July 12, 2024
Introduction: In this article, Melissa Davenport Berry continues her series about the founders of Nantucket, Massachusetts, and their descendants, showing photos of the Coffin-Carlisle family. Melissa is a genealogist who has a website, americana-archives.com, and a Facebook group, New England Family Genealogy and History.
The vast collection of the Nantucket Historical Association (NHA) contains volumes of Coffin and allied families’ history. Among the many gems are the photo albums, journals, papers, relics, and oral histories left behind by the Coffin-Carlisle family.
Henry Coffin Carlisle (1886-1964), a 7th lineal descendant of Tristram and Dionis Coffin, preserved some of most significant and endearing oral histories of Nantucket island via audio recordings. More on that in another story.
Henry Coffin Carlisle was born to George Lister Carlisle (1852-1930), a successful barrister from England, and Mary Swift (Coffin) Carlisle (1851-1935). He married Mary Gorgas, daughter of Lieutenant Commander Miles Carpenter and Kate Coffee (McDougal) Gorgas, and left descendants.
Henry had two siblings: George Lister Carlisle Jr. (1877-1954), married Leila Irwin Laughlin; and Elise Carlisle (1880-1952), who both appear with their mother and aunt in this tintype below: (left, seated in chair) Mary Swift (Coffin) Carlisle; (middle, seated in chair) Mary’s son George Lister Carlisle Jr.; (right, seated in chair) Mary’s sister Lydia (Coffin) Everett, married Richard Boardman Everett; (left, seated on floor) Mary’s daughter Elsie Carlisle; (right, seated on floor) possibly a young Coffin; (standing) Alice M. Johnson (listed in the 1900 Census with the Everett family).
From his maternal side Henry descends from several Nantucket settlers. His mother Mary Swift (Coffin) Carlisle was born to Henry and Elizabeth “Eliza” (Starbuck) Coffin.
Mary, along with her siblings, was reared in Nantucket in a splendid mansion on 75 Main Street. It was built in 1834 by her father Henry Coffin, a successful Quaker whaling merchant
Henry Coffin (1807-1900) was the son of Zenas Coffin, one of the most successful whaling merchants in Nantucket’s history, and Abial (Gardner) Coffin.
I found an obituary for Zenas Coffin published in the Nantucket Inquirer. It speaks of his benevolent nature, generous spirit, and great contribution to the community and to the betterment of mariners on the island.
Here is the last stanza of the poem that accompanies his death notice:
Though marble may not indicate the spot,
Where lie the relics of the truly great;
But yet his name can never be forgot,
While love and justice bear their proper weight.
Here is an obituary for Henry Coffin, published in the Boston Daily Advertiser.
This obituary reports:
Nantucket, Mar. 8 – After 67 yrs. of married life, Henry Coffin, one of the oldest citizens of this town, died early Tuesday morning at the age of 93 years. Henry Coffin was a native of the island and did a large mercantile business in connection with his older brother C.G. [Charles Gardner] Coffin, during the years when Nantucket’s whaling industry was at its height.
A trunk used by Mary Swift (Coffin) Carlisle was made by her grandfather Captain Levi Starbuck (1769-1849), son of Thomas and Dinah (Trott) Starbuck. Levi married Elizabeth “Betsey’ Ramsdell, daughter of William and Ruth (Gardner) Ramsdell. Captain Starbuck, master and owner of the whale ship Harlequin, is believed to have been the inspiration for the character Starbuck in Moby Dick.
Captain Starbuck made the trunk around 1820. It was gifted to NHA by Miles Carlisle.
The inscription reads:
“Mary Swift Coffin/made by Levi Starbuck the 1st/Grandfather”
To be continued…
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Note on the header image: flag of Nantucket, Massachusetts. Credit: NuclearVacuum; Wikimedia Commons.
Related Articles:
- Scions of Nantucket Founders (part 1)
- Scions of Nantucket Founders (part 2)
- Scions of Nantucket Founders (part 3)
- Scions of Nantucket Founders (part 4)
- Scions of Nantucket Founders (part 5)
- Scions of Nantucket Founders (part 6)
- Scions of Nantucket Founders (part 7 – first section)
- Scions of Nantucket Founders (part 7 – second section)
- Photo Album: Howland and Gorham Descendants (part 1)
