Newhook, Robert Penny Penneyhook

Notes:

Two of the three sons of this marriage, Robert Penny Newhook and Jonas N. Newhook, became prominant master shipbuilders. They were old enough at the time of their father's fatal accidental death in 1839 to have received some training under him.

 

(9) Robert Penny Newhook, 1821

Born at New Harbour in 1821, eldest child of the second marriage of Charles Newhook (second). He was twice married, his second wife being Elizabeth Thorne of New Harbour, an d there were children by both marriages.

 

During his adult life he is known to have lived in New Harbour, Trinity, Carbonear, New Perlican, Harbour Grace and, perhaps, Bay Roberts. Harbour Grace is the place of his lengthie st abode; he was established there in 1864, and it was very likely his permanent home thereafter. He also worked at shipbuilding in Connecticut, U. S. A., and in Retchibucto, New Brunswick. His grandson, Mr. John Peddle of Harbour Grace, says tha t he used to travel around working his trade, and that he spent at least one year in White Bay.

 

In his 1934 obituary of Postmaster John Newhook quoted in section (5) above, H. F. Shortis states that Trinity Bay had been fa mous for shipbuilding for over 200 years (an exaggeration in period, I feel), and that none of the places in that bay ever came up to New Harbour when extra good foreign-going vessels were required. He mentions the barque Queen, as beating all co mpetitors on foreign voyages.

 

I have a framed painting of this barque, obviously based on some older picture of her. There is a printed card inside the glass, reading as follows: "Barque Queen, 240 Tons. Built at New Harbo ur, Trinity Bay, 1856, Robert Newhook, Master Builder." She was built for the Harbour Grace firm of Punton and Munn. Shortis also says the the Queen is mentioned in an old record as having made two trips from Harbour Grace to Brazil in twenty day s (each trip). He further says that the Queen's first voyage was to Liverpool, England, and that there were several passengers, including Postmaster John's brother (who, I find, was Thomas Lander Newhook

 

An anonymous articl e entitled "The Old Ships," in the St. John's "Daily News" of 31 January 1959, states that the Queen made a trip in 1858 from Liverpool, England, to Harbour Grace in ten days.

 

Robert Penny Newhook built at Harbour Grace the brig Maggie. "The Newfoundlander," a St. John's newspaper, in its issue of 21 January 1867, reprints the following newsitem from the Harbour Grace "Standard:-"

 

"The launch of a new and very handsomely modelled brig took p lace yesterday from the building yard of W. J. S. Donnelly, Esq ...... amid the cheers of the assembled multitude and the music of the band of the Benevolent Society ...... she was named the Maggie by the lady of the owner Mr. Donnelly. The Maggi e is a beautifully modelled and substantially built brig, coppered and copper fastened, and is intended for the foreign trade. Her builder, Mr. Robert Newhook, is favourably known to the trade, as a builder of some of the finest and fastest vesse ls sailingfrom the Island, and we feel certain that this ship is equal if not superior to any hitherto built by him ......" The builder's working model of the Maggie is now on display in the Newfoundland Museum. She was lost with all hands in the Mediterranean in 1868.

 

Rev. Arthur Pittman, a native of New Perlican, Trinity Bay, wrote an article on that place in "The Newfoundland Quarterly" of December 1935 when about 75 years old; it has this sentence: "I can reme mber the firm of Bemister & Co. having two brigantines docked and repaired by Robert Newhook at New Perlican."

 

W. A. Munn's article in "The Newfoundland Quarterly" of Autumn 1937 erroneously gives Charles Newhook as the Qu een's builder, page 24.

 

In a list of vessels built in Newfoundland, appended to the Journal of the House of Assembly (or of the Legislative Council) about 1865, there is named a schooner built at Bay Roberts with Robert P. Newhook as the builder.

 

Besides the Queen and the Maggie, Mr. Peddle recollects that his grandfather built a vessel at Carbonear, presumably for the Rorke firm there. He died suddenly about 1885 whilewalking to Harbour Gr ace from Bay Roberts, where he was building or repairing a vessel. He is buried in Harbour Grace.

 

In my Slade monograph, published in the St. John's "Evening Telegram" in 1963 (August 29th, page 20), there is listed a Serv ant's Agreement, made at Trinity in 1841, whereby Robert P(enny) Newhook agrees to serve the Slade firm as dockman, i.e. shipwright;he was then about twenty years old.

 

No names or particulars are known to me of other vesse ls that Robert Penny Newhook master-built or repaired.

Family/Spouse: Thorne, Elizabeth. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

She From "Pot Heads and Drumhoops, A Folk History of New Harbour, Trinity Bay"
(1995), by Garry Cranford with Raymond Hillier: Charles Newhook II was the
town's leading citizen. When his wife died, a scribe at Trinity recorded,
"Monday, 2nd April, 1810, Charles Newhook arrived from New Harbour in a
schooner with his wife's corpse on board."The Encyclopedia of Newfoundland and Labrador: "The eldest son ... he may have been born in New Harbour, church records giving his birthplace as 'Trinity Bay'. ... son of Elizabeth and Charles Newhook. .. . Newhook was killed in St. John's in the spring of 1839 when he fell from the mast of a wrecked vessel on which he had been working".

From Marriage Data - Bonivista Area

"Jan(y) 17(th) Married Charles Newhook & Catherine Dau(r) of the late Jonah & Hannah Newell of this harbour".

N. C. Crewe: "He was actually in his sixty-first year, and was buried in the Anglican Cemetary at Trinity."

Charles married Penny, Martha Catherine in 1820. Martha was born in 1796; died in 1840. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

The Encyclopedia of Newfoundland and Labrador, Charles Newhook, "Newhook came to Newfoundland from Europe around 1777 to work for the mercantile firm of Benjamin Lester. An 1808 note in the register at St. Paul's Anglican Church in Trini ty indicates that the name Newhook is from the French Huguenot name Nuik, and it is generally agreed that the first Charles Newhook was of French extraction." Several Newhook researchers no longer believe the validity of a Huguenot connection.

N. C. Crewe: Charles Newhook died at Trinity relatively young. The epitaph on his headstone, in St. Paul's churchyard there, reads as follows: "In memory of Charles Newhook, who departed this life the 18th November 1799, aged 47 years. Also of hi s daughter, Sarah Newhook, who departed this life the 7th November 1798, aged 2 years and 9 months."

Early records at St. Paul's Anglican Church, Trinity, lists his surname as Newick. They also list his middle initial as "W".

There is a record (St. Paul's, Trinity) for a child (illegible name) baptized on April 17, 1785. The parents were "Cha(s)" and "Eliz(h)".

Charles married Wilcox, Elizabeth on 17 Jan 1804 in Trinity, Trinity Bay, Newfoundland, Canada. Elizabeth was born in 1755 in Tarrant Gunville, Dorset, England; died about 1806 in St. Paul's Anglican Church, Trinity, Trinity Bay, Newfoundland. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Edwin Aposhian reported that her maiden name may have been Wilson.

Michael Cooper reported her maiden name as Wilcox. Also, "Elizabeth is listed in the 1800-01 census of Trinity Bay in the town of Trinity as the head of the household. She is listed as single, 0 men, 4 children (3 boys and 1 girl)." Also, that she probably died at Trinity, Trinity Bay.

From Marriage Data - Bonivista Area

"Oct(r) 31(st) Married William Son of the late Charles & Elizabeth Newhook (now Wilson) & Mary Dau(r) of the late Philip & Cath(e) Mcgrath, both of this harbour".

Notes:

Married:
MARR: RIN MH:FF1722

Notes:

BAPM: RIN MH:IF2441
DEAT: RIN MH:IF4725

George married Sansom, Sarah on 30 Nov 1735. Sarah was born about 1708; died about Oct 1773. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

BIRT: RIN MH:IF3173
DEAT: RIN MH:IF3174

Notes:

Married:
MARR: RIN MH:FF126