The
Morrissey worked most often as a dory trawler.
The crew of twenty fishermen would pair off in
each of the ship's ten dories to trawl for cod,
haddock or halibut from lines paid out of tubs.
When the dory was full of fish the men would row
or sail back to the schooner, tended in the
meantime only by captain and cook. On occasion a
storm would blow up sending the dories away from
the ship, yet the records show that in all her
years of fishing the Morrissey lost only one man.
THE MORRISSEY FAMILY
Captain William Edward Morrissey was born in 1845 in Lower
East Pubnico, Nova Scotia and died 27 January 1913. He married
Caroline Larkin in September 1867 in Woods Harbour, Nova
Scotia. Caroline was born 15 June 1851. The children of
William and Caroline were Ida Serena Morrissey (20 July 1868 -
?), Athelston Y. Morrissey (1871 - 29 March 1899) who died at
sea, Capt. Clayton E. Morrissey (12 September 1873 - 1 July
1936), Effie Maude Morrissey (8 November 1877 - ?) and Capt.
William F. Morrissey (1879 - ?). Clayton's extended family
tree is shown below.
1894
- Capt. William E. Morrissey
July 28: 250,000 lbs cod / 2,000 lbs halibut
November 8: 320,000 lbs cod / 2,000 lbs halibut.
1895
- Capt. Clayton Morrissey
April 11: The Schooner Effie Morrissey will go to the
Banks under command of Captain Clayton Morrissey. Her regular
skipper, Captain William Morrissey being too ill to continue.
Clayton is William’s 19
year old son.
July 2:
240,000 lbs cod / 1,500 lbs halibut
Nov. 5: 230,000 lbs cod / 1,000
lbs halibut
Winter
1895-1896
Herring fishing in Placentia Bay sailed on to New
York.
1896
Capt. Joseph Bonia
Capt.
Clayton Morrissey
1897
Capt. Clayton Morrissey
Owners: John F. Wonson 15/64, Roger W. Wonson 15/64, Franklin
A. Wonson 15/64, Frederick G. Wonson 15/64
Engaged in mackerel seining.
1897
Capt. D. Cogill
Capt. Anson Leaman
1898
The Morrissey went shore in Smith’s Cove during a
November Nor'easter', was refloated
and damage was quickly repaired. The ship was on to Newfoundland again for
herring under Capt. John MacInnis and later handline dory
fishing.
1899
Capt. Josh Stanley
Owners: John F. Wonson 7/24, Roger W. Wonson 7/24, William E.
Morrissey 10/24. Haddock
fishing and salt cod fishing for the next few years. Very
successful years for the schooner and her crews, paying good
shares.
Edward
Rapp, 22, native of Shelburne, NS, washed overboard on the
Grand Banks on November 13, 1899 and was lost.
1900
Capt. Hugh Quinlan
1901
Capt. Joshua Stanley
Capt. Henry Atwood
1902
Capt. Ellen R. Martin
1903
Capt. Henry Atwood
1904
Capt. C. Harding
Here
is part of the Morrissey family tree. The Morrissey family
came for a sail on the ship in September 2002.
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