{"id":99570,"date":"2024-07-12T08:41:46","date_gmt":"2024-07-12T12:41:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.genealogybank.com\/?p=99570"},"modified":"2024-07-16T12:56:19","modified_gmt":"2024-07-16T16:56:19","slug":"photo-album-coffin-carlisle-and-allied-families","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/photo-album-coffin-carlisle-and-allied-families.html","title":{"rendered":"Photo Album: Coffin-Carlisle and Allied Families"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction:<\/em><\/strong> 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<\/a>, and a Facebook group, New England Family Genealogy and History<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

The vast collection of the Nantucket Historical Association<\/a> (NHA) contains volumes of Coffin and allied families\u2019 history. Among the many gems are the photo albums, journals, papers, relics, and oral histories left behind by the Coffin-Carlisle family.<\/p>\n

Henry Coffin Carlisle (1886-1964), a 7th lineal descendant of Tristram and Dionis Coffin<\/a>, preserved some of most significant and endearing oral histories of Nantucket island via audio recordings. More on that in another story.<\/p>\n

\"Photo:
Photo: Henry Coffin Carlisle. Credit: Nantucket Historical Association.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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\u2019s son George Lister Carlisle Jr.; (right, seated in chair) Mary\u2019s sister Lydia (Coffin) Everett, married Richard Boardman Everett; (left, seated on floor) Mary\u2019s daughter Elsie Carlisle; (right, seated on floor) possibly a young Coffin; (standing) Alice M. Johnson (listed in the 1900 Census with the Everett family).<\/p>\n

\"Photo:
Photo: Coffin-Carlisle family. Credit: Nantucket Historical Association.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

From his maternal side Henry descends from several Nantucket settlers. His mother Mary Swift (Coffin) Carlisle was born to Henry and Elizabeth \u201cEliza\u201d (Starbuck) Coffin.<\/p>\n

\"Photo:
Photo: Mary Swift (Coffin) Carlisle, c. 1876. Studio: H.G. Smith, Studio Building, Boston Publisher. Credit: Nantucket Historical Association.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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<\/p>\n

\"Photos:
Photos: exterior and interior of the Henry Coffin House, 75 Main Street, Nantucket, Massachusetts. Credit: Nantucket Historical Association.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Henry Coffin (1807-1900) was the son of Zenas Coffin, one of the most successful whaling merchants in Nantucket\u2019s history, and Abial (Gardner) Coffin.<\/p>\n

\"Photo:
Photo: framed and matted oval portrait of Henry Coffin. Gift of Miles Carlisle. Credit: Nantucket Historical Association.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I found an obituary for Zenas Coffin published in the Nantucket Inquirer<\/em>. It speaks of his benevolent nature, generous spirit, and great contribution to the community and to the betterment of mariners on the island.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
Nantucket Inquirer (Nantucket, Massachusetts), 12 July 1828, page 3<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Here is the last stanza of the poem that accompanies his death notice:<\/p>\n

Though marble may not indicate the spot,
\nWhere lie the relics of the truly great;
\nBut yet his name can never be forgot,
\nWhile love and justice bear their proper weight.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Here is an obituary for Henry Coffin, published in the Boston Daily Advertiser<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
Boston Daily Advertiser (Boston, Massachusetts), 9 March 1900, page 5<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This obituary reports:<\/p>\n

Nantucket, Mar. 8 \u2013 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\u2019s whaling industry was at its height.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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 \u201cBetsey\u2019 Ramsdell, daughter of William and Ruth (Gardner) Ramsdell. Captain Starbuck, master and owner of the whale ship Harlequin<\/em>, is believed to have been the inspiration for the character Starbuck in Moby Dick<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\"Illustration:
Illustration: Levi Starbuck. Credit: Nantucket Historical Association.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Captain Starbuck made the trunk around 1820. It was gifted to NHA by Miles Carlisle.<\/p>\n

\"Photos:
Photos: trunk made by Captain Starbuck and later used by his granddaughter Mary Swift (Coffin) Carlisle, and an inscription written on the underside of the lid. Credit: Nantucket Historical Association.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The inscription reads:<\/p>\n

\u201cMary Swift Coffin\/made by Levi Starbuck the 1st\/Grandfather\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

To be continued\u2026<\/p>\n

Explore over 330 years of newspapers and historical records in GenealogyBank. Discover your family story! Start a 7-Day Free Trial<\/a><\/p>\n

Note on the header image:<\/em><\/strong> flag of Nantucket, Massachusetts. Credit: NuclearVacuum; Wikimedia Commons.<\/p>\n

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