Newhook, Charles

Notes:

 

(13) Charles Newhook (bachelor), 1817-95

Born at Trinity in 1817, son of William Newhook (Trinity). Died in 1895 at St. John's, where he is buried. He never married.

 

In Hutchinson's 1864 Directory, he is listed as a shipbuilder at Trinity.

 

Messrs. Archibald, and Gilbert G., Christian, of St. John's, men in their eighties, recall him as an old, small, bearded man at Trinity when they were boys there. They know he built a schooner called Lizzie, for their grandfather, George Christian. They say the last vessel he built at Trinity was the Hiawatha, which I myself have seen.

 

Of his skill, Mr. Archibald Christian relates two anecdotes. First, he shaped a new stem for a vessel under repairs; when brought to be fitted in place, not a shaving had to be pared off it. Secondly, when a shipwright who had built a vessel in Prince Edward Island got nervous about the launching of her, Charles Newhook was brought there from Trinity and did the job.

 

Mr. Gilbert G. Christian, when about seven, was launched in the new schooner Alberta, which Charles Newhook master-built in Slade's Cove, Trinity, for the local firm of Robert S. Bremmer.

 

In "The Enterprise," a Trinity newspaper, of 4 December 1909, Rev. Walter R. Smith, who spent a number of years of his youth at Trinity, writes as follows: "I saw the new Dart launched in February 1859. She was a handsome craft, and designed and built by that A1 shipbuilder, Mr. Charles Newhook, who died at St. John's only a few years ago ...... she was not a very fortunate ship ...... In the future, I may speak of the Isabel, Thomas, Trinity and Henry Thomas; all these brigs I saw launched. They were all designed and built by Mr. Charles Newhook."

 

A letter signed Rambler in "The Enterprise's" issue of 27 November 1909 speaks of "...... a little house in which Mr. Charles Newhook, shipwright, used to keep the models of the vessels Trinity,Henry Thomas and many others which he built."

 

In the 1934 obituary in section (5) above, Shortis says that the Newhooks built "...... also the famous Henry Thomas, in which Capt. John Houlahan brought in 11,000 seals one spring."

 

An anonymous article entitled "Harbour Grace History, The Old Ships, etc.," in the St. John's "Daily News" of about 19 May 1959, reads in part as follows:-

 

"The Henry Thomas, one of the best known ships of those years, was built by Charles Newhook at Stoneman's Dock at Trinity, and was launched on the 8th February 1858. She went to the seal fisheryin March that year under Capt. George Stoneman, and was also employed in foreign parts with Stoneman as master ...... Capt. Field was in charge of her on a voyage to Sydney, and on her way back she was wrecked at St. Pierre. The St. Pierre merchants bought her and had her repaired, and made her the clipper of the French banking fleet. It was said that she could go through ice where other ships would get jammed and that she could run 18 knots."

 

A newsitem in "The Courier," St. John's, of 17 January 1855, reads as follows:-

 

"On the 4th of January there was launched from the dockyard of Messrs. R. Slade & Co., Trinity, a fine new brigantine named Isobel, of the burthen of 151 tons, new measurement. She was built by Mr. Charles Newhook, is intended chiefly for the seal fishery, and by competant judge is pronounced a handsome vessel, and as strong as wood, iron and good workmanship can make her. The launch was witnessed by a crowd of spectators all wishing success to the good ship and to her long-established and highly respectable owners."

 

Mr. Andrew Horwood, of 140 Campbell Avenue, St. John's, tells me that on her first sealing voyage, the Isobel was dismasted in a gale, that she worked into Trinity under jury rig, was re-rigged as a brig and went out to the ice again the same spring.

 

No names or particulars are known to me of other vessels that Charles Newhook (bachelor) master-built or repaired. He was the last Newhook master shipbuilder to practise that calling in Trinity,T. B.

 

 

 

(13) Charles Newhook (bachelor), 1817-95

Born at Trinity in 1817, son of William Newhook (Trinity). Died in 1895 at St. John's, where he is buried. He never married.

In Hutchinson's 1864 Directory, he is listed as a shipbuilder at Trinity.

Messrs. Archibald, and Gilbert G., Christian, of St. John's, men in their eighties, recall him as an old, small, bearded man at Trinity when they were boys there. They know he built a schooner calledLizzie, for their grandfather, George Christian. They say the last vessel he built at Trinity was the Hiawatha, which I myself have seen.

Of his skill, Mr. Archibald Christian relates two anecdotes. First, he shaped a new stem for a vessel under repairs; when brought to be fitted in place, not a shaving had to be pared off it. Secondly, when a shipwright who had built a vessel in Prince Edward Island got nervous about the launching of her, Charles Newhook was brought there from Trinity and did the job.

Mr. Gilbert G. Christian, when about seven, was launched in the new schooner Alberta, which Charles Newhook master-built in Slade's Cove, Trinity, for the local firm of Robert S. Bremmer.

In "The Enterprise," a Trinity newspaper, of 4 December 1909, Rev. Walter R. Smith, who spent a number of years of his youth at Trinity, writes as follows: "I saw the new Dart launched in February 1859. She was a handsome craft, and designed and built by that A1 shipbuilder, Mr. Charles Newhook, who died at St. John's only a few years ago ...... she was not a very fortunate ship ...... In the future, I may speak of the Isabel, Thomas, Trinity and Henry Thomas; all these brigs I saw launched. They were all designed and built by Mr. Charles Newhook."

A letter signed Rambler in "The Enterprise's" issue of 27 November 1909 speaks of "...... a little house in which Mr. Charles Newhook, shipwright, used to keep the models of the vessels Trinity, Henry Thomas and many others which he built."

In the 1934 obituary in section (5) above, Shortis says that the Newhooks built "...... also the famous Henry Thomas, in which Capt. John Houlahan brought in 11,000 seals one spring."

An anonymous article entitled "Harbour Grace History, The Old Ships, etc.," in the St. John's "Daily News" of about 19 May 1959, reads in part as follows:-

"The Henry Thomas, one of the best known ships of those years, was built by Charles Newhook at Stoneman's Dock at Trinity, and was launched on the 8th February 1858. She went to the seal fishery in March that year under Capt. George Stoneman, and was also employed in foreign parts with Stoneman as master ...... Capt. Field was in charge of her on a voyage to Sydney, and on her way back she was wrecked at St. Pierre. The St. Pierre merchants bought her and had her repaired, and made her the clipper of the French banking fleet. It was said that she could go through ice where other ships would get jammed and that she could run 18 knots."

A newsitem in "The Courier," St. John's, of 17 January 1855, reads as follows:-

"On the 4th of January there was launched from the dockyard of Messrs. R. Slade & Co., Trinity, a fine new brigantine named Isobel, of the burthen of 151 tons, new measurement. She was built by Mr. Charles Newhook, is intended chiefly for the seal fishery, and by competant judge is pronounced a handsome vessel, and as strong as wood, iron and good workmanship can make her. The launch was witnessed by a crowd of spectators all wishing success to the good ship and to her long-established and highly respectable owners."

Mr. Andrew Horwood, of 140 Campbell Avenue, St. John's, tells me that on her first sealing voyage, the Isobel was dismasted in a gale, that she worked into Trinity under jury rig, was re-rigged as a brig and went out to the ice again the same spring.

No names or particulars are known to me of other vessels that Charles Newhook (bachelor) master-built or repaired. He was the last Newhook master shipbuilder to practise that calling in Trinity, T. B.
BIRT: RIN MH:IF2415
BAPM: RIN MH:IF2416
DEAT: RIN MH:IF2417