The Yankee - July 16, 1813
New Bedford, July 9
The inhabitants of Nantucket, being prevented from following their accustomed employments, by the war in which
our country is engaged, have beaten their harpoons into ploughs, and their whale spades into hoes, and turned their
attention to the cultivation of the soil.
They have planted this year about 510 acres in the common field, and
360 acres on the divided land, (which they call the Land of Inhertance)—making an aggregate of 900 acres.
The grass on the land is abundant, and other vegetables are very promising,
but amongst the many cultivating the common land, it cannot be productive and thirteen bushels of corn to the acre,
is considered a good crop.
The general cornfield is an object of curiosity, worthy the attention
of strangers. Here are between five and six hundred acres of one tract planted by more than three hundred proprietors,
and each man's part is bounded by stakes on which the initial of his name are engraved. Contributed
by Frances Cooley
Nantucket Bank Robbery
Nantucket Gazette - May 6, 1816
Nantucket, April 20, 1816
Messrs Tarmain & Tupper
In the first paper you publish in this town, you will please insert the following, and the copy of the two letters
accompanying the same.
The subscribers feel it a duty they owe to themselves, their connections,
their friends and the public, to publish some communications recently made to them, respecting the Robbery of the
Nantucket Bank, in 1795.
In January last, William Coffin, received a letter from Alex. Coffin,
Jr. Esq. Agent of State Prison, N. York, dated the 20th of that month, the letter he showed to a number of his
friends.
He then wrote Mr. Coffin, as did likewise Albert Gardner, earnestly soliciting
him to spare no pains in procuring every information in the most authentic manner possible, as respected the subject,
and to forward them the same.
In February following, they received Mr. Coffin's second letter, under
date of the 14th same month; with the second letter, they received a statement made and signed to, by one Mc Fate,
(a convict) the statement was made, committed to writing, and signed by William Mc Fate, in presence of all the
principle officers of the N. York State Prison, which statement, with many other documents, now preparing for the
press, when published will completely develope the whole business.
No doubts will then remain, except with the Incorrigible.
WM. COFFIN
Contributed by Frances Cooley
Nantucket Gazette - May 13, 1816
Nantucket, Monday, May 13
We are happy to announce the election of the Hon. Thaddeus Coffin, as representative from this town to the General
Court.
The votes stood for Hon. Thaddeus Coffin 206 (Fed.) George Bunker, Jr.
142 (demo.)
The full representation of Nantucket is nine, but on the opening; of
the meeting a motion was made to send but one, which motion passed without opposition.
Mr. Coffin is the first Federal Representative from this town for twenty
years.
The Circuit Court of Common Pleas commences its session this day for
this County, at 10 o'clock, A. M.
Contributed by Frances Cooley
Nantucket In The Dark
Salem Gazette - February 28, 1826
The very spot, of all others, not where whales are manufactured, but
where their oil makes almost the sole trade of the inhabitants, is in utter darkness, as often as there happens
to be a dark night: not, however, from a want of combustible matter, wherewith to make a flame, hut from an absolute
want of liberality.
This must stand recorded as a disgraceful fact, that Nantucket has oil
to sell, but none to burn in her own benighted streets.
An age of darkness this in Nantucket! For the honor of that respectable
place, we hope they will no longer grope their way by the light of their noses, lest the same Sachem who made the
Island with the ashes of his pipe, offended at the parsimony of the possessors of the soil, should puff the smoke
of his wrath over their heads and hide the luminary which favors their covetous dispositions thro' the day.—Boat.
News-Letter.
[With some alteration these remarks would answer far the meridian of
Salem.]
Contributed by Frances Cooley
THE SEA SERPENT
The Salem Gazette - October 2, 1821
Nantucket, Sept. 28
The Sea Serpent was seen near the South Shore of this island yesterday morning.—The following account is given
of it :
NANTUCKET, SEPT. 27
I, Francis Joy jr.of Nantucket, in the County of Nantucket, merchant, do hereby certify, that at about half past
9 o'clock this morning, I ascended the Tower in this town, having an excellent Telescope; and while I was engaged
in looking out for vessels, I caught sight of the SEA SERPENT, which was about one mile from the South Shore, and
about three and a half miles from the Tower—I had a clear and definite view of it for about one hour—It appeared
to be about one hundred feet in length; its head was about fix feet above water, and. about the size of a barrel.
The following is as true and correct a description of it, as I am able to draw.
FRANCIS JOY, jr.
Nantucket, Sept. 27, 1821
Then Francis Joy, jr. a respectable Merchant of this Town, personally
appeared before me, and made solemn oath, that the facts contained in the above Certificate are true, and that
the following description of the Sea Serpent, he saw this day, is as correct as he is capable of drawing
Josiah Hussey, Justice of the Peace.
The description drawn out by Mr, Joy, as alluded to, in his certificate,
is similar to that given of it, when seen near Lynn and Cape Ann.
Contributed by Frances Cooley
The Father of Nantucket
Barre Gazette - September 30, 1836
We have been favored with a copy of manuscript history, of no doubtful
authority, which states that Thomas Macy was the first white person that settled on the Island of Nantucket, and
which contains something amusing in relation to history.
In the year 1665, King Philip, the Sachem of Mount Hope, went to Nantucket
with his tribe who was guilty of the enormous crime of sacrilege, inasmuch as he had taken the name of a deceased
sachem in vain. The name of the criminal was Assassmu,(John Gibbs) and the impious act which he had committed bad
aroused the indignation of his whole tribe.
Philip and his suite landed from their canoe on the west end of the island,
and travelled to the settlement on the east end, where the criminal had taken refuge. On his arrival there, the
criminal fled to good old Thomas, (whom both whites and Indians loved and respected) implored his protection and
was conceled.
Philip demanded him, and became so warlike that an assembly of the white
inhabitants took place, when a treaty was entered into by the parties, on one condition of which was, that Philip
should have all the money on the Island if he would reprieve the criminal. A collection took place, nineteen shillings
were raised for Philip, and he returned to Mount Hope satisfied. Mr. Macy was equally happy in his whole system
of government, and, was highly esteemed from the fact that he was the first white inhabitant.of the Island.
Contributed by Frances Cooley
