Henry Beetle Hough collection of whaling papers

File — Box: Multi-collection Box

Identifier: 003-02-20

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The collection consists primarily of materials related to the Beetle family of Martha’s Vineyard. The bulk of the correspondence consists of letters from Henry Beetle to his fiancée and later wife, Eliza Eaton Beetle, written while he was onboard ship during several whaling voyages. The letters include details of daily life aboard ship as well as expressions of homesickness and loneliness. Also included are miscellaneous family papers, photographs of Henry Beetle and his wife Eliza Eaton Beetle (relocated to the Nicholson Whaling Photograph Collection). In addition, there are a group of business papers related to James Beetle’s work as a notary, specifically including a group of “protests” are related to wrecked or damaged vessels at Holmes Hole harbor.

The collection also includes a small group of miscellaneous materials related to various other whaling voyages and ship’s captains including a notable letter written by a young girl, Laura Jernegan, to her "Granma". Laura was the daughter of Captain Jerad Jernegen and was accompanying her father with her mother and brother on board the voyage of the whaling ship Roman. This letter has been reprinted in The Story of Yankee Whaling and other places.

Dates

1827 - 1884

Creator

Beetle, Eliza Ann Beaton (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

Materials are open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

PPL believes this collection is in the public domain. Users of this item are responsible for determining copyright restrictions.

Biographical / Historical

Henry William Beetle (1816-1898) was a whaling captain from Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts. Henry W. Beetle was born in New Bedford, Massachusetts on October 27, 1815 to Henry Beetle and Martha Hillman, sister of the Hillman shipbuilders of New Bedford who built the Charles W. Morgan. After the death of his parents in 1821, he went to live with an uncle in Eastville in Vineyard Haven, Martha’s Vineyard where he resided until his death on January 22, 1898. Beetle married Eliza Ann Eaton of Farmington, Maine in 1840 with whom he had four daughters: Martha “Addie”, Henrietta, Abby and Emma. After Eliza’s death in 1872, he remarried, to Charlotte N. Beetle in 1874. He commanded four voyages: on the whaling ship Hercules of New Bedford from 1845-1849, on the Helen M. of which he was part owner for an unsuccessful trading voyage; on the whaling Bark James Andrews of New Bedford from 1851-1853, and on the whaling Bark Fortune of New Bedford from 1854-1856.

James Beetle (possibly 1790-1850) worked as a notary public on Martha’s Vineyard in Eastville (now known as Vineyard Haven).

Shubael Claghorn Norton was a whaling captain from Edgartown, Martha’s Vineyard. He made many voyages, but the correspondence he carried on behalf of Mantor and the power of attorney were likely related to his voyage on the Euphrates from 1830-1833.

Capt James Cottle Jr was a ship’s captain from Martha’s Vineyard. Likely written during his voyage as captain on the John Dawson from 1864-1866. His correspondent “Captain Luce” could have one of many Luce whaling captains out of Martha’s Vineyard or New Bedford who were all actively sailing at the time. Capt Jared Jernegan II (1825-1899) of Edgartown, Martha’s Vineyard married Helen McLellan Clark—a young teacher from Maine. Captain Jernegen brought his family on board the Roman in 1868 including his wife Helen and their two children, Laura and Prescott. While Jared and his crew went whaling, Helen and the children visited Hawaii and other smaller islands and these visits are described in the letter that Laura wrote to her grandmother.

Abraham Osborn (likely Abraham Osborn Jr., born approximately 1833) was a ship’s captain and mariner from Edgartown, Martha’s Vineyard. Captain E. Everett Smith was a ship’s captain working primarily out of San Francisco and an experienced arctic mariner.

Extent

.25 Linear Feet (.5 manuscript box )

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Arrangement

This collection is organized into two series. Series 1 includes correspondence and papers related to the Beetle family, the bulk of which are related to brothers Henry William Beetle and James Beetle. Series 2 includes correspondence and papers of various individuals related to several whaling voyages.

Custodial History

Material was collected by Henry Beetle Hough.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

The collection was deposited by Henry Beetle Hough during his lifetime, to be made a gift to the library upon his death in 1985.

Related Materials

003-01-02, Nicholson Whaling Collection Logbooks, Providence Public Library. Includes a logbook for the Fortune and the James Andrews, mastered by Henry W. Beetle, on whaling voyages between 1851 and 1855.

Nicholson Whaling Collection Photographs, Providence Public Library.

KWM 800C, [Logbook of the James Andrews (Bark) of New Bedford, Mass., mastered by Henry Beetle, on voyage 2 June 1851 - 4 November 1853]. New Bedford Whaling Museum.

KWM #89, Reel 8. [Logbook of the Fortune (bark), of New Bedford, Mass., mastered by Henry W. Beetle, kept by Hiram B. King, on voyage from 1854 Aug. 9-1856 May 4]. New Bedford Whaling Museum.

MS#0615, Henry Beetle Hough papers, Columbia University

Separated Materials

Photographs of Henry Beetle and his wife Eliza Eaton Beetle were relocated to the Nicholson Whaling Photograph Collection.

Processing Information

Previously part of general Nicholson Whaling Manuscript Collection, Subgroup 19. Processing by Judith Lund in 2008 with additions made to the finding aid by Janaya Kizzie in 2014. The decision to reprocess the subgroups as individual collections was made by Jordan Goffin in 2018. The collection was reprocessed by Kate Wells in 2024. The collection was previously named the Beetle Family papers, but was renamed the Henry Beetle Hough collection of whaling papers to more accurately describe the full collection.