Boston Pilot
John C. Fawcett
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John C. Fawcett (Boston Pilot).
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Born
| (
1859-01-01
)
January 1, 1859
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Died
| July 7, 1909
(1909-07-07)
(aged 50)
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Occupation
| harbor pilot
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Known for
| 20 years in Boston Pilots' Association
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John Crossland Fawcett
(1859 – 7 July 1908) was a 19th-century American
Boston
harbor pilot
. He is best known for being a member of the Boston Pilots' Association for 19 years. He was an owner and pilot on the pilot boats
Columbia
and
Louise
. He died by suicide in his cabin on the pilot boat
Louise
in 1908 off Half Way Rock.
Early life
[
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]
John C. Fawcett was born in
England
in 1859.
[1]
Career
[
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]
Columbia
[
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]
The Boston pilot boat
Columbia
was built in 1894 for John Fawcett, Joseph Fawcett, Captain
Thomas Cooper
and E. G. Martin to replace the pilot-boat
Friend,
No. 7. On November 26, 1898, while returning to Boston from the outer station, after putting John Fawcett, Joseph Fawcett, Thomas Cooper, William Abbott and Axel Olsen aboard incoming vessels, the
Columbia
was driven ashore at the Sand Hills beach in
Scituate
in the great
Portland Gale
with the loss of all five men aboard.
[2]
When access to the beach became available, Captain John and Joseph Fawcett arrived at the scene to witness the destruction of their boat.
[3]
Louise
[
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]
The
Louise,
No. 2, replaced the ill-fated
Columbia
. John Fawcett was an owner and pilot on the
Louise,
along with pilots,
Watson S. Dolliver
, William V. Abbott, Joseph Fawcett, were the assigned to the
Louise.
The
Louise
was christened by Louise Fawcett, daughter of John C. Fawcett. Her portrait was on the wall of the pilot's cabin.
[4]
[5]
On October 17, 1900, Dolliver was on the
Louise
when he boarded the
Cunard Line
steamship
Saxonia,
with two pilots, Erick Ahlquist and William Weaver. On return to the pilot boat, the two pilots almost drowned when a wave filled the
yawl
with water and overturned it. The steamer was able to rescue the men and take them on board the
Saxonia
. Pilots John C. Fawcett, Joseph Fawcett, William V. Abbott and Watson S. Dolliver sent a letter, that was posted in the
Boston Globe,
thanking Captain Pritchard and his officers and crew of the
Saxonia
for their heroic and successful efforts.
[6]
[7]
On March 28, 1904, Fawcett was taken on board the
British
White Star Line
SS Cretic
to bring the ship to the dock at
Charlestown, Boston
, without touching the
Boston Navy Yard
side, which was a difficult feat.
[8]
Fawcett was in poor health and suffered from
locomotor ataxia
and depression.
[9]
Death
[
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]
On July 7, 1908, Fawcett, age 49, of
Everett, Massachusetts
, committed suicide in his cabin on the pilot boat
Louise
near Half Way Rock, in
Marblehead, Massachusetts
. The flags were lowered to
half-mast
at the pilots' office at Lewis Wharf and at the Boston Towboat Company.
[9]
He was survived by his wife and four children. Funeral services were held at the family home in Everett. Rev. R. W. Davis conducted the services.
[1]
See also
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References
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]
- ^
a
b
"Pilot Commits Suicide. Capt John C. Fawcett, Suffering From locomotor ataxia, Shoots Himself on Board Boat"
.
The Boston Globe
. Boston, Massachusetts. 9 July 1908. p. 16
. Retrieved
2021-05-17
.
- ^
"Had Five Men Aboard. All the Pilots Had Left the Columbia Before She Went Ashore on the Beach at Scituate"
.
The Boston Globe
. Boston, Massachusetts. 28 Nov 1898. p. 4
. Retrieved
2021-05-17
.
- ^
"Body Found At Scituate"
.
The Boston Globe
. Boston, Massachusetts. 30 Nov 1898. p. 12
. Retrieved
2021-05-17
.
- ^
"New Pilot Boat Louise Proves Speedy"
.
The Boston Globe
. Boston, Massachusetts. 29 Jun 1900. p. 5
. Retrieved
2021-04-30
.
- ^
"Launch Of Pilot Boat Louise"
.
The Boston Globe
. Boston, Massachusetts. 1 May 1900. p. 3
. Retrieved
2021-04-30
.
- ^
"Capt Pritchard Seamanship"
.
The Boston Globe
. Boston, Massachusetts. 19 Oct 1900. p. 2
. Retrieved
2021-04-30
.
- ^
"Brink Of Death. Upset From a Yawl in a Terrific Gale Outside of Port"
.
The Boston Globe
. Boston, Massachusetts. 18 Oct 1900. p. 6
. Retrieved
2021-02-16
.
- ^
"Water Front Items"
.
The Boston Globe
. Boston, Massachusetts. 28 Mar 1904. p. 12
. Retrieved
2021-02-16
.
- ^
a
b
"Pilot Takes His Own Life. John C. Fawcett Commits Suicide. Act Was Committed in His Stateroom on the Louise"
.
The Boston Globe
. Boston, Massachusetts. 8 July 1908. p. 1
. Retrieved
2021-05-17
.
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