John Joseph Canvin

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John Joseph Canvin
Born(1822-01-01)January 1, 1822
Bedford, England
DiedJanuary 22, 1890(1890-01-22) (aged 68)
New York City, US
NationalityAmerican
OccupationMaritime pilot
Spouse(s)Catherine Canvin (1843)
Ellen B. Canvin (1853)
Catherine A Maher (1882)
Children13

John Joseph Jeremiah Canvin (1822 – 20 January 1890) was a 19th-century Sandy Hook Maritime pilot. He was one of the oldest pilots in the service having served 45 years guiding ships safely into the Port of New York. In one of the more notable pilot disasters, he slipped over the icy deck into the sea after boarding the barkentine Edward Cushing, off Highland Light in 1890.

Early life[]

John J. Canvin Sr., was born in Bedford, England in 1822. He was the son of James Cunvin and Deborah Ford. He came to America from Bristol, England when he was a young man. He was married three times and had thirteen children.[1][2]

One son, Captain John J. Canvin Jr., a pilot on the pilot boat Richard K. Fox, No. 8, died on September 19, 1897 when he boarded the steamship Idaho. He died of heart disease shortly after climbing the robe ladder to board the vessel.[3][4]: p18, 78 

Another son, William Canvin, died in 1878 by falling from the masthead of the pilot-boat Charles H. Marshall, No. 3.[2]

Career[]

Canvin was one of the oldest pilots in the service having served 45 years guiding ships safely into the Port of New York.[5] He started in the pilot service as a pilot on the pilot boat Joseph N. Lord, No. 6.[6]

He got his pilot's license in 1846. Canvin was a pilot and one of the owners of the pilot-boat Charles H. Marshall, No 3. He was a pilot on the Marshall from 1860 to 1890.[7]

In 1883, he and his son John Canvin, Jr., were owners and pilots on the Ariel Patterson, No. 12. On March 5, 1883, the Ariel Patterson, was run down and sank off Sea Bright, New Jersey by the steamer Commonwealth. John Canvin, Sr., John Canvin, Jr. and the rest of the crew were rescued by the Commonwealth and brought to port.[8]

Death[]

John Canvin Sr. (1824-1890) death in the New York Tribune on January 29, 1890

On January 22, 1890, John J. Canvin Sr., boarded the barquentine Edward Cushing, of Camden, Maine, from the pilot-boat No. 3, Charles H. Marshall. The vessel was off Highland Light and could not enter the harbor that night so had to anchor until daylight. Canvin was on deck when a heavy storm developed and the vessel rolled to one side. Canvin lost his balance and slipped over the railing into the sea. Efforts to find him showed that he had drowned.[7][4] His son, John Canvin, Jr., was in the shipping office on South Street when he heard the news.[9] Canvin was 68 years old and one of the oldest pilots in the service. His widow and four children survived him.[6][2]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ "1870 US Census: Brooklyn Ward 7, Kings, New York; Roll: M593_949; Page: 428A; Family History Library Film: 552448". Ancestry.com. Retrieved 2021-04-01.
  2. ^ a b c "Pilot Canvin's Death. He Fell Overboard From the Edward Cushing During the Late Gale". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Brooklyn, New York. 29 Jan 1890. p. 4. Retrieved 2021-03-03.
  3. ^ "Death Of Captain Canvin". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Brooklyn, New York. 21 Sep 1897. p. 3. Retrieved 2021-03-03.
  4. ^ a b Allen, Edward L. (1922). Pilot Lore From sail to Steam. New York: The United New York and New Jersey Sandy Hook Pilots Benevolent Associations. p. 28.
  5. ^ "Washed Overboard and Drowned". The Post-Star. Glens Falls, New York. 29 Jan 1890. p. 1. Retrieved 2021-03-03.
  6. ^ a b "Pilot John Canvin Drowned. Swept from the Deck When Off the Highlands". The Brooklyn Citizen. Brooklyn, New York. 30 Jan 1890. p. 4. Retrieved 2021-03-03.
  7. ^ a b "Swept Into The Ocean, Two Lives Lost During The Gales At Sea. Pilot John Canvin Drowned Off Highland Lights". The New York Times. New York, New York. 29 Jan 1890. p. 8. Retrieved 2021-03-03.
  8. ^ "A Pilot-Boat Lost. Sunk In A Collision With A Steam-Ship And One Man Drowned". The New York Times. New York, New York. 6 Mar 1883. p. 8. Retrieved 18 Jan 2021.
  9. ^ "Pilot's Perils. Dangers Incurred by Men Who Board Incoming Vessels. Notable Disasters in the Last Fifty-two Years". Pike County Dispatch. Milford, Pennsylvania. 27 Feb 1890. p. 1. Retrieved 2021-04-01.
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