Ideas for these articles come from many sources, but as I’ve mentioned before, scrapbooks in the museum collection are full of interesting stories. Over the 50-odd years of the Rochester Historical Society, various members have assembled scrapbooks full of pictures, mementos and pertinent news articles. While leafing through one of these books, I came across the picture of Captain Amos Haskins, a Native American whaler out of New Bedford, born in Rochester and with ties to the Aquinnahs of Gay Head, Martha’s Vineyard.
While crews on the whaling ships departing from and returning to New Bedford were diverse; local farm boys, sons of merchants, escaped slaves, Native Americans and islanders from stops made during voyages, the same was seldom true of the men who rose to captain whale ships. They were primarily white men, many of whom could afford to live in large homes in the neighborhoods of New Bedford.
While a lot is not known about Amos Haskins, we do know he was born in Rochester on September 9, 1816. He was employed in the whaling trade, first as a sailor and then as a 1st or 2nd mate on several ships, including the “Annawon”, the “Willis” and the “Triton”. At age 35, he became a rare Native American captain of the “Massasoit.” He was in charge of a crew of 22 with 12 of the crew being persons of color.
As a captain, Haskins was successful enough to afford a home at 163 William St. where he lived with his wife, Elizabeth P. Farmer, whom he married in 1844. Haskins was lost at sea in 1861. His last known descendant was a daughter, Caroline W. who married a Thompson Hill and died in 1918.
In New Bedford’s Rural Cemetery, there is a stone inscribed:
Captain Amos Haskins
Born Rochester Sept. 9, 1816
Lost at Sea November, 1861
By Connie Eshbach