IN SEARCH OF THE ARABELLA: A Story of Two Boats

Between April 8 and June 12, 1630, a fleet of 17 ships carrying over 1000 passengers set sail from Yarmouth, England to Salem, Massachusetts. It was under the command of Massachusetts Governor John Winthrop, who sailed with 400 emigrants aboard the flagship “Arabella.” This 28-gun ship also transported the Charter of the Massachusetts Bay Company to Salem, thereby giving legal birth to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

On board was Arabella Johnson, wife of one of the assistants. The ship was named in her honor. Charming and from a luxurious home, she was considered “queen of the colony.” Also on board, braving the Atlantic Ocean, was America’s first poet, Anne Bradstreet, who at age 18 left England with her husband and parents to escape persecution by the Church of England’s Archbishop Laud.

Enroute, Gov. Winthrop preached a lay sermon titled “Modell of Christian Charity.” He clearly articulated why the Puritans migrated, and that they needed a Covenant with God to form a government—that is, they needed to consent to God’s law of justice and subordination.

“God Almightie in his most holy and wise providence hath soe disposed of the Conicion of mankinde, as in all times some must be rich some poore…” he preached. The sentence continued, “some highe and eminent in power and dignitie; others meane and in subjection.”

After three sickening months at sea, surviving on salt meats, the Arabella passengers arrived at Salem to find there was no church and no town, only a rather stately house for the governor and a few hovels among cornfields that sheltered the settlers.

Their fantasy of pagan natives peaceably and eagerly awaiting the good news of the gospel was smashed when they met the starving survivors at Salem. Food was scarce, disease rampant. Arabella died within a month after her arrival. Her husband’s grief brought him to death a few weeks later.

Puritanism, a spiritual reformation in England’s churches, was found inadequate to purify the Church of England. The many who clamored to go all the way with the Bible were derogatorily labeled “Puritans.” Their image generally denotes people intent on stopping all pleasures. It wasn’t so. They wore bright clothes, danced, were excellent businessmen, ardently promoted higher education, were the first to allow multiple religious denominations in one country, and knew how to enjoy life.

Furthermore, the good ship Arabella’s cargo included 10,000 gallons of wine (50,000 fifths) and 42 tons of beer. They only had 14 tons of fresh water. Early Puritans proved to be among the best brewers. So why am I researching this?

In 1921 my maternal great-grandfather built a 39-foot boat he named the Arabella, and I wonder where the name came from. Did he name his boat after the historic Arabella that brought legal status documents to the colony of Massachusetts?

Allen Wilson Walker had the boat built in a barn across the street from the back of Woodward School in Quincy, Mass. According to a note on a post card featuring the Arabella, and oral telling, he sailed the boat between Quincy Yacht Club and Lamoine Beach (on Frenchman Bay), Maine.

The late Gladys Vigent, long-time resident of Lamoine who died in a recent May at 92 years old, provided the oral history. I met her a few years ago through my genealogy research. Both of us are descendents of Louis Des Isles, who emigrated to Lamoine from France in 1791. (We’re touching on subjects and sites—Louis Des Isles and Lamoine, Maine—in the historic romance novel which I am writing.)

Summers were special for the Des Isle clan and their friends in Lamoine. There were parties and picnics. Some of the picnics occurred at the Ovens, across Frenchman Bay on Mount Desert Island. They were daylong affairs in which the Arabella played an active part.

My great-grandfather brought the Arabella from Quincy to Lamoine for these events. Early in the day, he sailed fishermen across the bay to the Ovens to catch the fish of the day. He returned to Lamoine and filled the boat with the women, taking them to the ovens, where they would set up kettles to prepare chowders and fires to cook the fish. Later he sailed the remaining picnickers across the bay. Gladys sailed on the Arabella when she was a young woman.

Photo illustrations:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/carolyncholland/2416768807/in/photostream/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/carolyncholland/2416768839/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/carolyncholland/2417589132/in/photostream/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/carolyncholland/2417589092/in/photostream/

All this was done during low tide when the sailing across the reef-filled bay was the most treacherous. However, the Ovens were only visible and above water during low tide. The narrow rocky, shelly beach at the Ovens has a 60-foot or better sheer cliff walling it in. Picnickers have to vacate the beach before high tide lest they not escape at all, but drown.

I’d love more information on the Arabella—what kind of boat it was, what happened to it. However, all those people who had the pleasure of being on the boat are now gone. There’s no one left to add to its story.

One more story. On one or our visits to Lamoine, my husband Monte and I stopped at Shore Acres Retreat, just up the road from Lamoine Beach, now owned by Chuck Hemingway. It was once a hotel run by my ancestor, William des Isles.

During our conversation I mentioned the Arabella. Almost immediately, Chuck arose and excused himself, leaving Monte and I looking at each other, wondering if we’d been abandoned. When Chuck finally returned, he handed me a postcard in a wrapper—it just happened that he is a post card collector.

I studied it. It was a picture of the Arabella. I boldly asked if he would loan it to me so I could scan it and return it.

“No,” he said.

I felt miffed, put in my place.

He continued. “You take it and scan it,” he said, “but then send me a copy of the scan. You keep the original.”

I was ever grateful to him for his generosity. Genealogists are like that. For the most part, they want items to be where they belong.

Today the post card is among my family genealogy information. And yes, I did send him the scan.

You can visit Shore Acres Retreat by clicking on http://www.shoreacresmaine.com/ , or you can contact Chuck Hemingway via his E-mail: info@shoreacresmaine.com .

I’ve submitted the information about my great-grandfather’s Arabella to the Quincy Yacht Club for their website, at their request. Perhaps there are records, pictures and memories still there that I can glean information from.

There’s a lesson here: It’s wise to gather family information before it’s too late.