Historic Nantucket, October 1958, Vol. 6 No. 2

Historic Nantucket

SAUL'S HILLS From a lithograph by Ruth Haviland Sutton

OCTOBER, 1958 SIXTY-FOURTH ANNUAL MEETING Published Quarterly by

NANTUCKET HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION NANTUCKET, MASS.

NANTUCKET HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION OFFICERS President, George W. Jones.

Vice-Presidents, Howard U. Chase, Burnhami N. Dell, Stokeley W. Morgan, Everett U. Crosby, Miss Grace Brown Gardner, W. Ripley Nelson.

Secretary-Treasurer, Miss Ethel Anderson.

Auditor, Ormonde F. Ingall.

Councillors, George W. Jones, chairman; Mrs. Cyril C. Ross, Albert Egan, Jr., term expires 1959; Mrs. William L. Mather, Mrs. William Perkins, term expires 1960; Richard J. Porter, Oswell J. Small, term expires 1961; Robert C. Caldwell and Alma P. Robbins, term expires 1962.

Publicity Committee, W. Ripley Nelson, chairman.

Honorary Custodian of Collections, Mrs. Nancy S. Adams.

Custodian of Collections, Mrs. William Mather.

Finance Committee, Stokeley "W. Morgan, chairman.

Editor, Historic Nantuchet, Miss Alma Robbins, Mrs. Margaret Fawcett Wil­ son, Assistant Editor.

Exhibits Publications Committee, Burnham N. Dell, chairman, Mrs. John Bartlett, Mrs. William Perkins, Miss Ruth Haviland Sutton.

Chairmen of Exhibits, Fair Street Museum, Mrs. William Mather; Whaling Museum, W. Ripley Nelson; Oldest House, Mrs. William Perkins; Old Mill, Robert Caldwell; Old Jail, Oswell Small; 1800 House, Mrs. Nancy S. Adams.

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HISTORIC NANTUCKET Published quarterly and devoted to the preservation of Nantucket's antiquity, its famed heritage and its illustrious past as a whaling port.

VOLUME 6

No. 2

OCTOBER 1958

few M3S^\o\ P

.. J?/CONTENTS

\ASMS8A-..V^4TED

Nantucket Historical Association Officers

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Annual Meeting: President's Report

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Annual Meeting: A Report

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Editorial .— ----—The Nantucket Migrations, by Edouard A. Stackpole ......

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The First of a Series of Articles.

The Nantucket Historical Association Map

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Joseph's Tooth, by W. Ripley Nelson Nantucket Artists, by Louise Stark

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Continued from July issue.

History Making Events of 1958

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Keziah Coffin Fanning's Diary—Continued

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Legacies and Bequests

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The Watch Tower

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Historic Nantucket is published quarterly at Nantucket. Massachusetts by the Nantucket Historical Association. It is sent to Association Members. Extra copies $.50 each.

Membership dues are — Annual-Active $2.00; Sustaining $10.00 ; Life—one payment $50.00.

Entered as Second Class Matter, July, 1953, at the Post Office, Nantucket, Massachusetts Copyright 1958 Nantucket Historical Association Communications pertaining to the Publication should be addressed to the Editor, Historic Nantucket, Nantucket Historical Association, Nantucket, Massachusetts.

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President's Report The attending members at the annual meeting of this Associa­ tion are confident that they will of necessity have a report from the president to which they will have to listen.

I have read the annual proceedings from the time that this body was organized and I fail to find any year in which the presi­ dent had nothing to say.

Some of these addresses I have found exceedingly interesting and they all have had the purpose of informing the members of activities and notable occurrences over the preceding year.

What my predecessors have endeavored to do and what I in turn would like to accomplish is the creation of a stirring interest of our members in the activities and accomplishments of this Association.

We are over 1000 members strong. Think of it! From a small group of people intensely interested in the affairs of Nantucket's significant past we have grown to this number. If every member of this organization was as enthusiastic as that group things would hum.

If every member sent in but one idea or suggestion a year think of the material that would be offered your Council to work with.

We desire such cooperation and would welcome constructive suggestions which I am sure would stimulate both the sender and the recipient to greater efforts in behalf of this work.

It is often well for an organization like ours to examine its objectives and determine whether it is accomplishing those things for which it was originated.

As a non-profit organization gaining almost its entire income from admission charges to exhibits and membership dues it should be, and I believe it is and has been our object, to furnish informa­ tion and service to all sincerely interested persons seeking knowl­ edge from our local history.

Our greatest effort is quite naturally made here on the Island where our exhibits and records exist but we should not forget

PRESIDENT'S REPORT

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that many people outside this locality are extremely interested in things and people of Nantucket's past.

Every book that is published connected with this past, every visitor who, going through our exhibits has his curiosity stirred by our ancestors' works and deeds, every person who comes to have a feeling of strong attachment to this Island should have our cooperation in cultivating those feelings. I am happy to say that I believe that all the attendants in our several exhibits are doing their part to accomplish those results; may we as individual members follow their examples.

I am not going into detail about each of our several exhibits as I feel that that should be the privilege of each exhibit chairman and I refer you to their reports in the July issue of Historic Nan­ tucket.

There are, however, a few things upon which I would like to remark and I will do so briefly.

The Old Mill lost two vanes during a heavy wind in May. This was not an insurance-covered damage and the cost of re­ pairs amounted to several hundred dollars. The expense to us was lightened considerably by the generosity of a friend and member who was instrumental in the donation by his company of the two large timbers necessary for this work. Repairs are finished and the mill is completely rigged and assumes its cus­ tomary appearance on the sky-line.

The first floor of the Whaling Museum which was found to be in a rotten condition last season has been completely repaired under the able supervision of Chairman Nelson and a new con­ crete floor has been laid to replace the old wooden one. New tile completes the work and makes the floor attractive as well as permanent.

All of our other exhibits appear to be in satisfactory con­ dition after a few minor repairs were made following winter storms and childish mischief.

I regret to announce the death of Mr. George T. King who had been for several years our attendant at the Old Jail. He died suddenly near the end of the last exhibit season and we feel his loss.

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HISTORIC NANTUCKET

Mr. Oswell Small, chairman of this exhibit, was fortunate in obtaining the services of Mr. Chester Faunce, Sr., for this position. Mr. Faunce is doing a fine job for us there and I feel sure will help advance the popularity of this structure.

Past President Nancy Adams can always be counted on to give generously of her time and ability when and where it is most needed. Last year she acted as hostess at the Fair Street Museum with her usual graciousness and efficiency. This year we find her as Chairman of the 1,800 House showing her adaptable qualities.

Miss Alma Robbins, who took on the editorship of His­ toric Nantucket in January, following the resignation of W. Ripley Nelson who had originated and edited this publication for five years, is to be complimented on the product of her endeavors. She has now assumed the additional duties of hostess at the Fair Street Museum and seems to be enjoying her work there quite as much as the Council enjoys having her there.

I take this occasion to thank all the officers, councillors, and custodian attendants individually and collectively for the fine work they are doing and continue to do for this organization. With­ out the cooperation of all these people the services rendered the public would be reduced and therefore our value to the com­ munity lessened.

Your Council was happy to assist in an exhibit of Nantucket art given at the Taylor Galleries in June and early July. We were asked for and granted the loan of several paintings both from Fair Street and the Whaling Museums. The exhibit was well at­ tended and was a complete success.

Among our acquisitions during the past year were two sets of records and letters which hold considerable interest as connect­ ing links with the height of the whaling industry here.

First are some account books from the business owned and operated by Chas. and Henry Coffin, builders and residents of two of the fine brick houses on Main Street. They were merchants and ship owners and along with the account books came a series of letters written by their ship captains in the Pacific Ocean furnish­ ing information about whaling conditions, news, provisions, ex­ pected length of voyages, etc.

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Another set of similar account books was acquired which covers the ten years' business association of John Barrett (who built the house next west of Fair Street) and George Upton from 1836 to 1846. They also were merchants and owners of the ships.

The collection of letters written by, to or about Captain Henry Phelon, who married Mary Ann Folger of this town in 1829, cover a period from 1820-51. Henry Phelon came to Nantucket from Springfield at 18 years of age and shipped as a foremast hand on the ship "Spermo" in 1,820.

His second voyage was as an officer on the ship "Swift" which brought home the largest cargo of oil by a single ship entering an American port up to that time—1825.

He subsequently, in 1833, was master of the ship "Omega" landing 2904 bbls. of sperm and then in 1841 as master of the "Three Brothers" turned up on the wharf 2719 bbls.

Thus we have another glimpse into the busy commercial per­ iod of Nantucket's life during the first half of the nineteenth century.

I believe it is most fitting to mention at this meeting the birth of another organization which it now seems apparent will be able to go far in protecting the historic heritage which we have here in Nantucket.

I refer to the Nantucket Historical Trust formed in Septem­ ber, 1957, the avowed purposes of which are, and I quote, "preserving, restoring, repairing or maintaining buildings, monuments, sites and property, real and personal of historic sig­ nificance or educational, aesthetic or cultural value on Nantucket Island".

This Trust has already purchased one of the five historic properties on Main Street (formerly the Wallace Mansion) for the purpose of preventing further commercializing of this resi­ dential section.

I express the hope and belief that in the years ahead this endeavor will bear fruit which will be enjoyed by many genera­ tions that follow us.

I now take the occasion to say a few words about the cele­ bration of the 300th anniversary of The Island's acquisition by its first white settlers, which will take place in 1959.

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HISTORIC NANTUCKET

Work by the Steering Committee having this celebration in charge was halted for some time early this year due to the death of the technical director, who was the speaker here last year, Mr. Edward Terran.

It was necessary to get another concern to handle the many details and Newsome and Company of Boston have taken charge of this work.

I believe they fully realize the type of dignified celebration which most of the people, both permanent and summer residents, desire and will work diligently toward that purpose.

It seems apparent now that no State funds will be available and whatever is accomplished will be done by our own local efforts.

Many of our summer friends who have become more familiar with what the Steering Committee is trying to do have come forward to lend a helping hand. As this is an historic event our Association is necessarily much interested and I trust the members will lend their enthusiastic aid in making it a success.

I express the warm greetings from myself and I am sure all other members to Mr. Everett U. Crosby who was unable to at­ tend this meeting but who has been, through many years, a strong supporter of our Association and its purposes and has given will­ ingly of his services both as a Councillor and Vice-President, and friend.

I wish to note here and extend congratulations to Dr. Wm. E. Gardner on the completion of another in his series of books based on Nantucket facts and families. This one is called "Triumphant Captain John" and "Gardners and Gardiners" and throws some light on the relationship and personalities of some of the most important early settlers in Nantucket.

We are pleased to note another literary achievement by one of our members who has been for some years past interested in the activities of this Association. I refer to Mr. Harmon Tupper whose account of his Pitcairn Island endeavors appeared in the May issue of the Reader's Digest under the name "Many Happy Returns from the South Pacific". This account of friendly contact with the inhabitants of this far distant island won the $2,500 award given by the Readers' Digest each month for the selected account of a "First Person" experience. We congratulate Mr. Tupper on this achievement.

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As we have learned from the Treasurer's report we are rea­ sonably well over on the black side of the financial ledger and expect to continue in that desirable location.

I conclude this report with a feeling of confidence that we can look forward to another successful year in accomplishing the purposes of our organization.

Thank you for the confidence which you have indicated by electing me to this office for a third year and I assure you I will endeavor to carry out the duties of the office to the best of my ability.

July 15, 1958

George W. Jones, President

Photo by Universal Photo Shop

Mr. George W. Jones, president of the Nantucket Historical Associa­ tion receiving the painting of the Old Mill (1746) by artist Lloyd P. Harting, from F. Gregg Bemis of the Bemis Bag Company at the Annual Meeting.

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The Sixty-fourth Annual Meeting of the Historical Association The sixty-fourth Annual Meeting was held in the Great Hall of the Atheneum July 15th at two o'clock in the afternoon.

The President of the Association, Mr. George Jones, presided.

The reports of the secretary and treasurer were read. All other reports were accepted as published in the July issue of Historic Nantucket.

The proposed "purposes" clause amending the Certificate of Incorporation, a copy having been sent to each member, was read and unanimously approved by vote.

The purposes for which the Nantucket Historical Association was incorporated shall be: "Collecting and preserving historical relics, documents, books, etc.; to participate alone or with others in preserving, restoring, and (or) maintaining and exhibiting historic buildings, sites, or areas; to receive and accept bequests of money and property; to accept loans of personal and real property for exhibition; to raise money by solicitation or borrowing for operating and other expenses; to erect new buildings or to add and improve existing buildings; to do everything necessary, suitable, proper, desirable, or incidental to the foregoing; to do all things conducive to or expedient for the pro­ tection or benefit thereof; including buying, selling, holding, using, leasing, mortgaging, and disposing of real and personal property of every nature; to take any action and to do anything not contrary to the foregoing stated purposes, nor to the limitations placed upon a gift or bequest by its donor and not contrary to the by-laws or regulations of the Town and County of Nantucket, the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, or of the United States of Amer­ ica."

The President then gave a report of the activities of the Association for the year (see page 4).

Mrs. Walton Adams, chairman of the nominating committee, read the report of the committee, and presided until the follow­ ing officers were elected: President, George W. Jones; VicePresidents, Grace Brown Gardner, Everett U. Crosby, Howard

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U. Chase, Burnham N. Dell, W. Ripley Nelson, Stokeley W. Mor­ gan; Secretary and Treasurer, Miss Ethel Anderson; Auditor, Ormonde F. Ingall; two Councillors to serve until 1962, Robert C. Caldwell, Alma P. Robbins.

The elected president for the ensuing year, Mr. Jones, intro­ duced Mr. Bemis of the Bemis Paper Bag Company which was founded in 1858. Mr. Bemis explained that the company's first order which insured their success was for bags for a flour mill.

Following that original order the milling industry has continued to contribute greatly to the company's success. For this reason he had been inspired to use original paintings of old mills for their Christ­ mas cards. He then commissioned Lloyd Harting, artist, to paint the Old Mill at Nantucket for their 1957 cards. And it is the orig­ inal of this painting which the Bemis Bag Company now presents to the Nantucket Historical Association.

The president accepted this splendid gift on behalf of the Association.

The President then called upon "one who is a member, has been an officer, and chairman of the Council, and above all has always had great interest in the Association; one everyone loves to hear speak, Dr. Will Gardner."

Dr. Will then spoke of the many times he had walked over the ground near the fountain on the Madaket Road and recalled how Peter Folger had loved the land for which he had the original grant. Peter Folger, you will recall, came here to teach the Indians before the white settlers arrived. Peter's youngest child was Abiah. She married Josiah Franklin who was a widower with seven children. Abiah Folger Franklin had ten children by Franklin and the youngest, Benjamin, became the famous statesman, in­ ventor, writer, and was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. Therefore it seemed appropriate that a seat, with shrubs and trees planted about, with a tablet marking the site of the house where Benjamin Franklin's mother was born be placed.

It was for this reason that he had introduced Mr. Tom Hallowell and asked him, "Who owns this land?"

Mr. Hallowell responded by stating that he "happened to be in the position of owning that particular tract of land" and would be very happy to turn over to Mr. Jones, President of the Associ-

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HISTORIC NANTUCKET

ation, a lease of the land, and should the Nantucket Historical Association later desire to own the land he would gladly give it in Dr. Gardner's name since the idea for the appropriate use of this site was entirely his.

Mr. Jones then spoke of the good fortune in having both Dr. Gardner and Mr. Hallowell as long-time generous friends of the Association thanking them for the prospective memorial.

Mr. Edouard Stackpole, past president of the Association, and now curator of the Mystic Seaport, Mystic, Conn., spoke briefly at the president's request. He mentioned meeting the greatgreat-grandson of Fletcher Christian, of Pitcairn Island. And again he reminded all of the great heritage we have on this Island which, as times goes on, becomes more valuable. Mr. Stackpole's wit and enthusiasm drew the usual enthusiastic applause.

Before the conclusion of the meeting, Miss Mary Turlay Rob­ inson suggested that more could be done to interest young people in the work of the Association and suggested a Junior Auxiliary.

Announcement was made of the Maria Mitchell Association's 50th anniversary, and the lecture to be held in the Great Hall this evening.

Thus was closed the Sixty-fourth Annual Meeting of the Nantucket Historical Association. (This is, in part, the Secretary's report of the Annual Meeting.)

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Editorial This is the fourth issue of Historic Nantucket which we have had the responsibility of editing.

Last year, some months before the January 1958 issue was due to be mailed, responding to the request to take over from the previous competent and energetic editor, Mr. Ripley Nelson, there was much quaking in the editorial shoes. What bothered us most was the fear that justice would not be done to the truly vast quantity of inordinately interesting historical data which we have literally at finger-tip.

Any misgivings which dog our footsteps now are due to our awareness of inexperience for the quick and wonderful response of persons who have been requested to give us suitable articles on pertinent topics has lifted our spirit high. Busy people, individuals with many interests and responsibilities have spent hours on re­ search and writing. These people love Nantucket, its past, and have, as we have, an urge to convey to others something of its history. What reading the way of life and the travels of those pioneers makes! To all of those who have responded so promptly with fine articles we give grateful thanks and hope they will "come again."

This year we did not attend the annual meeting but instead gave attention to the Meeting House and Fair Street museum.

This is a new and fascinating experience. To greet so many visitors (in a world that sometimes seems to be on fire) who have sincere interest in all that the museum has to offer and go about satis­ fying this interest with quiet persistence is a source of pleasure; uplifting is the word!

And then there are the questions which are asked.

"Where can I buy wall paper like this?" (Referring to the framed sample from the walls of the William Coffin House on Union Street, dated 1819).

"My great-grandfather belonged to Quaker Meeting in the early 1800's. His name was Dewitt. Can you tell me when he be­ longed to this meeting and when he was transferred to another meeting?" (We do have the Quaker Meeting records, you know.

And we did find Quaker Dewitt, when he was admitted to Meeting membership and when he was given a certificate to another Meet­ ing.)

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HISTORIC NANTUCKET

"Where are the marble stones set in the streets to mark the boundaries of the Great Fire?" (Well, where are those marble markers!)

"What were those sand-shakers that look like salt-shakers used for in the Pacific Bank?"

"Blotters."

"Really? Are you sure?"

"How many calves does a whale have during its life?"

That whale of a question was referred to the Whaling Museum and the Maria Mitchell Scientific Library!

The researchers cheer us, too.

There's the gentleman who studied old records sifting them for a word about Indians. The gentleman who examines each word about Maddequet with a glass lest he miss a name or a date. And the several ladies and gentlemen too, who study the old pictures earnestly. We study them also. They are engrossing. Sherburne Town, the Old Swain House built in 1672, and many others.

There is infinite variety of detail to draw on in Nantucket's history. We hope to find facts that will interest each one of you; arouse your interest in the 300th Anniversary celebration in 1959; and promote your enthusiasm for supporting the Nantucket His­ torical Association. The Association exists for you and needs your continued interest and support.

This picture of the Old Swain House at Polpis was taken some more than fifty years ago and is one of several copper plate impres­ sions of Nantucket and Siasconset loaned to the Nantucket Historical Association by Mr. Lawrence Roberts of West Medford, Mass., son of the late Henry Roberts, a Nantueketer."

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The Nantucket Migrations

BY EDOUARD A. STACKPOLE

This is the first of a series of articles on Nantucket Migrations by Mr Stackpole who is well known to all of you as he was for several years president of the Nantucket Historical Association. Mr. Stackpole has writ­ ten a complete history of American Whaling, adventure stories with Nan­ tucket locale, and many historical articles and pamphlets. We are fortunate to have Mr. Stackpole's continued interest in this Association and all things which pertain to Nantucket. We welcome him especially at this time as Contributing Editor to The Inquirer and Mirror, a position which he has recently added to his present interests as Curator of the Mystic Marine Museum, Mystic Seaport, Conn.—Editor's Note.

During recent years, those interested in Nantucket's unique history have been intrigued by the several articles written about Nantucketers moving to Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, which ulti­ mately reached settlement at Milford Haven, Wales. Perhaps some of the background to that unusual migration will prove of interest.

With the success of the whalefishery during the first decades of the eighteenth century came certain economic developments

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HISTORIC NANTUCKET

and changes in the island town of Sherburne. Despite the financial support which the community received from such good times) there were certain groups who were not content with their life in this island community, for social as well as religious reasons.

Not that there was any serious cleavage in the dominant Quaker faith at this time, this was to come later, but natural differences in individuals was a determining factor.

The privateers of France and England had taken their toll of Colonial shipping for decades, and Nantucket whaleships were captured on the Grand Banks, off Bermuda and in the West Indies.

Unquestionably to some, this brought not only the loss of relatives and comrades but financial ruin.

The capture of Louisburg was followed by the conquering of Nova Scotia by British arms — all prefacing the fall of Quebec.

The expulsion of the Acadians from their homeland was a political move, suggested by Massachusetts authorities, as it was believed the colonization of this section of Nova Scotia by English colonials would remove the threat of the French return to this section by the "back door. Halifax was not then the leading seaport of that Province and Annapolis Royal had to be protected.

It is likely that in 1759-60, when the colonials were invited by the British home government to move to Nova Scotia, more than one Nantucket family considered the proposition. Knowledge of the proposed area came from the Acadians themselves, who in 1/58 were dispersed throughout the British colonies, including Nantucket.

The first inkling of the acceptance by island men came in 1760, w hen Reuben lolger, Joseph Worth and Shubael Folger, as a committee from Nantucket, and Amos Knowles, of Barnstable, communicated with the Council of Nova Scotia as to settling at Cape Sable, Barrington township, in that Province. The committee lepresented forty-eight families, of which thirty-five were Nantucketers. _ *n t^ie diary of Dr. Geddes of Barrington is written: "In the spiing of 1762 came the Quakers of Nantucket. Some of them settled in the town and Hill, and others on Cape Island."

One can easily trace the migration as to the time of the event, but it is difficult to visualize the hardships involved and the men-

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tal anguish endured by the participants. First of all, it meant exile from an island home, where family ties were much closer than we of today may imagine. By the standards of that time, they were leaving a prosperous, a well ordered community for a wilderness, with little prospect of meeting again. That there were extraordinary motives was clearly evident. For the women and children it must have been heart-breaking — for the men not so great a wrench, as they were equally at home on the sea as on the land.

According to the contemporary records, out of the forty-eight families known to have participated in the migration to Barrington, Nantucket had thirty-five mentioned. However, only five of these were represented by more than one person. Dr. Geddes believes they came "on speculation", and that the experiment was made from a business standpoint. The whalemen and fisher­ men from Nantucket were joined by the fishermen from Chatham on Cape Cod, led by Capt. Amos Knowles. Codfishing was one of the main businesses of Colonial times, and the Cape Codders were among the most proficient.

In the spring of 1761, the first of the migrating families ar­ rived at Cape Sable. The fleet from Chatham brought twelve families, and the Nantucketers an equal number. The islanders and the Cape Codders joined their fleets so that the vessels sailed in company, following a course agreed upon. At night they kept in touch by showing lights and by blowing conch shells duiing the inevitable fogs they managed to keep together.

It is known that Edmund Doane, one of the Chatham men, had his two-story house put aboard his vessel in sections. Un­ fortunately his sloop was wrecked before starting. Undaunted, he salvaged his house and goods and chartered another sloop. Other colonists carried their cattle, grain, hens, pigs, horses, furniture and household supplies with them.

The list of Nantucketers included the following: Shubael Folger, Joseph Worth, Reuben Worth, Joseph Worth, Jr., Thomas Worth, Francis Worth, James Williams, Stephen Barnard, Simeon Coffin, John Coleman, Simeon Gardner, Solomon Gardner, James Gardner, Eliphalet Gardner, Benjamin Gardner, Solomon Cole­ man, Peleg Barker, Zacheus Gardner, with his entire family, Elisha Coffin, with his wife and four children; Jonathan Pinkham,

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HISTORIC NANTUCKET

with his wife and two children; John Coffin, Elijah Swain, Seth Paddock, Benjamin Folger, Shubael Folger, Jr., Samuel Russell, Chapman Swain, Benjamin Barney, Timothy Barker, James Bunker, with his family, Reuben Folger and family; Jonathan Worth.

In this total of forty-eight islanders, it is apparent that only five brought their entire families at first. It was well that only a few wives and children were to spend that first winter in the new settlement, as it was a record-cold winter, and the colonists lived for the most part on eels, clams and fish. Dr. Geddes mentions that they "knew little of woodcraft", hinting that the whalemen had little success in killing wild animals for food.

Discouragements were to come with the next winter as well.

In 1763, Charles Morris recorded: "There are few people of ability (as woodsmen) among them, and the need of craft for fishing keeps them poor and necessitatious. They suffered extremely last winter."

As was to be expected, the colony did not remain intact. A dozen Nantucketers returned to their island home after the first winter, to resume their former vocations on the island.

During the first year (1761-1762), the Cape Sable colony was joined by a group from Plymouth, so that the settlement included folk from three different places in Massachusetts Bay — Nantucket, Chatham and Plymouth. From this fact alone it is fair to assume that the availability of land in this part of Nova Scotia was important only in its proximity to the sea and the fishing grounds close at hand.

Of the forty-eight Nantucketers originally arriving at Cape Sable, approximately thirty-five remained. Jonathan Pinkham was a moderator at one of the first meetings. The islanders chose to remain together as, in the lay-out of land, the Cape Codders were granted a north section and the Nantucketers a south por­ tion. Thomas Worth was chosen as surveyor. It is apparent that the old proprietory division was established as Shubael Folger was selected the Chairman of the Proprietors and James Bunker be­ came Proprietor's Clerk. The division of land was voted in 1764, no doubt adopting the lay-outs as originally settled.

On Apiil 24, 1766, a meeting was held at Edmund Doane's,

THE NANTUCKET MIGRATIONS

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with Captain Knowles as the moderator (both of the Cape Cod clan), and it was voted to lay out the town lots "beginning at a stake as formerly set up and known as the dividing line", with Cape Codders' holdings north along shore and Nantucketers' south along shore.

According to the minutes of the Council of Nova Scotia on Nov. 13, 1764, Elijah Coffin, Zacheus Gardner, Joseph Worth, Thomas Worth, Jonathan Coffin, Daniel Vinson, Jonathan Worth, Simeon Gardner, John Colmine and Peleg Bunker sent a mem­ orial to Governor Parr for the lay-out of land on Cape Island "where they have built houses and other conveniences and be­ stowed a great deal of labor". This memorial was rejected. But the later vote of the people themselves indicates that they were determined to legalize their homesteads as far as practical them­ selves.

Three years later — Nov. 1767 — a tract of land was laid out to seven Nantucket memorialists between Little River and Cook's Point on the west side of Cape Sable. (This is not to be confused with the Sable Island so far off shore from Nova Scotia's mainland.)

Another indication of how determined the Nantucket band was in setting themselves up as a community separate from their associates is shown by their intermarriage and their continuance as a Quaker group intact. The first child born to the migrating island group was Tristram Coffin, son of John and Mary, who was born in 1762. The first girl born was Elizabeth Gardner, daughter of Simeon and Mary in 1764. John and Mary Coffin had a second son, Zebulon, born in ll63.

The Cape Cod group had a courageous woman among them, Mrs Edmund Doane of Chatham, who became a nurse and whose exploits became legend. But her chief claim to fame came later because her grandson was John Howard Payne, author of Home, Sweet Home". Payne's grand-father on his paternal side was Lieut. William Paine, who was killed and buried at the siege of Louisburg in 1745.

By 1767, Barrington township had grown to a population of three hundred and seventy-six people — all but eleven of whom were New Englanders. Jonathan Pinkham was selected a Com­ missioner of Highways in the community and Benjamin Folger

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HISTORIC NANTUCKET

was Proprietor's Clerk. It is known that Peleg Coffin, Zaccheus Barnard and Timothy Bryant lived at Cape Negro. Francis White, who lived with the Nantucket group, was Barrington's represent­ ative in the Provincial Parliament.

The subsequent development of the township indicates that the little colony held its own. However, there has been no docu­ mentation of what eventually happened to all the individual Nantucketers. It is known that John Coffin left the group in 1772 and came back to Nantucket; Simeon Bunker sold his share in 1774 and returned home; Benjamin Folger sold out in 1772; Richard Worth sold land in Oct., 1770, the deed dated at Nantucket; and Peleg Bunker returned to Nantucket about the same time. James Bunker was lost at sea in 1772, and his widow was left with five children. She eventually married Tomas Smith.

Other individuals who are recorded were Capt. Elijah Coffin and Peleg Coffin who moved to Prince Edward Island and Benja­ min Gardner, Cordwarner, who married Sarah Long at Nantucket and later appears to have settled at Liverpool, N. S. It was inevitable that the War of the Revolution would find the little colony as much between two fires through family ties as it was geographically. The capture of their vessels by both Continentals and British Naval craft was bad enough, but the laids of the Loyalist refugee privateers brought further hardship and suffering. There is a tradition that one of the latter craft— a Shaving Mill at one time put in at Barrington and one of the men went ashore to inquire for "Aunt Polly". The lady is thought to have been Polly Swain.

recorded in the Massachusetts Archives. The food into Port Roseway, N. S., according to the records.

THE NANTUCKET MIGRATIONS

21

On Sept. 17, 1780, Freeman Gardner, Peter Coffin and Samuel Hopkins, all of Cape Sable, N. S., petitioned "for leave to exchange fish for household supplies," and the Massachusetts legislature granted the proper permits on Sept. 11. Salem representatives to the legislature protested, accusing the Barrington folk of providing aid and comfort to the enemy through such permits.

During the War several Nantucketers returned home, as noted, but John Coffin was still recorded as "of the town of Bar­ rington"; Solomon Gardner, "at the Hill"; Chapman and Joseph Swain, "at Port la Tour"; and Jonathan Pinkham "at Cape Sable".

Among Nantucket whaleships captured during the early years of the war was the "Alliance". She was taken into Halifax and the crew imprisoned aboard. One night John Coffin and Richard Pinkham escaped by swimming ashore with their clothes tied in a bundle on their backs. Making their way down the coast, they found sanctuary at Barrington, where John Coffin's aunt resided.

Matthew Pinkham, the younger brother of Richard, hearing of his brother's imprisonment and not knowing, of course, of the escape, joined a privateer, the "Hound", and was promptly dis­ owned by the Society of Friends. After the War, Matthew was in command of one of the whaleships which sailed out of Dart­ mouth, Nova Scotia, after the removal of the Nantucket colony to that place.

The expulsion of the Loyalists from New England resulted in the relocation of numerous groups of these unfortunate people in Halifax, and in settlement at several localities in Canada, the best known being St. John, New Brunswick. Another such settle­ ment was created by these Loyalists at Shelburne, Nova Scotia, close to Barrington. As might have been expected, these people found themselves in a similar position as those of Barrington.

The New Hampshire Gazette in 1784 printed a letter from Halifax, dated Oct. 4, in which it was stated: "Our port is shut against the New England people and they are not permitted to enter, neither to buy or sell. . . . we may suppose they will retaliate. There are great disturbances among the people of Shelburne, so much so that the 17th Regiment is ordered there immed­ iately to keep them in order."

22

(These Nantucket Migrants left "Sherburne"; when they returned they found "Nantucket."—Ed.)

Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Philip Hofer, Harvard College Library, Cambridge, Massachusetts, Department of Graphic Arts. A view of Nantucket from the house of Walter Folger. Watercolor by Phebe Folger (his daughter), Nantucket 1799.

(The Walter Folger house stood on the South-East corner of Winter and Liberty streets H B. Worth, Vol. 2, Bulletin No. 6, Page 283—Nantucket Lands and Land Owners).

It is wondered if this could not have been only partially true, and that discontent was being called a revolt for propaganda reasons on the part of the letter writer.

1he question naturally arises: Did many of the Barrington colony join their fellow Nantucketers when the Dartmouth mi­ gration occurred in 1786?

One is known to have done so — Captain Jonathan Coffin.

But a mere intriguing question comes to the fore: "Did the little group of Nantucketers who came to Cape Sable in 1761 have a part in persuading Samuel Starbuck and Timothy Folger to petition Governor Paro for settlement at Dartmouth in 1786?"

THE NANTUCKET MIGRATIONS

23

It is well to note here that although the stories behind both migrations are forgotten there are still descendants of the Nantucketers living in both localities, and at least one resident of New Bedford at the present time can trace his descent from a settler at Barrington.

While the settlement in Nova Scotia was struggling to exist, another group migration of Nantucketers took place — this time to North Carolina. Individuals among the islanders also removed to Saratoga County of New York State. Almost simultaneously in 1785 occurred two removals of Nantucket groups — one to Claverock Reach on the Hudson and the other to Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.

It is this Dartmouth migration that will occupy our attention in the next chapter of "Nantucket Migrations".

m

25

The Historical Association Map This map of Nantucket streets locating each of the six ex­ hibits of the Nantucket Historical Association has been especially prepared by Ruth Haviland Sutton, Nantucket artist, whose deli­ cate and exceedingly accurate lithographs of Nantucket frequently appear on the cover of Historic Nantucket.

A facsimile of this map has been in a case outside of the Whaling Museum this season for all to study and locate the exhibits quickly and easily.

Miss Sutton spent long hours in research before starting work on this map that the details might be exact. Not only is the Historical Association seal in perfect reproduction but the rope and nautical knots which frame the map are authentic.

Dick Williams, The Cooperage

26

Joseph's Tooth Older Than Susan's Teeth

BY W. RIPLEY NELSON

Rarely does a woman brag of her old age and even more rarely can she brag of the age of her teeth. But Susan of Nan­ tucket has been doing just that for many years, especially since Everett U. Crosby published in 1955 his book "Susan's Teeth".

Susan was different, however, from most women for when born in 1826 she weighed 349 tons and was ship rigged with Frederick Swain as her master and Aaron Mitchell owner-manager on her earliest voyages which were all to the Pacific. Needless to say Susan of Nantucket was a ship.

Susan's first voyage was from August 21, 1826 to October 27, 1829 and it was during this voyage that Susan cut her seven famous teeth, which, for the benefit of the uninitiated, were scrimshawed whales teeth. These seven teeth, according to Mr. Crosby, are the earliest teeth, of which there is a record, scrim­ shawed aboard an American whaleship with the date, name of ship and its master.

The owners of Susan's teeth and the date on each of the teeth as recorded by Mr. Crosby follows, the first five being owned on Nantucket Island.

Dated Owner December 10, 1828 Miss Pauline Brown December 28, 1828 Everett U. Crosby January 13, 1829 Hon. Breckinridge Long February 6, 1829 Winthrop Williams August 22, 1829 Nantucket Historical Ass'n Peabody Museum, Salem, Mass.

January 2, 1829 Peabody Museum, Salem, Mass.

January 22, 1829 There was at one time an eighth tooth, present owner and existence now unknown, which belonged to Clifford Ashley, one of the best authorities on scrimshaw, and author of "The Yankee Whaler". He is quoted as having stated: "The earliest piece of dated scrimshaw I am able to describe is the tooth in my collection decorated on the first voyage of the Susan of Nantucket in 1829."

All facts seemed to substantiate the claim that "Susan's teeth" were the earliest or rather the oldest pieces of dated scrimshaw.

Early in August of 1958 the Nantucket Historical Association

JOSEPH'S TOOTH

27

received from Miss Mildred Howland Brooks of Madaket and Belmont as a gift, a whale tooth which had belonged to her grand­ father, Joseph Palmer Sylvia. Looking for an appropriate loca­ tion for the newly acquired tooth Mrs. Herbert Foye, who is in charge of the scrimshaw collection at the Whaling Museum, naturally gravitated to the case containing "Susan's tooth" while carefully inspecting the tooth in her hand as a possible addition.

The quiet of the Scrimshaw Room was suddenly blasted by her startling exclamation—"Eureka!!! It just can't be!!! But yes, it is—it is older than Susan's teeth!!!" True it was, for there in her hand she held a whale's tooth with the inscription etched thereon in clear old fashioned script: "This is a tooth of the last whale, Killed by Joseph P. Sylvia, In the Ship Rambler In the year 1821 Captain Benjamin Worth, Master. " Starbuck's History under whaling voyages includes the fol­ lowing data—"Ship, Rambler; Captain, Benjamin Worth; "Whaling ground, Pacific Ocean; Date sailed, Nov. 21, 1818; "Date Returned, Oct. 31, 1821; Result voyage Sperm Oil 2040; "Built in Kingston 1818; Out of Nantucket".

Thus "Susan's teeth" have lost to "Joseph's tooth" by seven and eight years their claim of being the earliest scrimshaw with the date, name of ship and its Master, but the Whaling Museum of the Nantucket Historical Association has gained the enviable right to claim ownership of what appears to be "the earliest piece of dated scrimshaw", namely a whale's tooth identified and dated 1821.

"Joseph's tooth" is 7V2 inches long, 8 inches maximum cir­ cumference and 2 inches maximum thickness. It is an unusually perfect and well preserved specimen of a whale's tooth. It is a true relic of old Nantucket dating from (1) the end of the first voyage of the Rambler, out of Nantucket with a Nantucketer as Master and (2) the end of the last voyage of a Nantucketer, Joseph P. Sylvia, by whom it was marked — proudly — as a mem­ ento of the last whale he killed. "Joseph's tooth" is now on ex­ hibition in the Scrimshaw Room at the Whaling Museum of the Nantucket Historical Association.

2.8

Early Nantucket Artists

BY LOUISE STARK

(Continued from the July 1958 issue.)

James Walter Folger James Walter Folger was truly a Nantucket Artist. He was a great grandson of The Honorable Walter Folger, the celebrated astronomer. Early in life he became an orphan; his father, a Captain in the Merchant Service, was lost in Puget Sound and his mother died shortly after. After finishing Nantucket high school, he went to Cambridge to learn wood carving. He found advancement slow and so procuring a kit of tools went to Boston and worked as a journeyman. He returned to Nantucket and made a specialty of carving animal heads. Then he went back to Boston where he had a good job doing ornamental carving. He worked there a year when a fire destroyed his tools and the accumulation of years' work. He returned again to Nantucket and only left to go to Boston in 1915 to have one of his legs amputated after a fall.

He did paintings, in oil and water color, sketches in crayon and pencil. He also carved birds, gulls and miniature scenes using one solid block of wood for each of these. If one mistake was made, the whole carving had to be discarded. These carvings were of the Oldest House, wrecked ships and whatever appealed to him. "His duck and bird panels, carved from solid blocks of cherry and other hard woods were purchased by summer residents for $200 for a piece of work less than two feet square." (Nan­ tucket paper, 1918.) These wood carvings were later colored with water colors. I have seen two of these in Mr. E. U. Crosby's house and found them most interesting. One of his paintings in Mrs. Walton Adams' house shows James Walter Folger him­ self with white hair, a beard, and spectacles sitting by a fire (The first half of this article, "Early Nantucket Artists," ap­ peared in the July issue of Historic Nantucket. Mrs. Stark is one of Nantucket's well known artists. We hope many of you had the op­ portunity of seeing the exhibition of her fine paintings at the Kenneth Taylor Gallery this summer. She spent hours in enthusi­ astic and painstaking research before completing this article and we are happy to have this splendid record of Nantucket's artists.)

James Walter Folger, Artist and Wood-carver, Mantucket, Mass L Photos by Bill Haddon

30

HISTORIC NANTUCKET •i '

'

mending his pants, trying to thread a needle while his landlady, Mrs. Tilly Joy, is peeking around the door watching him. The room is a typical Nantucket one with a big fireplace and wide floorboards. The panelling is painted a green blue over the fire­ place. It shows excellent detail and good drawing. Another of his oil paintings is in Miss Grace Brown Gardner's house. It is of Owen Spooner, an old man with white hair and beard sitting by a fireplace with all his navigation instruments around him.

Owen Spooner was a mathematician and sailor. Both of these paintings have charm, simplicity and reality.

One of his most ambitious paintings was Brant Point and the Entrance to the Harbor in 1820.

Brant Point and Entrance to Harbor 1820 shows the "Joseph Starbuck" whale ship being built. In the cradle is the ship "Planter", to the right of the lighthouse is the bark "Peru", the first vessel to use the camels, being towed in by the steamer "Telegraph". This was painted in oil by James Walter Folger in 1909. He gathered all the historical data available for it before painting the picture. This picture's history was interesting—from old Nantucket newspapers I found it was finished in 1909 and he had hoped the Historical Association would buy it. In 1910 a notice in the paper offered it for sale with all the valuable data of the period he had secured. In 1913 it was still offered for sale.

How heartbreaking this must have been for him. This was finally bought by the Sea Cliff Hotel and then by Gordon Folger for the dining room of the Gordon Folger Hotel.

He did many Nantucket scenes, The Old Round Top Mill, Quaker Lady sitting by her spinning ivheel, and Salt Haying in Nantucket, but where these have come to rest I do not know — wish I did. Miss Grace Brown Gardner says he carved gulls that were wonderfully realistic, and I would like to see these too, but could not track down any on Nantucket. He was an authentic portrayer of the people and scenes of his day and I liked the simplicity of his style.

James Walter Folger died in Tewksbury, Massachusetts, in 1918; he had never married.

Wendell Macy Wendell Macy was of Nantucket descent, and painted many summers on Nantucket. At different times he had studios on

EARLY NANTUCKET ARTISTS

31

Pleasant Street, and Main and Orange Streets. He lived in New Bedford in the winter.

His most admired work appears to have been The Wreck of the Schooner Warren Sawyer. From old newspaper accounts he did five different versions of this and I would like to have seen one of them. One, shown at Congdon's Pharmacy in 18.85, "rep­ resents the vessel as she appeared one misty morning, her top masts and the water beyond clouded by a light fog. The work of discharging the cotton (the ship's cargo) is in progress, and there is everything lifelike about the work." (Nantucket paper 1885.)

He did several oils of the same ship, one with more sea to be seen, another of the same wreck showing remains of the schooner after being pounded by heavy surf. From a clipping in the Nan­ tucket paper in 1886: "This is the finest Marine painting this artist has produced, in which all the life and grandeur of the scene has been portrayed with a faithful hand." This one was shown at Congdon's Pharmacy and shortly after exhibited at the Corcoran Gallery in Washington. I believe this was the one in strong light.

He did panels representing scenes of the island in 1885 and a large painting of the town from which lithographs were made.

Five crayon portraits were on exhibit at Ellis Fine Arts Rooms in 1874.

Henry Carlisle has a crayon portrait of Zenas Coffin said to be an excellent likeness.

The Dartmouth Club of New Bedford bought the painting by him called The Last Days of Napoleon.

In 1876 as a relaxation from painting he made a model of a steam fire engine of the Amoskeag pattern complete in every part. This was made of metal and threw water.

"Wendell Macy had several oil paintings. His oil of taking kelp from the seashore was true to life, oxen, driver and the man with shoulder at the wheel were lifelike portraits. Aunt Dinah feeding her fowl was good. The picture of the 'W. F. Marshall as she lay on the beach at Mioxes had fine points." From a Nan­ tucket paper, 1877.

He did paintings of sheep, calves' heads, and horses' heads that were greatly admired.

32

HISTORIC NANTUCKET

In 1889, I find, he did two interiors for the Nantucket Energy Club, a theater group. One was a farmhouse kitchen, the other a parlor interior.

The only paintings of his I have seen are two of an old man working in the Old Mill and one of "Our Island Home , a side wheeler. The two mill paintings were realistic, solid pieces of work done in yellows and browns. In one a tall bearded man in peaked cap is feeding the ground meal into bags and every detail in the mill is clear and sharp, cracks in the boards, stair­ way, and bags of meal. In the other the same old man is working on a great wooden circular platform and the style and colors are the same.

The painting of the old side wheeler, "Our Island Home", is sharply defined, and well drawn. The sky is a cheerful sharp blue and the waves look like real waves.

Wendell Macy's work is technically accurate and the colors are vigorous and full of vitality.

W. Ferdinand Macy (Born 1852—died 1902) W. Ferdinand Macy was born in New Bedford in 1852 and died in Pembroke in 1902. He was a direct descendant of Thomas Macy of Nantucket. At eighteen he went to New York where he was a pupil of R. Swain Gifford and Eaton, the portrait painter.

For a few seasons he had a studio in Nantucket on Orange Street and one on the North Shore and the pictures he painted of island scenes are among his best known works. His marshes and marines are considered his best.

"The artist has put upon a large canvas the autumn glories midway between Siasconset and the bluff at Sankaty and trans­ ferred the rich scarlet and purple tints of the hills. The sheep, vigorously drawn, a view of the distant lighthouse and the ocean breaking on the beach." (Nantucket paper 1881.)

"W. Ferdinand Macy has done a mantel with panels in the Springfield House. In the center is a marine landscape sunset on the ocean. The sky is luminous^ and the turbid sea bearing a floating spar is full of motion. A lone gull swoops down from the upper air. The other panels have island grasses, lilies, peacock's feathers, an owl and a lovely female form." I went to the Spring­ field House but the panels are gone.

EARLY NANTUCKET ARTISTS

33

In 18,84 he had on exhibition in New Bedford eight oils, five of which were Nantucket scenes—Sankaty Head, Nantucket from the North, Sunlight and Shadow, Autumn Twilight over the Nan­ tucket Moors, and Golden Rod and Asters.

In 1887 in Wendell's Hall he exhibited an oil of Sankaty lighthouse with the bank and commons in fall colors.

Ferdinand seems to have been of a fairly tempestuous nature, as the following account from a New Bedford paper on October 1, 1887, shows.

"Considerable excitement was caused in New Bedford Monday at five o'clock by W. Ferdinand Macy, a well known artist, who threw open the window of his studio in the second story of the Masonic Building and leaped out. He landed on the awning of Briggs and Lawrence's furniture store. This split and he fell to the sidewalk. He was not seriously injured. A crowd gathered, and he said he jumped to save his life. His clothes were torn and his face was bloody. He was in his studio when Alexander Cumming, brother of Arthur, teacher of drawing in the public school, came in and accused him of calling him and his brother liars and cowards. Alexander then struck Mr. Macy, knocked him down and kicked him. Mr. Macy broke away and jumped from the window. His wounds were treated at a drug store and he then swore out a warrant against Cumming. In District Court the next day Cumming pleaded guilty and was fined one cent and costs, as matters had been satisfactorily settled. I suffered wondering what they argued about—art—each other s talents?

Unfortunately, I could find none of his paintings on Nan­ tucket.

Benjamin Tobey (Born ca. 1847—died 1912) Benjamin Tobey was born in Nantucket around 1847 and died here in 1912. He was the son of Albert and Nancy J. Tobey and lived at one time at 105 Main Street, now the Kilvert house.

His great-granddaughter is Mrs. Roy Sanguinetti. He was a pop­ ular vocalist as well as an artist. In a Nantucket paper I read his renditions of "Beautiful Flowers", "The Irish Emigrant's La­ ment", and "The Lord's Prayer" were soulful and stirring.

In 1876 he did a painting of two wrecks on the South Shore.

In 1877 Benjamin did a view of Weeweeder. In the Nantucket

34

HISTORIC NANTUCKET

newspaper in 1877: "The painting shows fishermen fishing for blue fish from the shore." (Even in those days the lure of surf fishing gripped the islanders.) The method used was called "heave and haul." The fishermen were quite expert in hurling out a heavy drail with line coiled on the beach which they grasped after the throw. He had another painting that year of Captain Burgess baiting his trawls.

In 1888 at the Art Store on Federal Street "he exhibited a fine landscape called Over the Creeks". I have seen this at Mrs. Roy Sanguinetti's house. It is a good-sized oil of sunrise coming up over a creek, pale pink sky, shimmering early morning water, the typical Nantucket moor foliage, a fenced farm in the background and gulls overhead. The colors are soft greys, browns and silver. Mrs. Sanguinetti also had two small oils by him—one of a boy standing in a field with a milkpail with the Old Mill in the background, and the companion piece is a young girl in a daisy spotted field, holding a rake with a haystack in the background. These are charming, the colors soft yellows, browns and muted greens.

In the Atheneum there is only one by Benjamin Tobey, Cap­ tain George Haggerty's Shop on Liberty Street. This painting shows a cobbler working on a shoe, a young girl and her mother in the clothes of the nineties waiting their turn. The style of this is far more primitive than his later work.

In 1878 he did sketches of the Old Mill, The Wrecked Bark W. F. Marshall and Return from Pond Fishing.

Nantucket paper in 1,878: "There is a large oil painting of the wrecked Italian Bark 'Papa Luigi C' as she appeared before having been boarded from the shore. This is so well executed the people on the beach in the foreground can be recognized. A boat's crew is pulling off to the wreck in rugged seas. Mr. Tobey throws great life into the picture." I would like to have seen this paint­ ing but had no luck in finding it. He also did Tivilight on the Moors and Sankaty Lighthouse, neither of which I could find.

From his obituary in the Nantucket paper in 1912: "Some­ times he would take up his violin and play, sometimes seize his pallette and brushes and bring home charming paintings. He liked the calm of our island ponds and moorlands."

Alexander Seaverns Alexander Seaverns taught school on Nantucket in the late

EARLY NANTUCKET ARTISTS

35

1800's and, in 1926, Miss Ruth Sutton mentions knowing him in Springfield, Massachusetts, where he did wood engravings. He died in 1932 in the Alms House in Springfield.

Seaverns' most popular painting, done in 1909, was one of a Quaker grandmother sitting by a Nantucket fireplace with her knitting, a typically sleek Nantucket pussy cat dozing at her feet. This is done with meticulous care and attention to detail. I have only seen photographs of this, so cannot describe the color.

Mrs. Sanguinetti owns a water color by Seaverns of the autumn moors and a moor pond which I have seen. This again is done with great attention to detail, so that each bush and piece of shrubbery can be recognized. The colors are true, but the style is so detailed that the painting is lost in a maze of intricate drawing.

Eastman Johnson (Born 1824—died 1906)

From 1870 to 1887 Eastman Johnson lived and worked at Nantucket during the summer and fall seasons. His studio was on Cliff Road just above the Sea Cliff Inn. There he painted and sketched many Nantucket persons and scenes. Eastman Johnson was born in Lovell, Maine, in 1824. At sixteen he worked in a lithography shop in Boston where Winslow Homer also was employed. From his stay here he derived virile draughts­ manship and a telling manner of using flat areas of light and shade.

He went to Augusta, Maine, and did a series of portraits for the Maine legislature. In 1845 he moved to Washington and did portraits of members of the Senate. In 1849 he sailed for Europe and studied at Dusseldorf. From 1851 to 1855 he worked at The Hague copying Rembrandt and painting portraits with such success that William the third wanted him to stay as court painter.

In 1856 he was in Paris in the atelier of Couture.

He returned to America and sought out native scenes in Wisconsin, Kentucky, and lastly Nantucket. He died in 1906. He was compared by Parker Lesley to Eakins and Homer.

Nantucket was lucky to have so skillful and sympathetic a representative of the life, people and costumes of the mid-century.

He did excellent portraits of many of the people of that day.

36

HISTORIC NANTUCKET

There are several of Peter Folger, a friend of Eastman Johnson.

Peter Folger was a direct descendant of Peter Folger, the grand­ father of Benjamin Franklin. His great-great-grandfather, Peter Folger, built and owned the three-decker at 51 Centre Street.

He was a substantial citizen of the island and so appears in the portraits. There is one of him called Justice of the Peace owned

by E. U. Crosby of Orange Street. The color and treatment of this is reminiscent of Rembrandt.

In the Nantucket Historical Association is one of Robert Ratcliff whose life and association with Nantucket is most inter­ esting. Ratcliff was born in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England, in 1794. He became a seaman on the ship Northumberland, which took Napoleon Bonaparte to St. Helena. He was friendly with the Emperor. He fought in the battle of Copenhagen under Lord Nelson, and was on a merchant ship which was wrecked on the south shore of Nantucket in 1820. He stayed here the rest of his life, lived on Quince Street, and opened a shop as a master rigger.

He died in 1882.

This portrait shows a shrewd and kindly face which has an adventurous quality about it that might be expected from the sitter's life.

One model used many times was Captain Myrick. Captain Myrick's face might well interest any portrait painter. He has large haunted dark eyes that seem to have known more than their share of the sorrow and hardships of the world. He is always in the beaver hat and swallow-tailed coat of the mid-century. His white chin whiskers and longish white hair make him picturesque.

There is one of him before a typical Nantucket fireplace leaning on his cane and staring sadly or reminiscently into a fire. This is called The Embers. The Fair Street Museum has an oil of Captain Myrick, which I believe is a study for this painting.

The New Bonnet in Metropolitan is a Nantucket interior with hooded brick fireplace, white painted panelled walls, mid-century costumes, an old man warming by the fire with a beard, beaver hat, swallow-tailed coat, and two women looking at a new hat.

I had not realized how much people in the nineteenth century dressed up in Nantucket. How strange today's shorts, jeans, bath­ ing suits would seem to these well and austerely covered people.

Cranberry Pickers is an unfinished sketch owned by E. U. Crosby. The colors are very pleasing and soft—yellows, browns and ochres.

EARLY NANTUCKET ARTISTS

37

Photo by Bill Haddon

This painting of Captain Myrick by Eastman Johnson is hanging in the Fair Street Museum of the Nantucket Historical Association.

He did many scenes of the daily life in Nantucket of that day; cranberry picking, corn husking (the corn husking is still done in the beaver hat and swallow-tailed coat), winding yarn in a typical Nantucket kitchen, women talking on a beach in long skirts, bonnets and long jackets. Certainly unlike the abbre­ viated bathing suits of today!

A Falling Market interested me. It is a painting of a sad

38

HISTORIC NANTUCKET

old man with stacks of corn meal bags and no customers, looking out of the window of the interior of an old wind mill.

The old man sleeping in a chair is a sad and superb painting.

Eastman Johnson was a great portrait painter as well as a painter of daily scenes. Some of his portraits of Nantucket people give me the feeling he painted them because they fascinated him and he loved them.

No artist I've found of Nantucket subjects has given me as much a feeling of the island and its people in the time he painted as Eastman Johnson. Nantucket is fortunate to have had such a devoted and skilfully trained artist so engrossed in the island.

The MacDougalls There were three MacDougalls painting in Nantucket in the nineteenth century.

John Alexander MacDougall (1811-1894), who visited in Nantucket and painted there many summers. He had the first shack on Dionis, which he used as a studio. He did water colors of the beaches, landscapes of the island, and miniatures. I could find none of his work on Nantucket.

John Alexander MacDougall, Jr., (1843-1924), his son, painted many summers in Nantucket. He studied in France and taught at Cooper Union forty years. When he retired, he bought a house and lived the rest of his life in Nantucket. He did portraits, miniatures and land and seascapes in oils, pastels, and water colors. His pastels of the Nantucket moors have never in my opinion been equalled. He captured the feathery, spring look, the vermillions and reds of the fall and the bleak and frozen grasses of the winter moors. Mrs. Hugh MacDougall has a superb col­ lection of these.

Robert Bruce MacDougall (1873-1931) also painted many summers on the island. He studied at the New York School of Fine Arts and taught at Cooper Union and New York College. His landscapes in water colors and oils of Nantucket are interesting.

The oils are by far the stronger. Mrs. Hugh MacDougall has sev­ eral of these.

Annie Barker Folger (Born 1852—died 1941) Annie Barker Folger, born in 1852, painted on Nantucket for many years and died here in 1941. She studied at the Art Students League in New York and was a charter member. She also studied under John MacDougall, Jr.

EARLY NANTUCKET ARTISTS

39

She has eight exquisite pastels of Nantucket in the Fair Street Museum. These are full of sunlight and shadow and true Nantucket color. These are placed in a very poor spot and badly framed, which seems a shame to me, as they are some of the best representations of Nantucket houses and streets of the late nine­ teenth and early twentieth century. I wish they could be better hung and framed.

Mrs. Frank Lewis has a pleasing pastel of Annie Barker Folger's of Main Street with autumn colors on the trees and the red brick of the old houses and white clapboard making a lovely color composition.

Mrs. Roy Sanguinetti has several exquisite water colors done in the late 1800's that are interesting. One by Bricker of the Nantucket ocean shore has the most realistic waves I've ever seen; another of the shore with waves and seaweed well executed

by J. P. Hunting and three water color harbor scenes by Paskell that are good.

George Cass, Fannie Macy, who did panel painting, Dwight Reynolds and William Macy were other names that painted in this era. Mr. William Macy had a picture accepted for the Paris exposition. He lived in New Bedford and was a son of Zaccheus Macy of this town.

The late 1800's were a golden age for artists in Nantucket.

There was great interest in painting, and exhibitions were held combining the showing of paintings with songs and essays. Wen­ dell's Hall on Main Street was the scene of many of these. Congdon's Pharmacy regularly exhibited pictures as did the Art Rooms on Federal Street, Pitman and Ellis', Mrs. George R. Folger's shell store and the store of A. D. Williams on Centre Street. East­ man Johnson and the two MacDougalls were artists of note and doubtless encouraged many local people to try their hand at art in pastels, oils and water colors. Nantucketers have always had a natural facility for working with their hands, so wood carving they did self-taught.

I wish to thank Miss Grace Brown Gardner, Mr. E. U. Crosby, Mrs. G. E. Hutaff, Mrs. John Ditmars, Mr. Edward Gardner, Mrs. H. Linsly Johnson, Miss Marjorie Barrett, Mrs. Frank Lewis, Mr. William Brock, Mrs. Roy Sanguinetti, Mrs. Hugh MacDougall, Mrs. Nancy Adams, Mrs. Ellen D. Chace, and Miss Janice Wil­ liams for their kind help and information.

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History Making Events of 1958 Nantucket's truly "big event" for 1958 is gathering impetus for 1959!

1659 began this irrepressible sail of history and ancestors into the wide blue yonder until Time has brought their descendants to 1959—or will very soon have touched that high-water mark— three hundred years.

One outstanding descendant of Nantucket ancestors is known to all who remain on the Island, to many of you who have gone far adrift, and to a great many people who know of the indomita­ ble energy and fortitude, the ever present good-will and humor which must have pervaded the past; that descendant is Dr. Will Gardner.

Dr. Gardner has passed the four score mark as did so many of his antecedents, conquerors of the sea and the mighty whale, full sail and tacking.

Dr. Will Gardner's long successful years of ministry in the Episcopal Church were a sure stepping stone to the fulfillment of his dreams to put Nantucket's history into words for all to read. You may well know that his biographical and historical books do justice to his topic.

Now Dr. Gardner has put his hand to the wheel of another Nantucket ship—the Three Hundredth Anniversary Celebration— and at eight bells is standing watch with younger and stronger descendants with no less enthusiasm.

In the January issue of Historic Nantucket you will find his word-pictures of 1659. The original Deed to the Island, an account of the probable meeting held in the Macy House in Salisbury, Massachusetts, where Island History had a beginning and was soon to be unceremoniously launched into the Seven Seas, will be in Dr. Gardner's report.

We hope that everyone will help, as Dr. Will Gardner is help­ ing, launch this Three Hundredth Anniversary Celebration and lend a steady hand to the steering wheel until the span of Time and Sea—1659 to 1959—has been brought through a successful voyage to port.

0 A valuable donation that has come to our Association is a series of business letters written to C. G. and H. Coffin referring

HISTORY MAKING EVENTS

41

to sales of oil and sperm candles. These letters are dated from 1821 through 1851.

The oil purchased from ships through Josiah Macy of New York, was in various quantities. Among the ships mentioned are: Ship Columbia, 1843—Captain George F. Joy Ship Citizen, 1848—Captain Hiram Bailey One letter from Callao, 1849, from G. B. Folger reports hav­ ing received a letter from Talcahuana from Captain Charles G. Arthur of the ship Zenas Coffin, referring to a shipment of oil and speaking of the future need of a foremast.

Another letter from a lady in Cotuit, Mass., asks the Coffins to lend her $900 and take insurance on her husband's voyage as she desired to purchase a house and had not enough money!

Other ships mentioned were the Sloop Amazon, Captain Ed­ wards, 1829; Schooner Ohio, Captain Heald, from New York, 1830; ship Gladiator, Captain Britton, 1,842; ship Ontario, Captain Bradish, 1843.

N.S.A. 0 If you have a flag to fly on 4th of July it is out of date! The Congress has admitted Alaska to the Union thus making 49 states.

0 A recently-published, small volume entitled "Scrimshaw at Mystic Seaport", by Edouard A. Stackpole, points out that there is a collection of Scrimshaw at Nantucket's Whaling Museum.

There are in this book many illustrations and among them pictures of "Swifts". The Historical Museum on Fair Street has two fine examples of these "swifts" of whalebone which were used for winding yarn.

0 The sixth edition of "Three Bricks and Three Brothers" is exhausted and the seventh edition is on the press. The author of "Three Bricks and Three Brothers," Dr. Will Gardner, has written and published four books about Nantucket families.

The Starbucks, the Coffins, the Folgers and the Gardners live and have their being from his capable pen. Dr. Gard­ ner has spent years in faithful research, and carried on almost endless correspondence in obtaining the accurate data which he has used in compiling these truly fascinating historicalbiographical stories of the people who made Nantucket's illustrious past. These books are nicely illustrated with pictures of Nantucket

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HISTORIC NANTUCKET

homes, past and present, as well as photogravures of the Starbucks, Coffins, Folgers and Gardners.

0 Whaling Museum As the whaling history of Nantucket will be featured prom­ inently in the 300th Anniversary celebration next year the Whal­ ing Museum Committee, W. Ripley Nelson, Chairman, Mrs. Kent King and Albert Egan, Jr., is to be enlarged. The Association is extremely fortunate in having secured the consent of Mr. William H. Tripp and Henry Coffin Carlisle to serve as additional members of the committee.

Mr. Tripp, a Life Member of the Association, is a recognized authority and frequent lecturer on whaling and the history of the industry. He started at the age of 10 taking photos of whaling ships at the docks in New Bedford and from that time on pho­ tography and whaling have been two of his hobbies. After 31 years service, Mr. Tripp retired from the First National Bank of New Bedford. He thereupon was elected Assistant Curator of the Old Dartmouth Society and Whaling Museum of New Bed­ ford. In 1932 he was elected Curator in which capacity he served actively until 1955 when he retired after 25 years of service. In 1925 he gained first hand knowledge of whaling when he sailed on the schooner "John R. Manta" as a guest of the Captain. For six weeks they cruised on the Hatteras grounds. Seven whales were captured, cut in and tried out exactly as had been done for, as Mr. Tripp says, "the past 75 years". During this cruise he ob­ tained 250 photographs of the entire process which together with many other photos are shown by him when he lectures. This first hand knowledge will be of inestimable value in the work of this committee and he will be welcomed also by the many islanders to whom he has become a true friend as a result of his annual visits to Nantucket over the past forty years.

Mr. Carlisle, through his mother, Mary Coffin Carlisle, is a descendant of a long line of seafaring Nantucket ancestors. A grandson of Henry and Elizabeth (Starbuck) Coffin, he is now the owner of and a regular resident in the large brick mansion, 75 Main Street built by his grandfather in 1833 and which has been owned by the family since that date.

When Mr. Carlisle inherited the stately family mansion he

HISTORY MAKING EVENTS

43

found in the attic a treasure trove of material which proved a real and valuable link to the Island's past, to say nothing of the part his family played in it. Among the many interesting items were letters from the shipmasters and accounts pertaining to the over 80 whaling voyages of the ships owned by Henry Coffin and his brother Charles G., sons of Zenas Coffin who was one of the wealthiest men in the country in his time, who successfully car­ ried on their father's business as merchants, candle manufacturers and owners of a large fleet of Nantucket's best known whaleships.

Mr. Carlisle, an internationally known consulting mining engineer, has been a resident of San Francisco, California for many years. However, from the time he inherited the family man­ sion, his summers have been spent in Nantucket, not only in set­ ting up in his "attic" a most unusual family historical exhibit of Nantucket but also in constructive and active participation in the work of the Historical Association. One of his most inter­ esting and valuable projects is the preservation of stories of the past through tape recordings made under his guidance by the Island's oldest residents whose memories heretofore have been the sole record of many phases of the historic past. The Whaling Museum Committee is greatly strengthened by the addition of Mr. Carlisle as a member.

W.R.N. 0 Among the varied communications received, one letter came from a group of students in "Cambridge" School, Auckland House, Simla, Punjab, India. These students are studying Melville's "Moby Dick", and they would like to have information about whales and whaling. Too, they would like to have pictures of whales, whale boats, and implements used in whaling. They asked for pictures of Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard, and New Bed­ ford. Whatever pertains to whaling would interest them, the writer states. The letter is signed by Miss B. Stone, Daniel Wynceta, Sanyiti T. Singh, Kaul Parwean, Vyay N. Singh, Shanti Shah, Irdira Tashi, and Sakita Shin Singh. These students state that if they could hear from descendants of whaling seamen they would make an effort to send any details about Indian life which might interest the writer.

0 One hundred and fifty years ago Captain Mayhew Folger, a Nantucket whaling captain, discovered English-speaking "na­ tives" living on Pitcairn Island. This was in the year 1808. These

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HISTORIC NANTUCKET

"natives" proved to be descendants of Fletcher Christian and his fellow mutineers from the ship "Bounty" who disappeared in 1790. In 1958 the story of these mutineers comes to mind once more and especially for Nantucketers through the exceedingly interesting personal account of author, Harmon Tupper, in the May 1958 issue of Reader's Digest. Mr. and Mrs. Tupper have been corresponding with John Christian, a great-great-greatgrandson of Fletcher Christian for many months and the report of this intimate and friendly relationship "by mail" is fascinating reading.

0 Not only is Mr. Tupper's article of acute interest but also the feature article in the June 15, 1958, Sunday Magazine of the Cleveland, Ohio, Plain Dealer, by Grace Goulder.

After Captain Mayhew Folger retired from whaling and seal hunting in the Seven Seas, the story of his discovery, in 1808, of the English-speaking "natives" on Pitcairn Island, who proved to be sons of Fletcher Christian and the other mutineers of the "Bounty" who disappeared in 1790, did not die for he often retold the tale. He continued to communicate with people on Pitcairn Island despite the slow and infrequent mails.

Captain Folger and his wife, Mary Joy Folger, moved from Nantucket to Ohio and acquired a thousand acres of land in what is now the town of Massillon. And now in 1958, Parkin Christian, great-great-grandson of Fletcher comes from Pitcairn Island to attend the Seven Day Adventists' convention in Cleveland and to visit the grave of Captain Folger who discovered his family on their isolated hide-out in the Pacific.

This article in the Cleveland Plain Dealer is well illustrated with pictures of Captain and Mrs. Folger and one of Parkin Christian taken on Pitcairn when he was a young man. (He is now seventy-three.)

The material about this Folger-Bounty discovery is in the Massillon museum. Captain Folger's son, Robert, has kept up the correspondence and in recent years the letters have accumulated, especially in the last few months, regarding the visit of Parkin Christian to Massillon, Ohio. We can only add that the world is small when viewed from Nantucket and Pitcairn and Massillon, Ohio.

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Keziah Coffin Fanning's Diary

BY NANCY S. ADAMS

( Continued) 1814 Oct. 13—People went up from Town to the East end, said there was several barges & an armed vessel coming from the West, hailed the ship and gave the above information—in consequence of which the Commander on board ordered her run on shore, peo­ ple have gone up to take out her cargo, which is coffee, sugar, rum & cotton—her charge is invoiced at 90,000 sterling—ship cost 19,000 sterling.

Oct. 16—One of the wounded Americans died at Sesachacha last week, and one of the British at Hannah Swain's. There is a great stir among the inhabitants getting ashore the property out of the ship, "they that get the most is the best fellow". Wind fresh from N.E. Oct. 17—Ship parted last night, all her lower cargo of tea on board—the best of her sugars lost to the value of thirty thousand pounds sterling. The people say it is all the agents' doing.

Dec. 10—Mr. Whitney died at Deacon Rawson's this a.m.

Dec. 27—Went to Mr. Swift's meeting house St. John's day. Mr. Lindsey is a Mason, he delivered a discourse from John. 60 Masons came in together.

1815 Jan. 16—Caroline Barnard in Boston lost her 2nd. child Alexander F. Fanning, 26th. of last month—5 mos. old.

Jan. 31—No water to be seen round the Island—said to be the coldest day ever known by the oldest inhabitants.

Feb. 2—Henry Hussey & Anna Meader—Henry Gardner & Mooers—Stephen West & Sally Russel married this eve.

Feb. 4—Yesterday afternoon Allen Coffin & Mr. Thaxter, Parson Thaxter's son, both of Old Town, Freeborn Fisher & James Nicols (son of Wm.) sot out from Old Town to come to Nantucket in a sail boat. Could not land at Smith's Point on account of ice, went to South side where it was porridgey. Allen remonstrated against landing but Thaxter & Fisher urged it. Coffin said if they would go, he would prepare to swim for they would have to

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HISTORIC NANTUCKET

swim for their lives, and took off his jacket; they put into the ice, the boat immediately capsized. Fisher gave up immediately and sank, the other 3 swam, soon Thaxter went. Coffin got to the ice near the shore that bore and got upon it, saw no more of Nicols.

Coffin reached the shore, travelled and found a house at Burnt Swamp, staid all night & travelled to town this morning. Mrs. Nichols two oldest sons were lost in one vessel—years ago, now a son and a son-in-law.

Feb. 5—Two weeks yesterday since we had a mail—Mail packet arrived.

Feb. 6—Thaxters body came ashore South side.

Feb. 8—Charles Chace died to-day.

Feb. 16—4 men in a boat from Old Town arrived at Smiths Point got to Town to the lower office at sunset, brought the news that Peace was signed by our envoys and the British*****Bells began to ring—rang till 9, shouting by the boys through the streets, the two offices were illuminated, the Lodge & a number of private houses.

Feb. 17—Boat with 6 men landed at Smiths Point—brought mail.

April 12—Went to Newtown to Cretias to his sons funeral. He was 16 years old last Sept. went to the Factory on the Academy hill to see the works—the horses were stopped—he not being ac­ quainted with the machine, the horses began to go & two beams met & crushed his head betwixt them & killed him without a groan.

April 6—Zephaniah Wood, wife & 3 children came home in ship President.

May 10—My son Robert Barclay Fanning published to Phebe C. Swain, daughter of David. Married May 14—also Allen Gibbs married Sally Bartlett.

May 24—Candid Wood—Amos wife—had son born this morn.

Eunice Chace, Aunt Abagail Coffins daughter died last night.

(Buried in new Burying Ground).

July 3—Great many Friends came to-day in the Bedford Packet, Richard Mott among them.

(To Be Continued)

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Legacies and Bequests Membership in our Association proves that you are interested in its program for the preservation of Nantucket's famed heritage and its illustrious past, which so profoundly affected the develop­ ment of our country. You can perpetuate that interest by naming the Association to receive a legacy or bequest under your will which will help to insure the Association carrying on in the future. Counsel advises that legacies or bequests to the Nan­ tucket Historical Association are allowable deductions under the Federal Estate Tax law.

Legacies will be used for general or specific purposes as di­ rected by the donor. A sample form of bequest may read as follows: FORM OF BEQUEST "I give, devise, and bequeath to the Nantucket Historical Association, a corporation duly in­ corporated by the Commonwealth of Massachu­ setts, and located in the Town of Nantucket, in said Commonwealth, the sum of dollars."

Bequests may be made also in real estate, bonds, stocks, books, paintings, or any objects having historical value in which event a brief description of the same should be inserted instead of a sum of money.

Please send all communications to Miss Ethel Anderson, Secretary, P. 0. Box 1016, Nantucket, Massachusetts. Office, Fair Street Museum.

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