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