Did your ancestors work  the sea? What immigrant ship did your ancestors arrive on?  Tell family stories with accuracy to detail, with a visit to a nautical museum or website. Here are some places to begin your voyage of discovery, the family stories from the sea.

The whale boat above, is an image from Mystic Seaport, in Mystic, Connecticut.  A visit to the seaport is always a treat and an educational wonder. If you can’t make the trip, check out their extensive website. The website includes an educational portal that will help you learn about voyages, people, ships logs, passenger lists, and equipment, use this information to bring realism to your story.

The Mystic Seaport; Museum of America and the Sea website: ( in the direction bar at the top of the site “Learn” will open the educational portal)

http://www.mysticseaport.org/

Mystic Seaport is home to the Charles W. Morgan the last wooden whaling ship. The Morgan was recently restored and went to sea on an educational voyage. The home port of the Morgan was New Bedford, Mass. They have a wonderful museum as well, they endeavor to tell the story of the whaling industry, from ship to shore. They also have an archival library for the research enthusiast.

http://www.whalingmuseum.org/

Are you possibly a Mayflower Society member? Does your family tree trace directly back to the passengers on the Mayflower? If so you will want to make a visit to Plimouth Plantation and the Mayflower. A web link will help you plan your adventure;

http://www.plimoth.org/

Here is the Mayflower in dry dock for repairs, the winter of 2015 at Mystic Seaport. She went home for the summer/fall tourist season and will return, for completion of her rebuild, during the 2015-16 winter.  If you believe your family was on the Mayflower here is the link to the passenger list from the voyage to the New World!

http://mayflowerhistory.com/mayflower-passenger-list/

Your family stories may be a more current vintage. Be sure to learn as much as you can about the connection to the sea. Ships names, jobs while at sea, voyage dates, storms on the journey. Military action seen during the voyage. Whatever the family relationship was ask these three questions to get your family story started:

1.) What was happening in the world, and at sea during the time my family member was connected to the sea?

2.) What role did my family member play while at sea? ( passenger, military, slave, crew, fishing)

3.) What was the port of entry, or home port of my family story?

Battleship Cove, in Fall River, Mass. can help your military story!

http://www.battleshipcove.org/

As a teen my father helped on a Lobster boat, they sailed out of Rye, New Hampshire. He had many memories of the hard work and good friends he had there. Luckily, I can still talk to those who lobster out of Rye. I can discover what the work is like and savor the fresh catch, at the end of the day!

I have other blog posts related to the sea, for more information you might look at these:

https://www.carolynstearnsstoryteller.com/ties-to-a-shipyard-story/

https://www.carolynstearnsstoryteller.com/where-do-fish-stories-come-from/

https://www.carolynstearnsstoryteller.com/a-ct-maritime-story-from-geneology/

https://www.carolynstearnsstoryteller.com/whale-of-a-tail-or-is-it-tale/

Thanks for visiting my blog! I hope you share it or return to find out more about Family Stories!

The post Ancestors at Sea appeared first on Carolyn Stearns Storyteller.

The Whale Tail Fountain in New London, CT.

New London was first a colonial port city with the river and harbor deep and safe from storms. The fishing in the area was abundant and the forest provided wood for an early shipbuilding  business. Later in New London history came the whaling industry the  third largest fleet of whalers called New London their home port. Along came the trains that run along side the dock and off into the vast network of  rails across our nation and the city became a shipping port. It was also a refuge from the summer heat and illness of New York City with a thriving hotel business at the waterfront to service those  who came to the town for relief.

Today New London, CT. is a mixture of past and present. It is still a transportation hub as ferry boats come and go to the islands on regular schedules, their huge horns blasting a signal as the slip away from the docks. The trains come and go with constant regularity, freight, passenger and high speed sliding along the platforms at the historic Union Station. Taxis and buses are lined up waiting for fares to distant locations. Walkers stroll the shops and store fronts and a noon-day traffic to the restaurants is plentiful.

Historic sites are well marked and an easy walk from the fountains central port side location. New London is a city rich in heritage and modern amenities just waiting for your next visit.

In preparation you may want to learn a few whale tales to share near the whale tail!

Whales are a part of teaching in many schools here is a teacher resource site with a whale tale:

www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/summer/short-stories/how-brother-rabbit-fooled.html

This is a great story resource for the teller of tail tales:

www.story-lovers.com/listswhalestories.html

The United States Coast Guard Academy is in New London, CT. ( just across the street and from the Connecticut Storytelling Center,

( www.connstorycenter.org )

 
Here is a true story and coloring book of Inky the Whale they provide as an educational tool:

www.uscg.mil/top/downloads/coloring_books/inky/

You can try one of those types of Whaling ships from days gone by with a tour on the Mystic Whaler, it is on my list of things I want to do!

www.mysticwhalercruises.com

What a day-cation!

I have a couple favorite stories from the whaling era of American History, catch me at one of my events  to hear a Whale of a Tale!

www.carolynstearnsstoryteller.com

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