Sodus Point Sailors 1854 – 1914

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Above photograph of Jacob Dunning (man standing) circa 1865. Jacob is one of the local sailors listed below. Photo courtesy of Allison Reed, his great great grandson.

 
I recently received this email from Allison Reed:

 

My name is Allison Reed. My great-great grandfather was a man named Jacob John Dunning, who was born in the Netherlands in 1845 but was raised in Pultneyville.
According to several historic accounts in “The Commercial Press,” Jacob and his brother, Frank, were whalers (as were many young men of that era).
Today, I encountered your wonderful site, which also shows Jacob and Frank list among the many “Sodus Point Sailors.”

 

With all that’s going on in the world right now, I’ve had lots of time to go through boxes of old family photos! One of the photos I found (which I have attached) shows Jacob, who is standing, and two unidentified men who are seated. Because of the boots they are wearing, I can’t help but wonder if this pic, which was made in NYC, was taken just before or after the 9-month whaling voyage that I know he embarked on in 1865. (The back of the photo says Jacob was 20 years old, so 1865 would be the year it was taken).

 

I am wondering if you’ve ever seen a similar photo. One of my Dunning cousins and I have been picking it apart, and are especially curious about the hats, which appear to Scottish, and the identity of the seated men.

 

Is it possible that the captain of their whaling schooner was a Scotsman, and therefore all of the crew wore these hats? Jacob was Dutch by birth with no Scottish ancestry.

 

Captain Hiram ClarkPhoto of Captain Hiram Clark

 

 

The following was copied from an old scrapbook done by Fannie Buys and now owned by Esther Buys. There are 325 names listed here as Sailors out of Sodus Point. The newspaper article is circa 1910 – 1914. Captain Hiram Clark lived 1842 – 1927.

 

Sailed From Sodus Point

 

Captain Clark Gives List of Sailors Who Called It Their Home

 

Sodus, Sept. 17 –
In a recent talk with Captain Hiram Clark, of Sodus Point, he went into
a retrospective line, and in answer to a remark, that years ago nearly every able-bodied
man in Sodus Point and vicinity followed the vocation of a sailor part of his
life time he remarked , “I have a very good memory, you take down the names and
I will tell them to you of those who went sailing out from Sodus Point since
the year 1854,” and the following are the names he mentioned:

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Isaac Andrews                                Vernon Belden                  Isaac Clark

John Andrews                                 Peter Baltis                       John Clark

William Andrews                            Henry Buys                      Hiram Clark

Myron H. Andrews                         Elisha J. Buys                   Benjamin Clark

Richard Andrews                            Darrell Buys                     Monroe Clark

Newton Andrews                            Ross Buys                         Lewis Clark

Henry Andrews                               Benjamin Button            Frank Clark

Henry Andrews                               Elias Button                    Hiram J. Clark

Lewis Bates                                      Elljah Blanchard            William Cummins

John Bates                                       Ezra Blanchard               Eli Cummins

Daniel P. Bates                                Guy Blanchard               George Cooper

Bonaparte Bates                              Willard Blanchard         Patrick Conway

Lawrence Bates                               William Brass                 Reuben Comstock,  Sr.

Edward Bates                                  Daniel Bayless                Reuben Comstock, Jr.

DeGrasse Bates                               Charles Bayless              John W. Comstock

Sanford S. Baldwin                         Joseph Boyer                 George Carson

Stephen Bushnell                           George Burtis                 Edward Clay

Britt Brewer                                    James Burtis                   Jacob Cattieu

Byron Brewer                                  Joseph Bean                   George Case

Alonzo Billings                                John Borden                  John R. Case

Randall Billings                             Charles Burnett              Jacob Case

John Billings                                  Freeman Boyd                William H. Cook

Marshall Billings                           William Boyd                  Ward Cook

Zenice Bernell                                William Bennett             David Corcoran

Delbert T. Belden                            Fred Bennett                 Glen Cuyler

Herbert J. Belden                            Eugene Bennett            Henry Cooper

John C. Belden                                John Bennett                 Robert Catchpole

 

Names of sailors continued:    Warren H. Field

 

Benjamin Catchpole                      William Field                 Frank Garlock

James Catchpole                            Morris Field                   Jacob Garlock, 2nd

William Coon                                  Oliver Field                    William Garlock ,2nd

Samuel Coon                                   Clesson Field                 George Garlock, 2nd

Isaac Cleveland                               Dewitt Field                   William Garlock, 3rd

George Cleveland                           Alvin Field                      William Gatchell

John Cleveland                               Abram Featherly           Henry Gloyd

Charles Cleveland                          Albert Featherly             James Harris

George Cortright                            Angus Featherly             John Harris

William Cortright                          Richard Featherly          Eugene Harroun

Charles Camp                                 Wesley Featherly           William Hulett

Thomas Christian                          Charles Featherly           Charles H. Hulett

Henry DoVille, Sr.                         Jacob Featherly              William Hunter, Sr.

Henry DoVille, Jr.                         Frank Finch                     William Hunter, Jr.

Egbert DoVille                                William Finch                 Benjamin A. Hopkins

Joseph DoVille                               John T. Finch                  Cassius Hopkins

Charles DoVille                              John Farrow                    Erastus Hinman

Fred DoVille                                   John Floyd                       Abram Halcus

Eugene DoVille                              Frank Granger                James T. Holling

Claude DoVille                               Clarence Granger           Armine Holling

Frank DoVille                                 Everett Granger              Edward Holling

Harry DoVille                                 Frank Granger, Jr.         Andrew Holling

Norman Darling                            Fred Gale                          Willis J. Howard

William Davidson                         John Garrison                  Henry Howard

John Day                                        Thomas Grady                  Charles Howard

Frank Dunning                              William J. Goldring        Bryan Johnson

Jacob Dunning                              Soloman Gibbs                 John Johnson

George Edos                                  Harvey Gibbs                    Stephen Johnson

William Edos                                William Gibbs                   Joseph Jones

Matt Edos                                      Monroe Gibbs                   Thomas Jones

Andrew Fleming                          Gardner Green                  George Jones

Henry Fleming                             James Gaffield                  John Jackson

Melvin Fleming                           Jacob  Garlock                   Matt Kitchen

Daniel Fleming                            William Garlock                William Kitchen

Melvin Fleming 2nd                             George Garlock                   BenjaminKitchen

 

Sailors names continued:

 

Charles Kelly                               Nathan May                         John Preston

David Kipling                              Eli May                                 William Pettit, Sr.

William Kipling                          William May                        William Pettit, Jr.

Robert Kipling                            Rodolphus May                   Elisha Pettit

William Leaver                           Oliver May                           Lyman Rice

Joshua Lepper                            William May, Jr.                 Fred Roscoe

George Lepper                            Peter May                             Thomas Roys

Oliver Lepper                              John May                             John Roys

Charles Lepper                           Deforest McNett                 Philander Roys

Silas Lepper                                Abner McNett                      Miles Shirtz

William Lepper                          Hiram Newport                   Daniel Shirtz

Rufus Lepper                              Philip Newport                    James H. Sergeant

Philander Lyman                      Henry Newport                   Henry Sergeant

Carlton Lloyd                              John Newport                     Oscar Sergeant

William Lloyd                             John Newport 2nd               Melvin Sergeant

Horace Morley                            William Rogers                   John A. Sergeant

John Morley                                Noble Rogers                      Nathan Sergeant

William Morley                           Ephraim Pettis                   Israel Sergeant

Frank Morley                               Melvin Pettis                     George Sergeant

Tyler Morley                                Leonard Proseus               Charles R. Sprong

Martin H. Morley                        John M. Proseus               Levi Sweet

William Morley, Jr.                     Glen Proseus                     Samuel Stacy

Troop Morley                               Nathan Polhamus             John Sheffield

Lawrence Morley                        William Polhamus            Joseph Sadder

Carl Corley                                   Albert Polhamus               Dayton Sadder

William Mumford                      William Plummer             William H. Sentell

John Morgan                               Daniel Phillips, Sr.           John Sentell

William H. Mason                      Daniel Phillips, Jr.           John Smith

Daniel Mull                                  Charles Phelps                  John Smith, 2nd

Harrison Mull                               Thomas Pollock              Charles Sampson

Minard Mull                                 William Pollock               David Teetor

Henry Mull                                   Myron Peeler                   William Teetor

Frank Mull                                    Joseph Parker                 George Teetor

William Meagher                         Frank Pulver                   Sylvester Teetor

Thomas Meagher                        George Preston                Jacob Teetor

 

More Sailor names continued:

 

Frank Taylor

Enoch Turner

Elisha Turner

James Turner

Albert Thompson

Edward Todd

John Todd

James Todd

Benjamin F. Todd

Horatio Troop

Washington Troop

Charles Torrey

James Torrey

Canfield C. Teall

John H. Wood

John whiting

Jonas Whiting

Thomas Weeks

Charles C. Weeks

Frank Walsh

DeForest J. Walsh

William Wickham, Sr.

William Wickham, Jr.

Samuel Wickham

Frederick C. Wickham

Daniel Williams

George S. Wride

William Washington

Abram Walker

Joseph Walker

Dorastus Whitney

Lorenzo Whitney, Jr.

Hiram S. West