I have in my possession a small case containing two pictures. These photographs were the property of my Great Grandmother. The pictures are her grandfather and granduncle. Both were off shore whalers. Great Grandmother Lucy, Mrs Floyd Lester, included a hand written note telling who they were. No other details were included. I have kept them safe for years and enjoy them.
I have been using a free service called active paper. Active paper allows you to search and view newspapers that have been archived. What a wonderful source of information for those of us doing genealogy and for history buffs. I was searching the East Hampton Star, a local newspaper, using the search term Northwest. I lived in Northwest while growing up and have lately taken a historical interest in the location. Funny how you could know so little about your own back yard, but I digress. So I begin to read an article from the East Hampton Star dated Feb 12, 1959. I was five years old in '59 and so didn't recall having seen this article before. It was a story about the last whales taken off of East Hampton. In the article were a few pictures. One shot showed three older gentlemen, trying out the whale. For those of you that may not know what that means, it simply means cutting the whale up and processing it. One of those men in that photograph is my great great great grandfather ! Abraham Miller King, grandfather to Lucy Lester my great Grandmother. Pretty cool stuff. A little further on and there is a picture of him again. This time it is the exact picture that I have ! In the article the reporter states that the picture is a daguerreotype and was taken by Mr. Issac S van Scoy of Northwest. He says it is the first time this picture has ever been published and was loaned to him by Mr. Floyd Lester. The year the photo was taken is not known but Abraham was probably in his twenties. Mr van Scoy passed away in 1846 so it was before then. That is as much as that article says.
Now, if you recall I said there were two pictures in there. The other picture was his brother, Oliver Gibson King. Oliver was born in 1824. I have not discovered the date of his passing. The picture from the star was dated 1902. I know that Abraham passed away that year, perhaps Oliver was already gone. But that is a question I seek the answer to. Olivers' picture was not in the paper I'm betting that picture has never been published. Perhaps I'll send a follow up piece to the East Hampton Star.
I have those little photographs taken so many years ago. Were they originally taken as a gift to their mother ? It would seem a likely prospect. Their Mom would have been Rachel Edwards born 1760 died 1838. Their Dad, Richard had passed in 1797. There were many other brothers and sisters but these two went whaling. The quest continues. As I look at those photographs and begin to know something about them I feel a little more connected. Can you remember those you never knew ? In a way, I think you can. The pictures we take are to capture memories, are they not ? We need only unlock them.
Oliver on the left,Abraham on the right.
I have been using a free service called active paper. Active paper allows you to search and view newspapers that have been archived. What a wonderful source of information for those of us doing genealogy and for history buffs. I was searching the East Hampton Star, a local newspaper, using the search term Northwest. I lived in Northwest while growing up and have lately taken a historical interest in the location. Funny how you could know so little about your own back yard, but I digress. So I begin to read an article from the East Hampton Star dated Feb 12, 1959. I was five years old in '59 and so didn't recall having seen this article before. It was a story about the last whales taken off of East Hampton. In the article were a few pictures. One shot showed three older gentlemen, trying out the whale. For those of you that may not know what that means, it simply means cutting the whale up and processing it. One of those men in that photograph is my great great great grandfather ! Abraham Miller King, grandfather to Lucy Lester my great Grandmother. Pretty cool stuff. A little further on and there is a picture of him again. This time it is the exact picture that I have ! In the article the reporter states that the picture is a daguerreotype and was taken by Mr. Issac S van Scoy of Northwest. He says it is the first time this picture has ever been published and was loaned to him by Mr. Floyd Lester. The year the photo was taken is not known but Abraham was probably in his twenties. Mr van Scoy passed away in 1846 so it was before then. That is as much as that article says.
Now, if you recall I said there were two pictures in there. The other picture was his brother, Oliver Gibson King. Oliver was born in 1824. I have not discovered the date of his passing. The picture from the star was dated 1902. I know that Abraham passed away that year, perhaps Oliver was already gone. But that is a question I seek the answer to. Olivers' picture was not in the paper I'm betting that picture has never been published. Perhaps I'll send a follow up piece to the East Hampton Star.
I have those little photographs taken so many years ago. Were they originally taken as a gift to their mother ? It would seem a likely prospect. Their Mom would have been Rachel Edwards born 1760 died 1838. Their Dad, Richard had passed in 1797. There were many other brothers and sisters but these two went whaling. The quest continues. As I look at those photographs and begin to know something about them I feel a little more connected. Can you remember those you never knew ? In a way, I think you can. The pictures we take are to capture memories, are they not ? We need only unlock them.
Oliver on the left,Abraham on the right.
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