Nicholas Beckwith was a grandson of Andrew Beckwith born in Lyme, Connecticut and the ancestor of the Beckwith families in Lockhartville and Hantsport. Andrew settled on the Bluff Road in what was then Horton Township, Kings County. His eldest son Samuel Beckwith appears in the 1838 census as a farmer with a family totaling five persons along with two of his sons; John Beckwith a seaman with a family of three persons, and Nicholas Beckwith a seaman with a family of three persons.1
Captain Nicholas Beckwith married Samantha Phelps of Lubec, Maine in 1832. They had a son, Nicholas Warren, who also became a Master Mariner. They are all buried in Riverbank Cemetery, Hantsport.
We don’t know when Nicholas Sr. started his career at sea. His name first appears in the Shipping Register at Halifax in 1848.2 On the 16th of February, Ezra Churchill sold him 16 shares in the brig “BILLOW”, a 132 ton brig built by John Mosher at Newport in 1841. In October of the same year Churchill had a new vessel launched at Scotts Bay he named “AMERICA”. Nicholas held 16 shares and was Master of the vessel. This was the start of a long association with the Churchill Fleet.
Captain Beckwith left with the “AMERICA” the last day of October, 1848 on the vessel’s maiden voyage with his wife on board. The voyage ended back in Hantsport nine months later.
[A quote from the Dickie Diary]
July 19th, 1849. After supper we went to Joe Davison’s a while as the “WANDERER” had come in at noon, and also
the “AMERICA”. Mrs Beckwith came home and it looks good to see her with windows and doors open again. As they
have been away so long. I had a peace of pineapple at Olivia’s for the first time. We had a pleasant walk home.
Nicholas Beckwith moved from Horton Twp. to Hantsport about 1843. His property was on Main Street. The barn behind Home Hardware is all that remains. The small house next to the barn, where his son Nicholas Warren Beckwith lived, is still standing, now owned by John Janes (2005).
Captain Hibbert Mitchner lived at civic number 36 Main Street, now owned by Lorne Brothers (2005). A girl named Margaret Dickie was his housekeeper. She started to keep a diary in 1847 and describes a little bit of life that went on at that time in Hantsport.
October 18th, 1849. This is a windy, squally day. I took my letter this morning over to Mr. Faulkner to send to Windsor by him, so coming back I met Mrs. Kendall with some strawberry plants Mr. Michener had got out of Mr. Hacer’s garden. Rob, John, Ann, and David Huntly have been here this evening. Many were made glad today by the return of Husbands and friends. The “AMERICA”, Captain Beckwith, and “WANDERER”, Captain Joe Davison, came in. Mrs. Beckwith sent ma a cluster of grapes Captain Beckwith having brought some home. Ann got some that Joe brought, I hailed Sam Marsters, as I saw him passing, he just returned from Boston, having been out in the “CLARENCE”’ to Glasgow.
October 30th, 1849. The “America” is leaving Hantsport on her third voyage, Sam Marsters is joining the vessel with Captain Beckwith as mate.
December 27th, 1849. The “AMERICA” returned today after a three months trip to the West Indies and back.
The third vessel Ezra Churchill had built at Hantsport was the “BURMAH”, an 851 ton ship by Daniel Huntly in 1853. Her first captain was Guerdon Davison, a brother-in-law of Ezra, who sailed her for two years until Captain Nicholas Beckwith was given command. His son Nicholas Warren had made up his mind he would make the sea his career. He signed on the “BURMAH” with his father as an apprentice seaman. Five years later he was also a captain.
A shipping notice published in 18563 reported that the “BURMAH” had arrived at the Port of Quebec on June 2nd with Capt. Beckwith from Cardiff, G.B. with a consignment of railway iron.
The “BURMAH” was lost at sea, off the coast of Ireland in 1867.
A letter from Nicholas Beckwith to his employer at Hantsport describes some trouble he encountered on one of his voyages aboard the ship “GLORIE”, 1138 tons, built at Hantsport in 1862.
James Scott & Company. Queenstown (Ireland)
6th. January 1866
Ezra Churchill, Esq;
Hantsport N.S.
Dear Sir;
The news of this letter will not be very agreeable to you. I suppose I have now done you almost as much harm as ever I done you good. Well, I shall make a truthful statement of all our trouble. To begin we left St. John on 5 Dec’r. Strong N.W. wind. The crew, which came on board sober, fetched enough to get drunk on. We managed to get some sail on the ship, and enough sober to steer her through the night. Next day mustered and sounded pumps. Had three feet water in the ship and we found after that whenever her covering board was under water she leaked good deal. The ship was much by the head and steered bad and sailed poorly.
We got on without any trouble until the 19th. The wind came into eastward. Had appearances of bad weather. Took in all sail at 4 afternoon. Hove too under lower main topsail and fore top mast staysail. The gale increasing until 8. The men constantly at pumps, at which time she had 4 feet water in hold. We thought best at that time to throw over the deck load. At 12 shipped a sea which floated or lifted up the deals on her weather side and threw them down to leeward on the men to work. Broke one man’s leg and bruised another so bad that he has done nothing since. Bruised two men slightly. It moderated then. We man ship to get the strained side out of water. At 5 morning of the 20th, came on as hard as ever from N.W. at 7 main topsail went to pieces. 5 feet 6 inches water. At noon began to moderate. At 3 deck load all off. The skylight stove in, staterooms, pantry and store room windows broke in; water running across the cabin floor as she rolled the same as on the deck outside, and from that until we made the land if I went, into the fore cabin I would have to wear boots to keep dry feet. After throwing off deck load, men being pretty tired did not stick very tight to the pumps. Next morning at 9 o’clock she had 9 and half feet in the hold. Commenced then with a good will at the pumps. At 4 P.M. had only 4 feet, but we didn’t get her sucked out until 23.
There was nothing but gales one after another, so it was almost impossible to stand to the pumps. Those gales when we threw over deck load I thought the heaviest I ever saw. On the 24 the wind blowed very hard from S.S.W. Hove too under a reefed upper main topsail. Between 12 and one was struck with tremendous squall from west. Threw the ship on her beam ends. She lay down, her lee upper dead eyes in the water. The water all up round the main mast. No standing at the pumps, even on the weather side. One of the men hurt. Had to get out lower berth in forward house to keep out of the water. She lay that way for an hour and a half. No signs of moderating. Night is coming on - something must be done. The main topsail had broke, and the sail was going to pieces - no use to think of setting any sail to get her before the wind. Would have to cut the mizzen mast and then I did not believe she could be steered before such a furious gale, and if she could, the men could not work the pumps. I then decided to cut away the fore mast, which was done. It broke the main top gallant mast and fetched the yards attached down afoul of main topsail yards, and there it hung by the wire rigging, and there was no getting rid of it but by cutting away main top mast, and when that went it took main mast head. That came down on the end of main yard and took that with it. There we was - nothing but mizzen mast and top mast and two topsail yards. Cross jack being carried away day before. Just as we got clear of it I was sorry I had it done. It began to moderate. The men then went at the pumps, and [it] freed next day at noon. We drifted and sailed a little - got here yesterday. Paid steam tug 25 pounds, to tow us in. Pilot and boats 20 pounds, would try to get to Liverpool but no sails to depend on. I expect a tug here tomorrow. I have read of two other ships which cut away masts in same gale. The bark White Hall, dragged afoul of another ship - knocked his own bowsprit and fore mast out, and paid 150 pounds for a tug to tow him out of the way. I never saw so many dismasted and damaged ships in my life, and such a fortnight of weather I hope I may never see again. Will refit much cheaper at Liverpool than here.
Yours Truly,
N. Beckwith
An Irish newspaper account of the storm in the North Atlantic was published on the 2nd of January 1866. The barque “EUPHENIA” reported similar conditions and the sighting a brig in distress.4
Captain N. W. Beckwith of Hantsport N.S. was the author of a lengthy article, “Concerning Canadian Ship-Building: Its Record and Resources” published in the June 1873 edition of “The Canadian Monthly and National Review”. 5
A much more entertaining article, “Unexpected Prizes” by Capt. N. W. Beckwith was published in “Hearth and Home”. He describes an excursion by row boat ashore to an island in the Makassar Strait near Borneo, Indonesia where various provisions availed themselves. The story was reprinted in an August, 1875 American newspaper. 6
Sources:
- Commissioner of Public Records Nova Scotia Archives RG 1 vol. 449 no. 161
- HHS Collection, typewritten manuscript by St. Clair Patterson, “Beckwith Family” 2005
- “The Gazette” (Montreal, Quebec, Canada) · Fri, Jun 5, 1857 · Page 2
- “Freeman’s Journal and Daily Commercial Advertiser” (Dublin, Ireland) · Tue, Jan 2, 1866 · Page 2
- “The Canadian Monthly and National Review”, Vol. 3, No. 6, June 1873 · Page 457
- “Jackson County Banner” (Brownstown, Indiana) · Thu, Aug 5, 1875 · Page 6