Theophilus Beebe

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Theophilus Beebe
Theophilus Beebe III (1800-1867) portrait.jpg
Theophilus Beebe, Sandy Hook Pilot.
Born(1800-10-19)October 19, 1800
New London, Connecticut, US
DiedJanuary 9, 1867(1867-01-09) (aged 66)
Jersey City, New Jersey, US
Occupationharbor pilot
Known forFirst New Jersey licensed pilot
Spouse(s)Elizabeth Van Gelder
Children8

Theophilus Beebe III (October 19, 1800 – January 9, 1867) was a 19th-century American Sandy Hook Pilot. He was the first pilot to receive his pilot's license under the New Jersey Pilots' Commission in 1837. Beebe served as pilot on the pilot boat Thomas H Smith. He died on January 9, 1867 in Jersey City, New Jersey.

Early life[]

Theophilus Beebe was born on October 19, 1880 in New London, Connecticut. He was the son of Theophilus D. Beebe (1753–1837) and Lucy Monroe (1755–1830), who was a direct descendant of President James Monroe.[1][2]

Beebe married Elizabeth Van Gelder (1804–1866) in Brooklyn, New York in 1825 and had eight children.[1] One of his sons, James D. M. Beebe, was a Sandy Hook pilot. Theophilus's grandson, Charles O. Beebe was also a Sandy Hook pilot, making the family name associated with Maritime pilots for 100 years.[3]

One of his brothers was Clinton Beebe, born in 1812, had two sons that were in the Sandy Hook service: George W. Beebe (1865–1931) and Franklin B. Beebe (1864–1908).[4]

His nephew, George W. Beebe, was a license pilot for forty years. He was one of the first presidents of the New York Pilots' Association. He was the author of the "Beebe's Tides and Complete River Guide of New York Harbor."[5] George died on April 8, 1931 at the age of sixty-seven from heart disease.[6]

Career[]

Captain Theophilus Beebe was commissioned by the governor of New Jersey to procure men qualified to become pilots. He was the first pilot to receive his branch pilot's license under the New Jersey Pilots' Commission on February 25, 1837.[7][8] His brothers, Lyman Beebe and Clinton Beebe, received their pilot's license at this time. Beebe was a fisherman by trade and ran a small fishing smack out of Fulton Fish Market, New York City by way of the Sandy Hook, until the State of New Jersey built him a pilot boat.[6][9][10]

Theophilus Beebe served as pilot on the pilot boat Thomas H Smith, along with Richard Brown, John Ward, Benjamin Chase, Henry Beebe, and Daniel C. Chapman.[11]

Death[]

Theophilus Beebe died, at age 66, of heart disease on the pilot boat Mystic, on January 9, 1867 in Jersey City, New Jersey.[6][9] He is buried in the Green-wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York.[12]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ a b Beebe, Clarence (1904). Monograph of the descent of the family of Beebe. From the earliest known immigrant. 132 Nassau St. New York. p. 132.
  2. ^ "James D. M. Beebe Dies, One of Oldest Brooklynites and Veteran Pilot". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Brooklyn, New York. 1917-09-17. Retrieved 2020-08-06.
  3. ^ "United States Census, 1850". FamilySearch. Retrieved 2021-04-22.
  4. ^ "United States Census, 1870". FamilySearch. Retrieved 2021-04-22.
  5. ^ Beebe's tide tables and complete river guide for New York, Brooklyn, and New Jersey. John Polhemus Print. Co. New York. OCLC 1243726810.
  6. ^ a b c "First Pilots, Fishermen; Buusiness Full of Peril by John A. Heffernan". Times Union. Brooklyn, New York. 8 Apr 1931. p. 6. Retrieved 2021-04-22.
  7. ^ "Capt. Beebe, Pioneer Pilot, Dead At 92". The Daily Record. Long Branch, New Jersey. 19 Sep 1917. p. 1. Retrieved 2021-05-16.
  8. ^ "Kirkbride's New Jersey Business Directory, General Register and Advertising Medium". 1850. Retrieved 2021-05-15.
  9. ^ a b Allen, Edward L. (1922). Pilot Lore; From Sail to Steam, and Historical Sketches of the Various Interests Identified With the Development of the World's Greatest Port. The United New York and New Jersey Sandy Hook Pilots Benevolent Associations.
  10. ^ Cunliffe, Tom (2001). Pilots, The World Of Pilotage Under Sail and Oar. Brooklin, Maine: Wooden Boat Publications. p. 93. ISBN 9780937822692.
  11. ^ "Captain "Dick" Brown. Sailing-Master and Pilot for Half a Century-In Charge of the Yacht America When She Won the Queen's Cup". Star Tribune. Minneapolis, Minnesota. 5 Jul 1885. p. 13. Retrieved 2021-03-14.
  12. ^ "Theophilus Beebe". Find a Grave. Ancestry.com. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
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