLauchlan” This ship (type unknown) was registered on Aug 1 1903 in Saint John, NB. It’s Official # was 100070. Some of the shares of this ship were owned by D. Bennett, James G. Pye, Rufus J. Palmer, Ada J. Palmer and Sarah G. Palmer.  It was totally lost on Forcados Bar, Southern Nigeria on May 17 1909. Registry closed Jun 29 1909.

Port of Registry: Dorchester, New Brunswick

“Otis Miller” – This wooden schooner was sold to Alexander Cole of Dorchester, NB a Master Mariner, by Moses Miller. It’s gross tonnage was 113 and the net tonnage was 97. The bill of sale was dated Feb 23 1906. The Registry date was Mar 13 1906. The Official # was 103268. Frederick Clinton Palmer was also listed as an owner. Wrecked at Martin Head, NB and was a total loss. Registry closed Sep 26 1938.

“Sarah Chambers” – A three-masted barque; British sailing vessel, round stern, constructed of wood. Built Jul 21 1874, Master: John Rutherford; Builder: William Hickman; Registered Sep 1874 @ 3:00 p.m. Official # 71042, gross tonnage 1036, net tonnage 921. James Chambers, shipbuilder, Dorchester, NB owned one share. Originally there were ten owners dividing 64 shares. By Sept 1874 there were 14 owners. Sold to Wilhelm Volichens of Hapsburg, Germany for 1900 £, in April 1891.  [My note- James Chambers is my 2^nd gt. grandfather and his wife was Sarah Chambers. Although I have no way of knowing if this ship was named after my 2^nd gt. grandmother, I’ve always wanted to believe that it was. Such a romantic thing.] 

“Flying Scud” – One deck with poop, 2-masted brigantine, square rigged. Registered: 1876; Official # 71046; gross tonnage 355, net tonnage 297. Builder: George Buck and also owner. He held 4 shares. DeMill Buck, farmer, owned 60 shares. George Buck sold his shares to Mariner [this is the man’s first name] and Josiah Wood, merchants for the sum of $1200 @ 6% interest. Expired Feb 3 1876. Master: Thomas Lewis Dixon. Ship wrecked near Manchuria, China, Sep 27 1878 and condemned by a board of Surrey and sold with her cargo on Oct 1 1878. Registration forwarded to London via Ottawa, Jan 23 1879. Registry closed Dec 31 1878.

“Bessie May” – Sailing vessel, one deck with poop, 2-masted brigantine, square rigged. Registration was 1875 and the Official # was 71049. Gross tonnage was 352 and net tonnage was 285. Master: John Wilmot Buck, owned 8 shares, bill of sale May 5 1876. Builder: Edward Chambers; William Edward Buck owned 2 shares; Robert Buck owned 2 shares; James Richard Buck, farmer, sold to William E. Buck, Master Mariner, 8 shares on Apr 23 1887. Sale registered on Jul 2 1887 at 11:00 a.m. Edward Chambers sold 8 shares to Willard Smith on Nov 23 1876. Edward Chambers sold 8 shares to Charles Upham Chandler, ship owner and builder on Jun 30 1880. Sale registered on Jul 2 1880 at 2:00 p.m. Edward Chambers sold to Alexander Black, 2 shares on Oct 4 1880, registered at 2:00 p.m. on Oct 6 1880. Edward Chambers sold to Alexander Black on Oct 11 1882, 4 shares, registered on Oct 14 1882 at 3:00 p.m. J. W. Buck sold 8 shares to Peter J. Harris at #11 South St. NY, NY on May 21 1877 and the registry date was Jun 11 1877. There is no indication of this registry being closed or the remaining history of this ship. [Each time a sale of shares occurred, the sale had to be registered]

“Ruth Palmer” – 3-masted barque, round stern, wood construction, sailing vessel. She was built in Dorchester, NB and registered there in 1875, Official # 71044. Gross tonnage was 948 and net tonnage was 856. Owners: Charles Smith, holding 8 shares, Joshua King, holding 4 shares, Philip J. Palmer, holding 4 shares, Gideon Palmer holding 48 shares. Master: Charles Smith; Builder: Gideon Palmer. Joshua King died Sep 20 1891. His will was dated May 1 1884 appointing William Backhouse and Henry Emmerson executors. The will was proved Oct 12 1891 in Probate Court. They sold 4 shares to Philip J. Palmer on Oct 10 1891.

“The Queen of the Fleet” - 3-masted barque, round stern, wood construction. Builder: Gideon Palmer, owned 64 shares. Master: William Milner. Registry date was 1876 and Official # was 71051. Gross tonnage: 955; net tonnage 869. She was built and registered in Dorchester, NB. Gideon Palmer died on Jun 20 1880. His will was dated Mar 9 1880 appointing Hiram Weldon Palmer, Philip Jeremiah Palmer and Marcus Barlow Palmer as executors. The will was approved Jun 28 1889. The three men were listed as ‘Gentlemen.’ Ship sold on Apr 16 1895 to Augustus Philip Ralph, Broker of London, England for not less than 500£. Sold to foreigner at Liverpool, England, May 24 1895. Registry closed Jun 10 1895.

“Bertha Anderson” –  A wooden barque, built and registered in Dorchester, NB. Gross tonnage: 544; net tonnage: 473. Official # 71057.William Cochran sold to James Chambers, shipbuilder, 2 shares on Dec 20 1877. Registered Dec. 21 1877 at 2:00 p.m., who in turn sold to Sir Albert James Smith, 2 shares on Dec 20 1878. Registered on Dec 23 1878 at 11:00 a.m. Burned on the island of Martinique, West Indies, Jun 27, 1888 and was totally destroyed. Registry closed Sep 22 1888.

“Matilda Buck” – sailing vessel, 2-masted wooden brigantine, round stern, built in Rockland, NB, registered in Dorchester, NB, Official #71058, gross tonnage: 278; net tonnage: 227. Master: Charles A. Buck. Gideon Buck owned 4 shares. Charles A. Buck sold to William E. Buck, Master Mariner, 2 shares on Jun 11 1878. This sale was registered Jun 12, 1878 at 11:00 a.m. The ship was stranded at Presque Island, NB on Mar 30, 1884.  It was towed to Boston and sold to American citizens. Registry closed on May 29, 1884.

“Johnny Smith” – A wooden brigantine built and registered in Dorchester, NB, Official # 71045. Year of registration was 1875. James Chambers sold 1 share to Sir Albert James Smith, barrister, Nov 20, 1878. The sale was registered on Nov 28 1878 at 11:00 a.m. James Chambers sold to William Hickman, 1 share, same date. Vessel was wrecked, foundered near Scotland Jun 1880.

“Robert Chapman” – A wooden barque, built in Rockland and registered in Dorchester, NB in 1874. Official # 71043, gross tonnage: 1009; net tonnage 907. Nehemiah Cole owned 1 share which he sold to Robert C. Chapman of Rockland on Jun 18 1880. Sale registered on Jun 23, 1880. Gideon Palmer owned 4 shares in 1879.

“Jennie”  - Wooden Schooner built in Tidnish, NB. Builder: Edward Chambers, registered in Dorchester, NB May 28 1881, Official # 79905, gross tonnage: 91; net tonnage: 81. Joshua King and Hiram Weldon Palmer each owned 16 shares apiece. Registry closed Mar 11 1887.

“P. J. Palmer” – A wooden barquentine, built and registered in Dorchester, NB, Offical # 79907. Registry date: 1881. Philip J. Palmer owned 38 shares; Hiram Weldon Palmer owned 4 shares and Marcus Barlow Palmer owned 8 shares. Transferred to Lowestoft, Suffolk, England, Oct 15 1896. Registry closed same date.

“H. W. Palmer” – A wooden barquentine built in Dorchester, NB.Owned by the Palmers, Philip J. held 56 shares, Hiram W. held 4 and Marcus B. also held 4. Master: Charles Marshall Anderson. Registered in Dorchester: 1882, Official #79911, gross tonnage 484, net tonnage 382. Sold foreign Dec 2 1893. Registry closed Dec 16 1893.

“Jennie Palmer” – Wooden schooner built in Dorchester, NB and registered there Aug 8 1889. The Official # 79919, gross tonnage 77, net tonnage 66. Owned by the Palmers, Philip, Hiram and Marcus. Master: John Alexander. This ship was registered again, Using the same Official # in 1907. It is listed as ‘broken up’ and the registry was closed May 29 1918.

“Ethel Emmerson” – Wooden schooner built in Dorchester, NG, registered on Jul 5 1882 in Dorchester. Shipbuilder: James Chambers; Master: Elias Tower, who owned 8 shares, gross tonnage: 204, net tonnage 171, Official # 79910. Abandoned at sea off Pollock Rip, Nantucket Shoals, Massachusetts, USA on Dec 2 1892. Registry closed Dec 31 1892.

“Sarah Godfrey” – A wooden schooner built in Rockland, NB, registered in Dorchester, NB, May 7 1883, Official # 79912, gross tonnage 191, net tonnage 163. Master: Ebenezer Cole Palmer, owned 6 shares. Builder: Philip J. Palmer,  owned 2 shares; owner: Robert Chapman. Hiram W. Palmer also owned 4 shares.

“Emma C.” – 2-masted schooner, one deck, square rigged sailing vessel built in Dorchester, NB, gross tonnage 106, net tonnage 92, registered in Dorchester, NB  Aug 3 1883, Official # 79913. Owners James Chambers, 39 shares; William Hickman 4 shares; Alexander Black, 8 shares. Ship Joiner: Will Chambers owned 2 shares. Master: William E. Buck. Registry transferred to Annapolis on Sep 1 1884 after sale of vessel on Dec 10 1883. Registry closed on Sep 1 1884.

“C. U. Chandler” – Wooden schooner built in Rockland, NB. Registered in Dorchester, NB in 1881; official # 79906, gross tonnage 103, net tonnage 91. DeMill Buck owned 13 shares and Robert Buck owned 2 shares. Burned on Oct 8 1888, condemned and sold. Registry closed Oct 18 1888. This schooner was re-registered in 1889 in Saint John, NB. It was then listed as ‘broken up’ and the registry was closed on Feb 21 1900.

“Alexander Black” – A wooden barque built in Harvey, NB and then registered in Dorchester, NB on Jun 19 1891. It’s Official # was 79920, gross tonnage: 629, net tonnage: 504. Mary Mildred Buck owned 6 shares; Master: Lemuel Allen Buck. Walter Cole owned 32 shares. Abandoned at sea (waterlogged) near Progress, Mexico. Registry was closed Mar 3 1913.

Port of Registry: Sackville, New Brunswick

“Alaska” – A sailing vessel built in 1884 by Thomas Egan of Sackville. The owners were Philip J. Palmer, shipbuilder, Hiram W. Palmer, shipbuilder and owner and Marcus Barlow Palmer, shipbuilder. Robert McHaffey, Master Mariner. It was registered in 1884 as a wooden schooner, built in Sackville, NB. The Official Registry # was 77897. Its gross tonnage was 126 and net tonnage was 118. It was lost at sea Jul 1, 1912. The registry was closed and sent to Ottawa.

Henry Swan – This wooden schooner was built in Richibucto, NB and registered in 1903. It’s Official # was 75902. Its gross tonnage was 65 and net tonnage was 63. It was captained by F.W. Cole. The ship was broken up and the registry was closed Jan 18 1911.

“Annie G.”  - Wooden schooner built in Dorchester, NB and registered there in Jul 1886. The Official # 79917, gross tonnage 121, net tonnage 103. The Palmers, Philip, Hiram and Marcus all owned 3 shares each. Master: Albert Cole, builder: Thomas Wilbur. Stranded off of Negro Head, NB Dec 5 1888, registry closed Dec 18 1888. Wrecked in Nov 1898.

                                                                  Barque

In closing, I will add that I am related to many of the people mentioned in the registries, such as James Chamber (2x gt. grandfather) other Chambers, the Bucks, the Palmers, the Coles and the Towers

                                                                                                                                                                              Brigantine

Wikipedia

Microfilm: Canadian Ships Registries

http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/ship-registration-index-1787-1966/Pages/search.aspx