Theophilus Beebe
Theophilus Beebe III (October 19, 1800 – January 9, 1867) was a 19th-century American Sandy Hook Pilot. He was the first pilot to receive his pilot's license under the New Jersey Pilots' Commission in 1837. Beebe served as pilot on the pilot boat Thomas H Smith. He died on January 9, 1867, in Jersey City, New Jersey.
Theophilus Beebe | |
|---|---|
_portrait.jpg.webp) Theophilus Beebe, Sandy Hook Pilot. | |
| Born | October 19, 1800 |
| Died | January 9, 1867 (aged 66) |
| Occupation | harbor pilot |
| Known for | First New Jersey licensed pilot |
| Spouse | Elizabeth Van Gelder |
| Children | 8 |
Early life
Theophilus Beebe was born on October 19, 1880, in New London, Connecticut. He was the son of Theophilus D. Beebe (1753–1837) and Lucy Monroe (1755–1830), who was a direct descendant of President James Monroe.[1][2]
Beebe married Elizabeth Van Gelder (1804–1866) in Brooklyn, New York in 1825 and had eight children.[1]
His nephew, George W. Beebe, was a license pilot for forty years. He was one of the first presidents of the New York Pilots' Association. He was the author of the "Beebe's Tides and Complete River Guide of New York Harbor."[3] George died on April 8, 1931, at the age of sixty-seven from heart disease.[4]
Career
Captain Theophilus Beebe was commissioned by the governor of New Jersey to procure men qualified to become pilots. He was the first pilot to receive his branch pilot's license under the New Jersey Pilots' Commission on February 25, 1837.[5][6] His brothers, Lyman Beebe and Clinton Beebe, received their pilot's license at this time. Beebe was a fisherman by trade and ran a small fishing smack out of Fulton Fish Market, New York City by way of the Sandy Hook, until the State of New Jersey built him a pilot boat.[4][7][8]
Theophilus Beebe served as pilot on the pilot boat Thomas H Smith, along with Richard Brown, John Ward, Benjamin Chase, Henry Beebe, and Daniel C. Chapman.[9]
Death
Theophilus Beebe died, at age 66, of heart disease on the pilot boat Mystic, on January 9, 1867, in Jersey City, New Jersey.[4][7]
References
- Beebe, Clarence (1904). Monograph of the descent of the family of Beebe. From the earliest known immigrant. p. 132.
{{cite book}}:|work=ignored (help)CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - "James D. M. Beebe Dies, One of Oldest Brooklynites and Veteran Pilot". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Brooklyn, New York. 1917-09-17. Retrieved 2020-08-06.
- Beebe's tide tables and complete river guide for New York, Brooklyn, and New Jersey. OCLC 1243726810.
{{cite book}}:|work=ignored (help) - "First Pilots, Fishermen; Buusiness Full of Peril by John A. Heffernan". Times Union. Brooklyn, New York. 8 Apr 1931. p. 6. Retrieved 2021-04-22.
- "Capt. Beebe, Pioneer Pilot, Dead At 92". The Daily Record. Long Branch, New Jersey. 19 Sep 1917. p. 1. Retrieved 2021-05-16.
- "Kirkbride's New Jersey Business Directory, General Register and Advertising Medium". 1850. Retrieved 2021-05-15.
- Allen, Edward L. (1922). Pilot Lore; From Sail to Steam, and Historical Sketches of the Various Interests Identified With the Development of the World's Greatest Port. The United New York and New Jersey Sandy Hook Pilots Benevolent Associations.
- Cunliffe, Tom (2001). Pilots, The World Of Pilotage Under Sail and Oar. Brooklin, Maine: Wooden Boat Publications. p. 93. ISBN 9780937822692.
- "Captain "Dick" Brown. Sailing-Master and Pilot for Half a Century-In Charge of the Yacht America When She Won the Queen's Cup". Star Tribune. Minneapolis, Minnesota. 5 Jul 1885. p. 13. Retrieved 2021-03-14.
