2o8 FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK, 



Around the Wharves of Old Gloucester Half 

 a Century Ago. 



Names of Those Then Engaged in the Fisheries, with the Names of Most of 

 the Fleet and Their Skippers. 



As we thought of the large and important fishing interests of Gloucester 

 the current year of 1882, with the fleet of first-class schooners, employing 

 at sea and on land nearly six thousand men, with their annual product ex- 

 ceeding four millions of dollars, we had a strong desire to give a pen picture 

 of the appearance of the wharves, and recall to mind the fishing owners and 

 some of the skippers and vessels which constituted the fishing interest of 

 the town of Gloucester half a century ago. 



To this end we held pleasant interviews with Messrs. William Babson, 

 George Merchant, Gorham Parsons, Epes W. Merchant, Stephen J. Martin, 

 B. H. Corliss and George W. Plumer, and from them have gained the fol- 

 lowing facts. There may possibly be a few trifling discrepancies, but the 

 account in the main will be found correct. 



In imagination, reader, let us take a walk about the wharves, see who 

 was carrying on the business, look at the vessels and have a chat with some 

 of the skippers of 1830-31-32. Commencing near the Fort, we find the 

 remains of a cob and ballast wharf, on the site of Messrs. Cunningham & 

 Thompson's premises, then owned by Gorham Parsons and occupied by 

 John W. Lowe and Joseph Johnson Procter, which was in rather a dilapi- 

 dated condition and but little used. Then came a graving dock occupied 

 by the Gaffney Brothers, where vessels were hauled up for repairs, and for 

 caulking and graving. 



The wharf of Messrs. Maddocks & Co., which, of course, has been 

 greatly improved since those days, was then occupied by Matthew Gaffney 

 and William Ellery, who carried on the fishing business under the firm name 

 of Ellery & Gaffney. Their vessels were as follows : Schs. Harvey Birch, 

 Capt. J. M. Parsons ; Sevo, Rising Empire, and Ida, the latter commanded 

 by Capt. Job Rowe, and the Charles. The Amazon also fitted with them 

 and was owned by Daniel Gaffney. 



Joseph Johnson Procter and John W. Lowe also occupied the wharf then 

 known as Mechanics' wharf, now owned by Messrs. Swett & Co. Their 

 vessels were : Sarah, Tam O'Shanter, Metamora, Euphrates, Triumph, Supe- 

 rior, and perhaps others. 



Samuel Gilbert then carried on the fisheries at the wharf next to the 



