FAMILY TREE

            Names           Go back


John Keaquick

John Keaquick must be one of the most widely travelled of our ancestors, having been Captain of ships which sailed across the Atlantic and to India.

As yet I have not found details of when he was born or baptised (if he was) but his age at death in 1842 was recorded as 91 which makes his year of birth around 1751. Virtually all entries on the internet for the name Keaquick prior to that time related to Liverpool and Ormskirk (about 13 miles from Liverpool) and I imagine he was born in Liverpool where his first marriage took place.

The first marriage I found for him was to Nancy Rodwell in March 1777 at which time he was described as a mariner. However, Nancy died the following December, perhaps the result of childbirth as a son, William had died less than a month earlier. In 1780 (although one official website gives the year as 1775) he married Darcus Lightfoot in New York. I haven't discovered what became of Darcus.

There is a book called "A narrative of excursions, voyages, and travels, performed at different periods in America, Europe, Asia, and Africa" published in 1834 and written by George Rapelje (available free from Google Books) which makes reference to John Keaquick in 3 places.

On page 19 of the book he writes:

The first voyage I took at sea must have been about the fall of 1791. A Captain John Keaquick knowing well my father, I being then about twenty years of age, and a great favourite with the Captain, it being vacation at College, persuaded my father to let me go with him to Boston in a brig he commanded and of which he was part owner. The passage was all very well, till we came to Cape Cod, when one morning he came down in the cabin, and said to me, "I am afraid it is all over with us." I was then laying upon the cabin floor, rolling about from one side to the other. He no doubt, expected I might say something or other to console him; so he picked me up, and placed me in my berth. My reply was, "The sooner she goes to the bottom now the better; I am so sea-sick, I would rather die than live. For God's sake, can't you have more sail hoisted? I am sure on a small boat, it will make her more steady." He took a glass of brandy and water, and away he went on deck - had more sail hoisted, and she went more steadily, and we cleared the cape.

An entry on the internet relating to the New Brunswick Historical Society reads as follows:

Just arrived from St. Johns and to sail again for that port in a few days (to touch first at Port Roseway) the brig " Lovely Lass," John Keaquick, master, now lying at Roaches Wharf, a few wharfs below the Coffee-house, where she is now taking in. For Freight or Passage apply to the master on board, to Messrs. Hughes & Montgomery, or to the printers. She has excellent accomodations for passengers."
New York, October 10, 1783.

In 1783 he sold the "Lovely Lass" and the New Brunswick Museum holds the receipt in its archives.

It looks as if John Keaquick was based in New Brunswick at the time as there are references on the internet to his involvement on the political scene in 1785 as indicated in the two excerpts below (taken from "Loyalist Rebellion in New Brunswick: A defining conflict for Canada's Political Culture" by David Bell):

After Saint John's first day of voting, Sheriff Oliver moved the poll across the harbour fo the Carleton neightbourhood. Then on November 9 he adjourned the poll to the Mallard House, headquarters of the Upper Covers. That night at McPherson's tavern in the Lower Cove the crowd was, in Elias Hardy's words, "very drunk". When John Keaquick, an opposition worker, invited an Upper Cove supporter to approach him and receive a caning, a quarrel broke out and the mood became ugly. Eye-witness testimony in the later criminal trial captures some of the outcry:
  • Let's to up - they are at Mallards
  • Damn them - we'll Mob them
  • Let's go up - [the Upper Covers] dare not come out.
_________________

Some weeks earlier, after the scrutiny was demanded but before it had begun, a government sympathizer reported that: "Two of the professed Malcontents, finding that matters are likely to turn against them and that the powers of Government are strong enough to resist all their attacks, have this instant embarked in a small schooner for Shelburne from which place they sail for England. These respectable personages, viz. Mr Joseph Montgomery an itinerant auctioneer and Mr John Keakwick, son of the keeper of an eminent grog Shop are going from the factious party of this country in quality of Ambassadors to lay the grievances, under which they labor before the house of commons, the house of Lords, the King, etc, etc, etc....Such are the romantic ideas of the New Brunswick Opposition." Sewell to Sewall, 5 Dec. 1785: Sewell Papers LAC
Soon these two Lower Covers were back at Saint John, causing more trouble for the governing faction, if indeed they ever left. Judging from advertisements in the press, Joseph Montgomery had been a busy auctioneer in the waning days of Loyalist New York city before continuing that trade at Saint John. He was later jailed as one of the authors and presenters of the seditious election petition. Freemasonry records call him a merchant but trader seems more apt. Keaquick, master of the brig Lovely Lass, was also well-known through the New York press, carrying goods and passengers to Halifax, Shelburne, Annapolis and Saint John during the period of evacuation; one of his great nautical adventures is related in the Port-Roseway Gazetteer, 21 July 1785. Keaquick was mentioned above in connection with the Mallard House riot. One of his associates in the marine freightage business was Richard Lightfoot. Both were members of a militia company intended for Annapolis but both became associated with the opposition at Saint John, where Lightfoot was one of the Lower Cove election candidates in 1786.

Note the reference to Richard Lightfoot in the last two sentences above. Lightfoot was the surname of the wife he married in 1780 (see above).

It appears that he settled back in England as in 1790 he is listed in the Gore Directory of Liverpool.

In 1796 his ship is the 'Iris' (see nauticalscribe.com).

In 1800 his daughter Sarah was baptised at Hampstead the mother's name being given as Susanna. I have yet to trace anything further about Susanna. Presumably Susanna died as he married Hannah Skevington at Southwark in 1801 and they had a daughter, Hannah, who was baptised at Whitechapel the next year.

Hannah died in December 1802 "in child-bed" which appears to mean puerperal fever which is contracted during child-birth or miscarriage [ 'Monthly Magazine or British Register']. Daughter Hannah was baptised later in the month.

We skip to 1808 by which time he was in Bristol and married Esther Skevington, the sister of Hannah. From the 1821 extract (see later) from George Rapelje's book it appears that two daughters by Esther were living at home and one by Hannah.

The second of the three extracts taken from Rapelje's book starts on page 55 but it is not clear to what year it relates: probably around 1810-1820.

One evening at a place of public amusement, I met my old friend, Captain John Keaquick, and he obtained a promise from me to take passage to the United States with him. He had a fine ship. We sailed from London in July. The ship was an excellent sailer. She passed pilot-boats, frigates and everything that floated. The captain was part owner of her, and I offered to purchase her; but as he did not choose to sell her, I advised him to have her coppered and put her into the India trade. He did, and soon made his fortune. He lived at Bristol, and gave me a polite invitation to spend a season with him.

The third extract from Rapelje comes from pages 76/77 and appears to relate to 1821:

On Saturday, the 19th, I walked to see Bristol Hot Wells, situate on the river Avon, near Clifton. Clifton is on a high hill, and these wells are in a valley. The river Avon is very narrow, and the tide rises so high, and falls so low, that at low water mark, there is no water in the river, and ships cannot come or go; and when the tide is in, they are obliged to be towed in and out by boats. I went to see Capt. John Keaquick, with whom I stayed and dined, and took tea. He lives at Upper Easton, about a mile and a half from Bristol; he was very affectionate, and wanted me to come and bring my baggage and stay with him. He had a very amiable wife and three daughters; his oldest, Ann, about seventeen, a tall, handsome girl, indeed beautiful, of a delicate person, and sweet face and complexion. This was a daughter by a former wife, sister to the present one; two younger ones, eleven and nine, both fine, sensible girls; and his wife a handsome, fine figure, and well informed. A Mr. Flaxman of the custom-house, and Mr. Benniman, dined with him. On Sunday, I rode with Capt. Keaquick and his family to Enbury, and went to church; afterwards walked through Lord de Clifford's park, and ascended a hill that overlooks the country, which was beautiful and magnificent; we also saw the river Avon where it empties itself; we now returned to dinner.

On Monday,the 21st, I wrote a letter to my mother, and gave it to Capt. Keaquick to forward by the first ship. I then set off in a coach at half past nine, for Bath, a distance of about twelve miles, and got there by twelve. The country by the road is delightful, surrounded by a number of country seats. The road was covered with coaches, full of passengers, to and from Bristol and Bath; they start every half hour in the day. I was at first put down at the Golden Lion, a common tavern...

In 1834 the Bristol Mercury reported as follows:

During the night of Friday last, before the cessation of the awful thunder and lightning storm, the house of Capt. Keaquick, of Upper Easton, was attacked by a desperate gang of no less than 10 burglars, who succeeded in forcing up the sash of a window by means of a small lever; they then got into the parlour and wrenched off a staple-bolt. Here they were disturbed by the servant calling out, who at first thought the noise proceeded from the thunder. - On the alarm being given the whole gang who appear to have known that Capt. K. was well provided with fire-arms, took to their heels and escaped.

In 1841 the Bristol Mercury reported:

We have to record an act of the most splendid munificence on the part of our fellow-citizen, Capt. Keaquick, of Upper Easton, who has just transferred 200 three per cent. consols, into the names of Rev. S. E. Day and Messrs. Bush and Fleay, the churchwardens of the parish of St. Philip and Jacob, in trust for the poor of the said parish.

John Keaquick died at Upper Easton on 29th October 1842 (his wife, Esther, having predeceased him in 1835). His will was dated earlier that month. Members of the family who are mentioned in the will are Hannah Ford (daughter), Hannah's daughters (unnamed), John Keaquick Ford (Godson and grandson), his daughter Esther Holder (but not as a beneficiary), John Rose Holder (son-in-law and one of the executors), Esther's daughters (unnamed) and a grandson Thomas Holder for which I have found no baptism/birth details. However, there is no mention of his daughter Sarah and indeed Esther is referred to as 'my other daughter'! Had he lost contact with Sarah or disowned her? Sarah's first child was born only 6 months after her marriage; might this have been the cause?