1. CHARLES F.-
b. 15 Aug. 1815 Mallow, Co. Cork(1)
m. EMILY TARRANT (b. May 1812 Doneraile, Co. Cork,(3) d. 16 Jan. 1885 Kennebunkport, ME)
d. 14 Apr. 1891 Kennebunkport, Maine
Charles emigrated from Co. Cork and arrived in Boston 11 Oct. 1835.(2) He probably married Emily Tarrant after his arrival in this country given their ages at his immigration.
Charles is listed in the 1840 census return for Provincetown, with a male between age 20 & 30 (Charles) and a female between 20 & 30 (Emily) and a girl under age 5 (Helena). They were living next to James “Tallant” and family. They are listed in the 1850 census report for Provincetown with Charles being a fisherman, his real estate being worth $200.00. Also living with them were their children Helen, Richard, William, Emily and Charles. Emily's mother Mary G. Tarrant and her brother Richard were living next door.(14) Charles became a citizen of the United States 28 June 1848 and was listed as being of Provincetown. His character witnesses were Henry Flynn and Thomas A. Gleason of Boston, traders.(4) From Florence Nunan's family history the family lived in the last house on Long Point before moving into Provincetown in 1856.(5)
Charles and Emily are listed in the 1855 state census for P’town living next door to Emily’s brother Richard Tarrant and his family.
Charles and Emily "Nulan" were still in Provincetown at the time of the 1860 census in July of that year with their children Eleanor, Richard, William, Charles, Arthur, Elisha and Amelia.
Richard became a master mariner and in 1860 he and his father sailed up the coast in Richard's ship the Hattie Allen looking for better fishing grounds. They were pleased with the harbor at Cape Porpoise and the reported good fishing and decided to move the family. On 3 July 1861 all the Nunans arrived in Cape Porpoise aboard the Ambrose and settled in the last house on Paddy's Cove.(6)
On 16 Sept. 1861 Charles F. Nunan of Provincetown, Barnstable Co., MA purchased land, wharves and fish houses for $400.00 from Warren and Phebe Brown of Kennebunkport. The deed was witnessed by John Wheeler.(7)
William served for the Union during the Civil War and I wondered why the other sons didn’t. Well, it appears that Richard was indeed drafted in 1863, however, hired a substitute, Fred W.C. Blake, to serve for him. Hiring a substitute (the going rate was $300) was a common practice if you were drafted and didn’t want to serve for whatever reason. His brother-in-law, Dana Hutchins, also hired a substitute.
Fred Blake served in Co. F in the 16th Maine Infantry Regiment. The 16th Maine was involved in the battles of Antietam, Gettysburg and Petersburg. Fred enlisted 12 Sept. 1863 and died in Campbell General Hospital in Washington, D.C. on 2 Feb. 1864. His mother received a pension due to his service. One has to wonder how Richard felt about this… as he was the one who should have served, not Fred. Did he consider himself lucky or did he suffer from survivor’s guilt? Fred is buried in Eastern Cemetery in Portland in the family plot, his broken stone leaning on an iron rail a symbol of a broken country. Did Richard ever visit the grave of the man who died for him during the war?
Charles is listed in the US Excise Tax list for 1864: “Nunan Charles F., Kennebunkport, Peddler of Shell & other Fish, $3.75” and also in 1865 for $5.00. (15)
Charles and Emily are listed in the 1870 census for Kennebunkport with Charles (age 56) being listed as a fisherman. Charles F., Arthur and Elisha were also at home. Richard and Caroline and William and Annie were living next door.(8)
On 4 Dec. 1873 Robert S. Smith and William H. Walker of Kennebunkport sold to Charles F. and Richard J. Nunan of Kennebunkport for $662.00, 10 1/2 acres of land bordering the Nunan's lot. The deed was signed by Robert S. and Sarah A. Smith and by William H. and Lydia S. Walker and was witnessed by W.F. Moody J.P., Josiah J. Goodwin, and Catharine Harrison.(9) William sold more land adjoining the above lot on 26 Sept. 1873 for $450.00 to Charles and Richard. This deed was witnessed by Lucy A. Walker.(10) Charles and Emily are listed in the 1880 census report for Kennebunkport along with their son Elisha (age 22) and grandson Ernest (age 11).(11)
Charles was a small man and a constant pipe smoker. Evidently none of his sons smoked as "we had enough of it as children growing up and wanted none of it." After retiring from the sea Charles drove the stage to Biddeford.(12)
From the Biddeford Journal, Friday, 5 Jan. 1883 we find that: The fishing business is very dull at the Cape, and some of the large boats have been obliged to lay up for the winter. Capt. Elisha Nunan, commander of the new boat and crew, has gone to Block Island in hopes of getting fish there.
And from the paper on 9 Feb. 1883: A little son of Arthur Nunan suddenly became deranged Monday, and fears are entertained that he cannot recover. It is a very sad case, especially so, as his mother is an invalid and his father absent on a voyage to the West Indies. (This could have been Harry, Elisha or Albert).
Tradition states that Emily was a very intelligent woman and became a nurse and midwife. She died after contracting pneumonia in Jan. 1885 after delivering Hartley Huff at the Huff home on Langsford road. She was a religious woman and very active in the church. After her death one of the Memorial Windows in the church at Cape Porpoise was donated by the family in 1909. There is also a Memorial window in memory of Richard and Caroline Nunan.(13)
From the Biddeford Journal, 27 Nov. 1885: Cape Porpoise- Capt. Richard Tarrant of Provincetown, Mass., with his family is in town visiting the Nunan families. Mr. Tarrant’s former wife was Phebe Seavey, a resident of this place; she died some years ago leaving two daughters which are now grown to womanhood; and one of them is here with her father to see her mother’s homestead. Capt. Tarrant has many warm friends in this place which he gained when he spent the summer months years ago in the fishing business out of this harbor.
Mr. Charles Nunan took dinner with his daughter, Mrs. Dana Hutchins, last Thanksgiving, which was the first Thanksgiving dinner he ever took outside of his own house in his life that he remembers of, and he is 74 years old.
The Helen F. Tredick, which is to go to Portsmouth fishing this winter, carries from this place for part of her crew R.P. Tibbetts, Willis Stone, Howard Nunan, George Huff and Charles Deshon, and we wish them success..- Biddeford Daily Journal- 4 Dec. 1886
From the front page of the Baltimore Morning Herald, Friday, 3 April 1884:
A Lime Laden Schooner Ashore- Provincetown, April 3- The schooner Robert B. Smith of Rockland, Me., with lime for New York, came ashore this morning in a dilapidated condition. She is being stripped. The crew was rescued by Captain Isaac G. Fisher and crew, of the life-saving station, who have saved 10 lives the past week.
From page seven of the Providence Journal from Thursday, 15 Dec. 1898 is a wonderful article about Helena Nunan’s husband, Capt. Isaac G. Fisher, Keeper of the Peaked Hill Bars Coast Guard Station including his picture:
From the Lewiston Evening Journal- Monday, 10 Jan. 1910:
The big store on Church street, Cape Porpoise, changed hands some time ago. For many years Capt. John Bell has kept it as a grocery store, but feeling the infirmity of the years creeping over him, desiring to spend a little while in well earned rest, desired to sell out. The store was purchased by Capt. Richard A. Nunan and his son, Frank A. These well known sons of the sea have a very enviable reputation for success in life, and especially for their moral characters. They have never indulged in liquors, profanity, or tobacco in any way, and have urged upon others the wisdom of abstinence from useless and needless habits. When the store trade was consummated, however, they found themselves with a stock of tobacco on their hands. While disposing of it as rapidly as possible for they literally hate the stuff, they naturally came in for a vigorous ‘jollying’ from their good natured associates who have known for many a year their feelings with respect to the soothing fascination of the weed. They took it all in good part, for they were selling out. They sold out. The store now is run by the brothers, Elisha and Arthur Nunan. In putting in the new stock the tobacco question naturally arose, and they decided to run a grocery store, a bright, clean, up to date grocery store without seats for loafers, without spittoons, and without this customary article to ‘attract trade.’
All children probably born in Provincetown, MA
· I. Helena F.- b. 3 Feb. 1840, m.12 Sept 1861 Provincetown, Isaac G. Fisher (b. 24 Aug. 1837, d. 18 Sept. 1901 Provincetown)
· II. Richard James- b. 24 May 1841, m. 2 Dec. 1864 Caroline E. Hutchins (b. 29 Apr. 1844, d. 17 Aug. 1919 Kennebunkport), d. 18 Apr. 1917 Kennebunkport. From the Biddeford Journal 18 May 1917: Among the wills presented for notice at the May session was that of Capt. Richard J. Nunan, late of Cape Porpoise, who was well known as one of the owners of the Cape Porpoise fishing fleet. Captain Nunan left an estate estimated at $18,750 real, and $5,250 personal.
Provincetown
60 Years Fishing Record of Late Capt. Richard J. Nunan
Flags were displayed at half mast on the fishing schooner Richard J. Nunan at Boston yesterday out of respect to Capt. Richard J. Nunan who died at his home in Cape Porpoise, Me., Wednesday, aged 77 years.
Richard J. Nunan was born at Long Point, Cape Cod, in the year 1840 of Irish parents. The first money earned by him was squid picked up on the beach and sold to the fishermen. At the age of nine he left school and went with Mr. Sparrow in a drag boat to assist in the support of a family of eight children. At the age of 12 he became interested in lobsters which were numerous at that time, a catch of two or three hundred often being taken for which he received about two cents each.
At 14 he went as cook with Capt. McCurdy in the Carrie K., which was built to go to California in ’49 but was found too small.
At the age of 17 he had his first drag boat, named for his only school teacher, Salome Lothrop, and in this boat he went to Monhegan and Cape Porpoise dragging for the summer. In the winter he went with Capt. Butler in the schooner Ambrose.
When he reached the age of 21 the family moved to Cape Porpoise, Me. There for two winters he went as “hand” in the sch. Rescue to get acquainted with the fishing grounds. At twenty-two he commanded the Hattie Ellen; then the Major Anderson, The Relief, Little Kate, Maggie Willard, Fanny Reed, Helen F., Frederick and Edith L. Conley. For 14 years he commanded the Thomas W. Knight, a familiar boat at T wharf in the 80’s. The last of his fishing was in the Dorcas in which he went dragging each spring to New York and Block Island.
Other vessels in which he has owned are Eddie Weeks, Lady Thorn, Estelle S. Nunan, Sylvia Nunan, Richard Nunan and Elizabeth S. Nunan, Angelina C. Nunan and a number of small boats.
On no vessel in which he ever went was there any insurance, and he never lost a man or a vessel, or had any serious mishap except to himself.
Once he fell overboard in winter from the Carrie Nunan and was picked up by his brother. His dory was once swamped in February and he was rescued from the bottom of the same. While fishing out of New York he fell on board the Dorcas and broke two ribs.
Nearly every captain sailing out of Cape Porpoise has been with him as one of the crew, and many from Boston and Gloucester, Capt. Julius Anderson and the late Capt. Martin Guthrie being among them.
The only prize he ever picked up at sea was a dead whale. All hands thinking it valuable, it was towed to Portsmouth, N.H. where the blubber was taken off and the carcass towed to sea and cast adrift. The blubber was tried out and one half sold for $55. The crew received $5 for the week’s work. The same summer “Cap’n Dick” received a bill from the town of Rye, N.H. for seven cords of wood and ten barrels of kerosene used in burning up the whale which had drifted up on the beach in front of summer houses.
In the Edith L. Conley, while fishing off Nova Scotia coast, the mackerel struck at Pubnico and “Cap’n Dick” bought an extra large baiting. Starting for the fishing grounds the wind came ahead and the schooner, was headed for Portland where the bait sold for fair prices, crew sharing $40 for the short trip.
“Cap’n Dick” was strictly temperate, never having drank a glass of intoxicating liquor. His smoking days were also very few. While cook on the Carrie D. it was his duty to fill the pipes of the crew. Little Dick’s mother found out this and went to the captain who at once stopped it. This ended his smoking days.
Winter and summer for 40 years he followed the sea and starting at the age of nine made a total of 60 years service on the water.
Two years ago Captain and Mrs. Nunan celebrated their golden wedding with children, grandchildren and friends present.
When he came to remain on shore he was always interested in whatever was going on in the place. He particularly loved to spy the vessels as he passed by or came into the harbor. The sea was his element and he was happy if he could climb on board the vessels at the pier or get into a dory.
And he wanted so much to live. Life was sweet to him and years had not soured his disposition. He was always anxious to attend all the weddings and if anyone outside the family got an invitation it was apt to be “Uncle Richard” and “Aunt Caroline”. He was always ready to assist in any good enterprise and many were the calls upon him.
Since August last he had been suffering from heart trouble which was the cause of his death.
Besides his wife he leaves two sons, Capt. Frank A. Nunan and Capt. Lester W. Nunan of Cape Porpoise and one daughter Mrs. Robert Peterson of Lynn. There are also three brothers, Elisha F., Charles F. and Arthur W. Nunan. There are also grandchildren and great grandchildren. Captain Nunan was a nephew of the late R.G. Tarrant.
Between the older son Frank and the father there was the closest attachment. Placing his own vessel in other hands last September he spent the winter a constant companion to the feeble man, hoping against the watchful care might bring him the summer he so longed to see. But “Cap’n Dick’s” anchor is fast now, and he would not have the loved ones grieve.- Gloucester Daily Times- Saturday, April 21, 1917
· III. William Howard- b. 11 Oct. 1842, m. 18 Nov. 1866 Ann L. Nickerson (b. 8 Aug. 1849 Orrington, ME, d. 5 May 1873 Kennebunkport), d. 24 Feb. 1882 Cape Haitian, West Indies
· IV. Amelia- b. 10 June 1845, m. 13 Nov. 1864 Dana S. Hutchins (b. 23 June 1837 Kennebunkport, d. 28 May 1910 Kennebunkport), d. 1904. Cape Porpoise… Schooner Fannie Reed, Capt. Dana Hutchins sailed for the banks Monday of this week- The Biddeford Journal- 21 May 1886
· V. Catherine N.- b. 3 Sept. 1847, ?d.s.p.
· VI. Emily S.- b. 12 May 1848, d. 18 June 1848 Provincetown
· VII. Charles Freeman- b. 12 May 1849, m. 27 Dec. 1871 Emma Hutchins (b. 3 July 1852, d. 21 Mar. 1905), d. 3 Oct. 1919
· VIII. George W.- b. 13 Feb. 1851, d. 4 Apr. 1859 Provincetown
· IX. Arthur Wellesley-b. 23 Dec. 1852, m.1. 16 Apr. 1874 Clara W. Fifield (b. 31 Mar. 1856 Fryeburg, ME, d. 5 Dec. 1912), 2. 2 Sept. 1913, Florence Bryant (b. 5 Dec. 1864 Bryant's Pond, ME, d. 12 Feb. 1920), 3. 2 Sept. 1920 Lina Barrett Onthank (b.c.1880, m.1. Elisha Nunan, d. 20 June 1961), d. 11 May 1935. From the Biddeford Journal, 6 Nov. 1885: The heavy gale of Monday last did considerable damage in this place; it moved from the blockings a barn owned by Arthur Nunan and Mrs. Pinkham… the heaviest gale and the heaviest sea that has been at this place for quite a number of years. And from the Lewiston Journal from 1887: The farm house of Arthur Nunan at Cape Porpoise was gutted by fire Monday. Most of the furniture was saved. Fred White, while helping to extinguish the flames was overcome by the smoke and fell from a ladder, and at last accounts was still unconscious.
· X. Elisha Freeman- b. 1 Oct. 1855, m. 22 Dec. 1885 Caroline E. Huff (b. 11 May 1864, d. 26 July 1905), d. 8 Apr. 1928. Elisha must have moved to the Sailor’s Snug Harbor on Statin Island as in the Biddeford Journal, 18 June 1920 is: Elm Cottage, owned by Elisha Nunan of Snug Harbor, N.Y., has been sold to Kennebunk parties. And on 10 Sept. 1920: Elisha Nunan, who spent the summer here, returned to Brighton, Staten Island, Monday, accompanied by his son, Douglas. And on 8 June 1923: Elisha Nunan of Snug Harbor, Statin Island, is the guest of his brother, Arthur Nunan.
Ref:
(1) Naturalization Papers- National Archives, Woburn, MA
(2) Ibid
(3) The Nunan and Tarrant Families- Florence Nunan, MSS at the Kennebunkport Historical Soc.
(4) Naturalization Papers- National Archives, Woburn, MA
(5) The Nunan and Tarrant Families- Florence Nunan, MSS at the Kennebunkport Historical Soc.
(6) Ibid
(7) York Co. Deeds- Vol.274, pp.80,389
(8) 1870 Census for Kennebunkport- p.30
(9) York Co. Deeds- Vol.337, p.467
(10) Ibid- p.468
(11) 1880 Census for Kennebunkport- p.16
(12) The Nunan and Tarrant Families- Florence Nunan, MSS at the Kennebunkport Historical Soc.
(13) Ibid
(14) 1850 Census for Provincetown- p. 64
(15) United States Excise Tax- Division No. 1, District No. 1, Maine, Aug. 1864 & May 1865- No. 23- rhusa1862-101853-00039; rhusa1862-101854-00920
Provincetown Vital Records
Family of Charles Richard Nunan and Emily Tarrant- Florence Nunan & Mary Bryant, MSS. Kennebunkport Hist. Soc.
