Effie M. Morrissey
Encyclopedia
The Effie M. Morrissey (now Ernestina) was a schooner
skippered by Robert Bartlett that made many scientific expeditions to the Arctic
, sponsored by American museums, the Explorers Club and the National Geographic Society
. It also helped survey the Arctic
for the United States Government during World War II
. It is currently designated by the United States Department of the Interior
as a National Historic Landmark
as part of the New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park
.
to withstand North Atlantic gales, the Effie M. Morrissey was the last fishing schooner built for the Wonson Fish Company. Built with white oak
and yellow pine
at the John F. James & Washington Tarr shipyard, length at 112 ft (34 m), 13 ft draft and 8500 square feet (789.7 m²) of sail, she took four months to build and was launched February 1, 1894. Her hull was painted black and her first skipper was William Edward Morrissey, who named her after his daughter Effie Maude Morrissey.
Grand Banks Fishing Schooner
Effie M. Morrissey fished out of Gloucester for eleven years. Considered a high liner, on her first voyage she brought in over 200,000 lbs. of fish, enough to pay for her construction. One of the more notable skippers of the Effie M. Morrissey was Clayton Morrissey who went on to skipper the racing schooner Henry Ford. A statue to Clayton Morrissey by sculptor Leonard Craske entitled the Gloucester Fisherman's Memorial
can be seen on Gloucester's Western Avenue.
In 1905 under a new owner, Captain Ansel Snow, the schooner Effie M. Morrissey began fishing out of Digby
, Nova Scotia
. In 1912, the Montreal journalist and photographer Frederick William Wallace
sailed on the vessel as a member of Snow's crew. His epic poem about his time aboard the Effie M. Morrissey, "The Log of the Record Run," was widely read and adopted by east coast fishermen with such authentic results that it was mistaken as a very old traditional song by folklorist Helen Creighton
.
Then in 1914, ownership moved to Brigus
, Newfoundland
where Harold Bartlett used her as a fishing and coasting vessel along the Newfoundland and Labrador
shoreline.
The following is a listing of the many voyages captained by Robert Bartlett aboard the Effie M. Morrissey:
. On their voyage to the Pacific she developed problems at sea, forcing the crew to return to New York City
. On December 2, 1947, the boat caught fire of undetermined origin while docked at the Boat Basin in Flushing, New York.
The schooner was repaired and sold to Louisa Mendes of Egypt, Massachusetts. She entered the packet trade
in a trans-Atlantic crossing to Cape Verde
with a cargo of food and clothing. Upon reaching the islands, Captain Henrique Mendes reregistered the schooner under the name Ernestina, after his own daughter, and used her in inter-island trade. The Ernestina made many transatlantic voyages and fell into disrepair at Cape Verde, where she remained until the late nineteen sixties when interest arose in the United States to save the historic vessel. Harry Dugan and the Bartlett Exploration Association of Philadelphia made several offers to buy the ship for the South Street Seaport Museum in New York. In 1977 the people of Cape Verde agreed to give Ernestina to the people of the United States. The Foreign Minister, speaking on behalf of President Aristides Pereira
said,
In August 1988 the schooner made a return trip to Brigus
, Newfoundland
, home of Capt. Bob Bartlett on the 113th anniversary of his birth.
The Ernestina was designated by the United States Department of the Interior
as a National Historic Landmark
in 1990, with restoration being completed in 1994, and in 1996 became a part of the New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park
. She is owned by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
According to the National Park Service at NHL designation:
Schooner
A schooner is a type of sailing vessel characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts with the forward mast being no taller than the rear masts....
skippered by Robert Bartlett that made many scientific expeditions to the Arctic
Arctic
The Arctic is a region located at the northern-most part of the Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Russia, Greenland, the United States, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. The Arctic region consists of a vast, ice-covered ocean, surrounded by treeless permafrost...
, sponsored by American museums, the Explorers Club and the National Geographic Society
National Geographic Society
The National Geographic Society , headquartered in Washington, D.C. in the United States, is one of the largest non-profit scientific and educational institutions in the world. Its interests include geography, archaeology and natural science, the promotion of environmental and historical...
. It also helped survey the Arctic
Arctic
The Arctic is a region located at the northern-most part of the Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Russia, Greenland, the United States, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. The Arctic region consists of a vast, ice-covered ocean, surrounded by treeless permafrost...
for the United States Government during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. It is currently designated by the United States Department of the Interior
United States Department of the Interior
The United States Department of the Interior is the United States federal executive department of the U.S. government responsible for the management and conservation of most federal land and natural resources, and the administration of programs relating to Native Americans, Alaska Natives, Native...
as a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
as part of the New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park
New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park
New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park is a United States National Historical Park in New Bedford, Massachusetts, and is maintained by the National Park Service. The park commemorates the heritage of the world's preeminent whaling port during the nineteenth century.Established in 1996, the...
.
History
Designed by George McClain of Gloucester, MassachusettsGloucester, Massachusetts
Gloucester is a city on Cape Ann in Essex County, Massachusetts, in the United States. It is part of Massachusetts' North Shore. The population was 28,789 at the 2010 U.S. Census...
to withstand North Atlantic gales, the Effie M. Morrissey was the last fishing schooner built for the Wonson Fish Company. Built with white oak
White oak
Quercus alba, the white oak, is one of the pre-eminent hardwoods of eastern North America. It is a long-lived oak of the Fagaceae family, native to eastern North America and found from southern Quebec west to eastern Minnesota and south to northern Florida and eastern Texas. Specimens have been...
and yellow pine
Yellow pine
Yellow pine may refer to the following:*Certain pines in the subgenus Pinus subgenus Pinus:**In American forestry, a term for several closely related species of pine with yellow tinted wood, including the Southern Yellow Pines , and the non-Southern yellow pines and several others...
at the John F. James & Washington Tarr shipyard, length at 112 ft (34 m), 13 ft draft and 8500 square feet (789.7 m²) of sail, she took four months to build and was launched February 1, 1894. Her hull was painted black and her first skipper was William Edward Morrissey, who named her after his daughter Effie Maude Morrissey.
Grand Banks Fishing Schooner
Effie M. Morrissey fished out of Gloucester for eleven years. Considered a high liner, on her first voyage she brought in over 200,000 lbs. of fish, enough to pay for her construction. One of the more notable skippers of the Effie M. Morrissey was Clayton Morrissey who went on to skipper the racing schooner Henry Ford. A statue to Clayton Morrissey by sculptor Leonard Craske entitled the Gloucester Fisherman's Memorial
Gloucester Fisherman's Memorial
Gloucester Fisherman's Memorial is a historic memorial cenotaph sculpture on South Stacy Boulevard, near entrance of Stacy Esplanade in Gloucester, Massachusetts, built in 1925....
can be seen on Gloucester's Western Avenue.
In 1905 under a new owner, Captain Ansel Snow, the schooner Effie M. Morrissey began fishing out of Digby
Digby, Nova Scotia
Digby is a Canadian town in western Nova Scotia. It is the shiretown and largest population centre in Digby County.The town is situated on the western shore of the Annapolis Basin near the entrance to the Digby Gut which connects the basin to the Bay of Fundy.Named after Admiral Robert Digby, RN,...
, Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
. In 1912, the Montreal journalist and photographer Frederick William Wallace
Frederick William Wallace
Frederick William Wallace was a journalist, photographer, historian and novelist. He was the author of Wooden Ships and Iron Men, a now-classic 1924 book about the last days of the Age of Sail in Maritime Canada...
sailed on the vessel as a member of Snow's crew. His epic poem about his time aboard the Effie M. Morrissey, "The Log of the Record Run," was widely read and adopted by east coast fishermen with such authentic results that it was mistaken as a very old traditional song by folklorist Helen Creighton
Helen Creighton
Mary Helen Creighton, CM was a prominent Canadian folklorist. She collected over 4,000 traditional songs, stories, and myths in a career that spanned several decades, and she published many books and articles on Nova Scotia folk songs and folklore...
.
Then in 1914, ownership moved to Brigus
Brigus, Newfoundland and Labrador
Brigus is a small fishing community located in Conception Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Brigus was home to Captain Bob Bartlett and the location of his residence Hawthorne Cottage....
, Newfoundland
Dominion of Newfoundland
The Dominion of Newfoundland was a British Dominion from 1907 to 1949 . The Dominion of Newfoundland was situated in northeastern North America along the Atlantic coast and comprised the island of Newfoundland and Labrador on the continental mainland...
where Harold Bartlett used her as a fishing and coasting vessel along the Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
shoreline.
Early 20th century: exploration
In 1925 Harold Bartlett sold her to his cousin, noted Arctic explorer Capt. Bob Bartlett, who installed an auxiliary engine and reinforced the hull so the vessel could be used in Arctic ice. In 1926 with the financial support of the well known publisher George Palmer Putnam, Bartlett embarked on two decades of Arctic exploration using this vessel.The following is a listing of the many voyages captained by Robert Bartlett aboard the Effie M. Morrissey:
- 1926 American MuseumAmerican MuseumThe American Museum in Britain is based at Claverton Manor, near Bath, England, in a house, designed by Jeffry Wyatville and built in the 1820s on the site of a manor bought by Ralph Allen in 1758...
Greenland Expedition to Northwest Greenland for the American Museum of National History with George Palmer PutnamGeorge Palmer PutnamGeorge Palmer Putnam was an important American book publisher.-Biography:Putnam was born in Brunswick, Maine. On moving to New York City, Putnam was given his first job by Jonathan Leavitt, who subsequently published Putnam's first book...
and University of MichiganUniversity of MichiganThe University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
Professor William H. Hobbs. - 1927 Voyage to Western Baffin Land for the American Geographical SocietyAmerican Geographical SocietyThe American Geographical Society is an organization of professional geographers, founded in 1851 in New York City. Most fellows of the society are Americans, but among them have always been a significant number of fellows from around the world...
, Museum of the American IndianNational Museum of the American IndianThe National Museum of the American Indian is a museum operated under the auspices of the Smithsonian Institution that is dedicated to the life, languages, literature, history, and arts of the native Americans of the Western Hemisphere...
and the Heye Foundation with George Palmer Putman and Robert E. Peary, Jr. (son of Robert E. Peary). - 1928 Stoll McCracken Siberian Arctic Expedition to the Aleutian Islands, Bering StraitBering StraitThe Bering Strait , known to natives as Imakpik, is a sea strait between Cape Dezhnev, Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, Russia, the easternmost point of the Asian continent and Cape Prince of Wales, Alaska, USA, the westernmost point of the North American continent, with latitude of about 65°40'N,...
, and Arctic for the American Museum of Natural History with Charles H. Stoll and Harold McCrackenHarold McCrackenHarold McCracken was an American author, Alaskan grizzly bear hunter, biplane stunt photographer, cinematographer, producer and museum director...
. - 1929 Labrador Motion Picture Expedition along the LabradorLabradorLabrador is the distinct, northerly region of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It comprises the mainland portion of the province, separated from the island of Newfoundland by the Strait of Belle Isle...
Coast with Maurice Kellerman. - 1930 North East Greenland Expedition for the Museum of the American Indian.
- 1931 Norcross-Bartlett Expedition to Northeast Greenland for the Smithsonian InstitutionSmithsonian InstitutionThe Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
, Heye Foundation, American Museum of Natural History, and the New York Botanical GardenNew York Botanical Garden- See also :* Education in New York City* List of botanical gardens in the United States* List of museums and cultural institutions in New York City- External links :* official website** blog*...
to gather flowering plants for Botanical Gardens; specimens of wild fowl for the Museum of Natural History and narwhalNarwhalThe narwhal, Monodon monoceros, is a medium-sized toothed whale that lives year-round in the Arctic. One of two living species of whale in the Monodontidae family, along with the beluga whale, the narwhal males are distinguished by a characteristic long, straight, helical tusk extending from their...
and sealsPinnipedPinnipeds or fin-footed mammals are a widely distributed and diverse group of semiaquatic marine mammals comprising the families Odobenidae , Otariidae , and Phocidae .-Overview: Pinnipeds are typically sleek-bodied and barrel-shaped...
for the Ocean Hall of Life. In addition to this they carried out oceanographic, hydrographicHydrographyHydrography is the measurement of the depths, the tides and currents of a body of water and establishment of the sea, river or lake bed topography and morphology. Normally and historically for the purpose of charting a body of water for the safe navigation of shipping...
and meteorological work for the US Navy, Smithsonian Institution, and others. - 1932 Peary Memorial Expedition as a monument to Robert E. Peary. Peary’s grandchildren, Ed Stafford and Peary accompanied them along with their mother. The expedition was co-chartered by Mrs. Marie Peary Stafford and Arthur D. NorcrossArthur D. NorcrossArthur Dickinson Norcross was an American musician and politician who served in the both branches of the Massachusetts Legislature. He was a first cousin of poet Emily Dickinson.-Bibliography:...
. - 1933 Bartlett Northwest Greenland Expedition through the Hudson Strait, Fury Strait and the Hecla Strait for the American Museum of Natural History, Museum of American Indian, American Geographical Society and the Navy Department.
- 1934 Expedition to Greenland and Ellesmere Land making scientific collections for the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences.
- 1935 Northwest Greenland Expedition for Field Museum and the Smithsonian Institution. On this expedition was Dr. Lamar SoutterLamar SoutterLamar Soutter, MD was born March 9, 1909 in Boston, Massachusetts. He was the son of Helen Elizabeth Whiteside and Robert Soutter, a noted Boston orthopaedic surgeon. He graduated from Harvard college in 1931, with an AB in History, and from Harvard Medical School in 1935. He served residencies...
, founding dean of the University of Massachusetts Medical SchoolUniversity of Massachusetts Medical SchoolThe University of Massachusetts Medical School is one of five campuses of the University of Massachusetts system and is home to three schools: the School of Medicine, the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, the Graduate School of Nursing; a biomedical research enterprise; and a range of...
. - 1936 Bartlett Northeast Greenland Expedition for the Smithsonian Institution, American Geographical SocietyAmerican Geographical SocietyThe American Geographical Society is an organization of professional geographers, founded in 1851 in New York City. Most fellows of the society are Americans, but among them have always been a significant number of fellows from around the world...
, Chicago Zoological Society and the Field Museum. - 1937 Bartlett Northwest Greenland Expedition for the Smithsonian Institution and the Chicago Zoological Society.
- 1938 Northwest Greenland Expedition for the Smithsonian Institution, Cleveland Museum of Natural HistoryCleveland Museum of Natural HistoryThe Cleveland Museum of Natural History is a natural history museum located approximately five miles east of downtown Cleveland, Ohio in University Circle, a 550-acre concentration of educational, cultural and medical institutions...
, and the United States National Museum. - 1939 Northeast Greenland Expedition for the New York Zoological Society and the Smithsonian Institution.
- 1940 Greenland Expedition where the Effie M. Morrissey set a record for furthest north at 80 degrees 22 minutes North Latitude, a mere 578 nautical miles (1,070 km) from the North PoleNorth PoleThe North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole, is, subject to the caveats explained below, defined as the point in the northern hemisphere where the Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface...
. Pathe NewsreelsPathéPathé or Pathé Frères is the name of various French businesses founded and originally run by the Pathé Brothers of France.-History:...
had filimed this incredible effort, among those in attendance was Fred Littleton, Austen Colgate, John Pitcairn, Jim Pond, David Nutt, Reggie Wilcox and George Hodge. - 1941 Greenland Expedition into the Arctic regions sponsored by Louise BoydLouise BoydLouise Arner Boyd was an American explorer of Greenland and the Arctic, who wrote extensively of her explorations, and in 1955 became the first woman to fly over the North Pole privately chartering a DC-4 and crew that included aviation pioneer Thor Solberg.-Biography:Born in San Rafael,...
of San Francisco into the Baffin BayBaffin BayBaffin Bay , located between Baffin Island and the southwest coast of Greenland, is a marginal sea of the North Atlantic Ocean. It is connected to the Atlantic via Davis Strait and the Labrador Sea...
region. It was the first opportunity by National Bureau of Standards for an extensive study of the ionosphereIonosphereThe ionosphere is a part of the upper atmosphere, comprising portions of the mesosphere, thermosphere and exosphere, distinguished because it is ionized by solar radiation. It plays an important part in atmospheric electricity and forms the inner edge of the magnetosphere...
at Arctic latitudes. - 1942 Voyage to Ungava Bay and Frobisher Bay to conduct survey work for air bases Crystal One and Crystal Two for both the US Army Air Forces and the US Navy.
- 1943 Voyage to Frobisher BayFrobisher BayFrobisher Bay is a relatively large inlet of the Labrador Sea in the Qikiqtaaluk Region of Nunavut, Canada. It is located in the southeastern corner of Baffin Island...
for supply and survey work for US military bases. - 1944 Voyage to southern and eastern Greenland to supply and service US weather bases.
- 1945 Voyage to northwest Greenland to supply and service US military bases.
Mid 20th century: packet ship Ernestina
When Captain Robert Bartlett died on April 28, 1946 the Effie M. Morrissey was sold to the Jackson brothers to carry mail and passengers in an inter-island trade in the South PacificPacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
. On their voyage to the Pacific she developed problems at sea, forcing the crew to return to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. On December 2, 1947, the boat caught fire of undetermined origin while docked at the Boat Basin in Flushing, New York.
The schooner was repaired and sold to Louisa Mendes of Egypt, Massachusetts. She entered the packet trade
Packet trade
Packet trade generally refers to any regularly scheduled cargo, passenger and mail trade conducted by ship. The ships are called "packet boats" as their original function was to carry mail.-United States:...
in a trans-Atlantic crossing to Cape Verde
Cape Verde
The Republic of Cape Verde is an island country, spanning an archipelago of 10 islands located in the central Atlantic Ocean, 570 kilometres off the coast of Western Africa...
with a cargo of food and clothing. Upon reaching the islands, Captain Henrique Mendes reregistered the schooner under the name Ernestina, after his own daughter, and used her in inter-island trade. The Ernestina made many transatlantic voyages and fell into disrepair at Cape Verde, where she remained until the late nineteen sixties when interest arose in the United States to save the historic vessel. Harry Dugan and the Bartlett Exploration Association of Philadelphia made several offers to buy the ship for the South Street Seaport Museum in New York. In 1977 the people of Cape Verde agreed to give Ernestina to the people of the United States. The Foreign Minister, speaking on behalf of President Aristides Pereira
Aristides Pereira
Aristides Maria Pereira was the first President of Cape Verde, serving from 1975 to 1991.-Biography:Pereira was born on the island of Boa Vista. His first major government job was chief of telecommunications in Guinea-Bissau...
said,
- "The Government of Cape Verde offers the Ernestina as a gift to the United States of America as an expression of the high regard of the people of Cape Verde for the people of the United States and we deliver the vessel to the State of Massachusetts as a representative of the people of the United States."
Late 20th century: National Historic Landmark
In August 1982 its hull was completely rebuilt and it sailed to the United States with a crew of Cape Verdeans and Americans.In August 1988 the schooner made a return trip to Brigus
Brigus, Newfoundland and Labrador
Brigus is a small fishing community located in Conception Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Brigus was home to Captain Bob Bartlett and the location of his residence Hawthorne Cottage....
, Newfoundland
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
, home of Capt. Bob Bartlett on the 113th anniversary of his birth.
The Ernestina was designated by the United States Department of the Interior
United States Department of the Interior
The United States Department of the Interior is the United States federal executive department of the U.S. government responsible for the management and conservation of most federal land and natural resources, and the administration of programs relating to Native Americans, Alaska Natives, Native...
as a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
in 1990, with restoration being completed in 1994, and in 1996 became a part of the New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park
New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park
New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park is a United States National Historical Park in New Bedford, Massachusetts, and is maintained by the National Park Service. The park commemorates the heritage of the world's preeminent whaling port during the nineteenth century.Established in 1996, the...
. She is owned by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
According to the National Park Service at NHL designation: