Here is a list of all 100+ sailing vessels registerd to Nassau, N.P., Bahamas in 1935. The comprehensive list is some 300+ pages long. It is titled “Alphabetcial List of British Registered Sailing Vessels” for 1935.
It is in 3 seperate PDFs available for free in digital format thanks to Memborial University in Nova Scotia, Canada. This particular document is at the end of much larger (2,000-page) list of all “Steam” vessels under British registry at the time… I have gone through the sailing vessel portion and pulled over 100 vessels, some of them trading schooners, others pleasure craft. The taks of identifying steam vessels (more likely to be mailboats) is in the future.
What is interesting is the full names of the owners, the high concentration of vessels owned on islands such as Acklins, Ragged, Long Island, Bimini, and of course the names of the vessels themselves. Also some individuals own several vessels and a number of them are owned by women.
The list includes Offical Number / Name of Ship and Port of Registry / Rig / Where and When Built / Itnerational Code Signal (Visual) [call sign] / Registered Tonnage / Owner, or Part Owner, and Manager (if recorded).
For the sake of simplicity, in this initial draft list I will only provide the vessel name, owner and owner’s hometown. If readers express an interest in or knowledge about specfici vessels, I can dig deeper:
- ASTARTE D., Joshua Darling, Acklins
- ATLANTIC B., Otis Benegy, Acklins
- BALDWIN, Melvin E. Moxey, Ragged
- BLANCH EVA, Uriah T. Knowles, Simms Long Island
- BRIGHT EYES, Benjamin Bethell, Williams Town, Little Exuma
- C.E.M.L., Granville Lockhart, Ragged
- CAIRO, Abraham Michael, Matthew Town, Inagua
- CITY TRAIN, Joshua R. Darling, Acklins
- COBBESSECEONTEE, Horace A. Wilson, Ragged
- COMFORT J., Maxwell Johnson, Chester’s, Acklins
- DAUNTLESS, John W. Roberts, Nassau
- DEFENCE, John A. Levarity, Bimini
- DELIGHTFUL, Castell R. Hanna, Acklins
- GO ON, Rev. William W. Maycock, Ragged
- EMPHATIC, Albert E. A. Smith, Nassau
- ENA K., Ena K. Company Limited, Nassau
- EUREKA, Mrs. Leonora A. Griffin, Governor’s Harbour, Eleuthera
- EVA W., Prince A. Saunders, Moss Town, Exuma
- F. A. MARIE, Allan H. Kelly, Nassau
- FANNIE E. PRESCOTT, Daniel S. D. Moseley, Nassau
- FOREST BIRD, Didymus Smith, North End, Long Island
- G. J. WISDOM, Jonathan J. Lockhard, Ragged
- GALVANIC A., George Tucker, Nassau
- HERSHAL MONARCH, Herschal W. Whylly, Long Cay
- HOME COMFORT, Henry Martin, Mastic Point, Andros
- HURON A., John Albury, Marsh Harbour, Abaco
- IDA E. MOORE, Rufus H. Ingraham, Nassau
- INFLEXIBLE, Harman B. Roberts, Nassau
- IVA EULAH, John S. Maycock, Ragged
- J. H. L., John Lockhart, Ragged
- JOAN MARIE, Trading Company Limited, Nassau
- JOINT HEIR, Rev. William W. Maycock, Ragged
- JOSEPH W. PINDER, Joseph F. Kemp, Nassau
- KETHRONA, Randal Saunders, Bimini
- LADY HENNESSY, William H. H. Maura, Nassau
- LADY MAXINE, James R. D. Moss, Crooked
- LAURA LOUISE, William D. Weech Jr., Bimini
- LILLIAN O., Oswald A. Nottage, Acklins
- LILLY SMITH, Bruce S. Smith, North End, Long Island
- LINDOE, Lerman B. Lowe, Nassau
- LOUISE F., Carib Shipping Company Limited, Nassau
- MANOLA, Lewis P. Hall, Rock Sound, Eleuthera
- MARCO I, Sir Roland T. Symonette, Nassau (ex-VALENTINNA, carried mail)
- MARIE H., James A. Sands, Nassau
- MARIETTA, William Hilton, Nassau
- MARMADUKE, David A. M. Smith, Nassau
- MARY SANDS, Horatio Newbold, Bimini
- MASCOT, William H. H. Maura, Nassau
- MERLIN F., Frederick J. Smith, Nassau
- MIDINETTE, John N. Albury, Nassau
- MONOMA, Henry S. Black, Nassau
- MONA ADEL, John N. Albury, Nassau
- MRS. MAYCOCK, Nehemiah Maycock, Ragged
- NASSUVIAN, Mrs. Gladys D. Johnson, Nassau
- NELLY B. NORA, Dionisio J. DeGregory, Nassau
- NONESUCH, Mrs. Mary Jane Black, Mayaguana
- PATRICIA K., Kelly’s Limited, Nassau
- PETREL, Charles R. Arteaga, Nassau
- PETTEE, William T. Pettee, Harbour Island (Capt. Pettee skippered the ENA K.)
- PIECES OF EIGHT, Harold L. Albury, Harbour Island, Eleuthera
- R. E. C., Richard E. Cartwright, Deadman’s Cay, Long Island
- REAPER S., Curtis T. Malone, Nassau
- RECEIVE, George Cooper, Forbes Hill, Exuma
- REGULATOR D., Jophus Darling, Chester, Acklins
- RENOWN, James R. C. Young, Nassau
- REPEL, Horace A. Wilson, Ragged
- RESCUER, James K. A. Kelly, Nassau
- RETURN, James E. Seymour, Nassau
- RIGHT AWAY D., Abraham Darling, Chester, Acklins
- ROSALIE C., George Cooper, Forbes Hill, Exuma
- ROSEBUD MAY, Richard A. Albury, Great Guana Cay, Abaco
- RUTHIE MELROSE, Wilbert B. Griffin, Governor’s Harbour, Eleuthera
- SAALE, Alonzo F. Hepburn, Ragged
- SAY I., Thomas H. Dames, Pure Gold, Andros
- SEARCHER, Thomas H. Dames, Pure Gold, Andros
- SHOLKA R., W. W. Richardson, Inagua
- SNUG, Douglas E. Hawkins, Nassau
- SPANGLE, James Brown, Mayaguana
- STRUGGLE, David W. Pinder, Eight Mile Rock, Grand Bahama
- SUCCEED M., Isaac Monroe, Ragged
- TEMPTER, Lorenzo C. Brice, Nassau
- TUNA FISH, James T. Farrington, Nassau
- VERA H., Richard N. Holbert, Nassau (ex-LORNA, ex-ANTELOPE)
- WATER BIRD, Harry B. Trew, Nicolls Town, Andros
- WHISPER, William Heastie, Spring Point, Acklins
- YOJANNA, William F. Nuly, Nassau
At the end of the listings the “Foreign Agencies” for Nassau was listed as Robert H. Curry & Co.
SOURCE: The references are Digital Archives Initiative Maritime History Archive – Mercantile Navy list and Maritime directory, at the following website:
http://collections.mun.ca/cdm4/document.php?CISOROOT=/mha_mercant&CISOPTR=17518&REC=20