The Morrissey's
high performance was due in part to the skippers who
sailed her. Beginning with William Morrissey, a
succession of Gloucester's best fishing schooner captains
commanded the Morrissey on her voyages. John McInnis, Josh Stanley, Henry Atwood, and most famous,
Clayton Morrissey (he went on to skipper the racing
schooner Henry Ford) were all masters of the Morrissey
during her Gloucester years through 1905.
It should be noted that, some years later, Clayton Morrissey posed for sculptor Leonard Craske's
monumental fisherman statue on Gloucester's Western
Avenue. The statue was dedicated in 1923.
In 1905 the Effie M. Morrissey began fishing
out of Digby, Nova Scotia, under a new owner, Captain Ansel Snow, who
was later a skipper of the Canadian Bluenose.
Snow and other Canadians continued to fish and
occasionally carry freight with the Morrissey
for twenty more years.
1905
Owner: Ansel Snow, Gloucester, MA also of Digby, Nova
Scotia. The Morrissey remained under the American flag but
sailed with a Canadian crew.
I
remember my father, the
late Captain William Snow (fourth son of grandfather William) Digby,
NS, back in the early 1920’s speaking of the late Captain Clayton
Morrissey as one of the best mariners. My father’s brother, the
late Captain Ansel Snow, owner and captain of the Morrissey in 1909
sold this schooner to my late uncle Frank Swett who in turn
mortgaged her to my late uncle Captain John W. Snow the same year.
Mr. Swett was a resident of Marblehead, MA. for some years.
Among
other things Uncle John (eldest son of my
grandfather William) was a ship builder in Port Wade,
Annapolis County, NS He built a beautiful three masted vessel, named
JEAN F. ANDERSON which he and a late partner, the late Captain
Howard Anderson, sold about the end of the first World War, the sale
being made just prior to the sharp drop in vessel prices. I remember
seeing this vessel, soon after the launching, on her way to Digby
from Port Wade. A picture of the JANE F. hangs in the Admiral Digby
Museum in Digby.
Uncle
Ansel was a fifth son of my grandfather. Ansel was an enterprising
man who had his own electric power plant when electricity was quiet
new and scarce in the Digby area. This plant served his home and
farm buildings previous to the 1920s. The home still stands on
Lighthouse Road, Digby. The homestead (Cape Cod style, now with five
gables) of grandfather William still stands on Shore Road, Digby,
built about 1850.
1907
Betty Koharek, granddaughter of Ansel Snow was born on the Effie M.
Morrissey
1908
In Gloucester to land 200,000 lbs of shuck on July 5.
1909
Owner: Ansel Snow sold the ship to Frank Swett of
Marblehead, MA, recorded at Salem, MA. Mortgage $4,500. Grantor: Frank Swett
Grantee: John W. Snow. Capt. Ansel Snow of Gloucester
1911
Capt. Frederick Prince signed on at the American Consulate on October 16
in Digby, NS. On November 3 a license is renewed in Portland, ME
for the fisheries
and to land fare.
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