Guide to the James E. and Ella Skolfield Papers, 1828-1907
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James Edwin Skolfield was born April 22, 1852 in Harpswell, Maine, to Captain Thomas and Jeanette (Farrin) Skolfield. He followed in his father's footsteps and in the larger family tradition and became a sea captain. He began his career commanding smaller fishing schooners in New England and by 1887 worked his way up to captaining large three- and four-masted schooners that plied the Atlantic seaboard. In trips between New England and Georgia, he delivered coal, wood, and other bulk cargoes, and made occassional calls to Cuba, Mexico, and Texas. On October 15, 1874, he married Adella (Ella) Rich Eastman (August 17 1855-June 5, 1911), the daughter of another Harpswell ship captain, Levi Dingley Eastman, and his wife, Elizabeth C. Watson. Ella and James had one son, Ansel W. Edwin Skolfield (1884-1955), who also became a ship captain. Ella frequently accompanied her husband on his voyages, and they both owned shares in at least one of the ships under James's command. Ella took ill in 1905 and died in 1911. James remarried on October 19, 1918, to Adella Florence Sweet. By that point, he was a farmer in Scarborough, Maine. He died on November 4, 1941.
The collection contains correspondence, business records, ephemera, and other materials related to Captain James Edwin Skolfield and his first wife Adella Rich Eastman Skolfield (known as Ella). Based out of Harpswell, Maine, James was a master mariner who captained a series of progressively larger schooners from 1873 until at least 1907. He began his career commanding fishing schooners, including the 16.72 ton "Dolphin" of Bath (September 1873-April 1876), the 25.46 ton "Albert" of Portland (August 1878-May 1879), and the 36.32 ton "Hattie M. Hamlin" of Harpswell (1882-1887?), then progressed to larger three- or four-masted cargo schooners that carried bulk cargoes up and down the Atlantic seaboard, including the "Satilla" (1887?-1889), the "Carrie A. Lane" (1889?), the "Dicky Bird" (May 1890-April 1891), the 465.95 ton "Goeorgie L. Drake" (1892-1902), the "J. Edward Drake" (1903), the 1,294 ton "Myrtle Tunnell" (November 1904-October 1905), and, finally, the 776-ton "Isabel B. Wiley" (1906-1907?). Ella often accompanied James on these voyages, and both owned shares in the "Drake." When apart, the couple wrote frequently, and much of the collection is comprised of their letters to and from one another, often concerning their son Ansel, who also became a sea captain. The collection also includes letters with many members of the extended Skolfield and Eastman families, both of which were involved in shipping for generations, as well as numerous friends. Business records document the provisioning, movement, ownership, and other activities of the schooners under James's command. There is also a small amount of ephemera, including a guessing game about famous figures in history, created by the family for personal entertainment, likely on board ships.
The collection is jointly owned by the Pejepscot History Center and Bowdoin College, and is housed at and administered by the George J. Mitchell Department of Special Collections & Archives on behalf of both entities.
The series contains the personal correspondence of Ella and James E. Skolfield with primarily other family members as well as friends and associates. There are many letters from their son Ansel to his parents while he was attending Hebron Academy and other times when one or both parents were away at sea. Many letters date from 1905 and concern Ella's hospitalization in Philadelphia.
Allen, Emma, to Ella Skolfield, 1905
Aubens, G. H., to Thomas and Jeanette Skolfield, 1881-1883
Barker, Ada, to Ella Skolfield, 1905
Bigelow, E., to Ella Skolfield, 1905
Brigham, Harriet, to Ella Skolfield, 1905
Davis, Bertha, to Ella Skolfield, 1904
Davis, W. Irving, to Ella Skolfield, 1907
Dudley, Alice, to Ella Skolfield, 1906-1907
Dunn, B. F., to James E. Skolfield, 1894?
Eastman, Ella M., to Ella Skolfield, 1906
Eastman, Harriet, to Ella Skolfield, 1905-1906
Eastman, John Dana, to James E. and Ella Skolfield, 1888-1893, 1905
Eastman, Nat K., to James E. Skolfield, 1890
Elliott, G. M., to Ella Skolfield, 1905
Embue, Etta, to Ella Skolfield, 1896
Fader, G. S., to James E. Skolfield, 1891
Fader, Eunice, to Ella Skolfield, 1898
Farrin, Margaret, to Ella Skolfield, 1905-1907
Farrin, John, to James Skolfield, 1890-1893
Harrington, H. E. to Ella Skolfield, 1889, 1901-1902
Hayward, L. M., to James E. Skolfield, 1895
Holbrook, Mrs. Abner, to Ella Skolfield, 1905
Holmes, E. A., to James E. Skolfield, 1905
Hunt, Flora May, to Ella Skolfield, 1905
Inglis, Hallie (?), to Ella Skolfield, 1893
Lapierre, Lettie, to Ella Skolfield, 1905-1906
Leavitt, [?], to Ella Skolfield, undated
LeGrand, Mrs. Elias, to Ella Skolfield, 1896
Manka, Mrs. J. W., to Ella Skolfield, 1895
McIntire, J. W., to James E. and Ella Skolfield, 1887-1888
McIntire, L., to Ella Skolfield, 1894
McLean, Mrs. Walter, to Ella Skolfield, 1892
Mundy, George, to Ansel Skolfield, 1892
Portland Society of Natural History to James E. or Thomas Skolfield, 1883
Purinton, W. S., to James E. Skolfield, 1905
Rich, Annie, to Ella Skolfield, 1905
Rich, Freeman, to James E. Skolfield, 1905
Satchel, Nellie, to Ella Skolfield, 1889
Sawyer, Ada F., to Ella Skolfield, undated
Sawyer, Sadie, to Ella Skolfield, 1889
Skolfield, Ansel, with James E. and/or Ella Skolfield, 1896-1898
Skolfield, Ansel, with James E. and/or Ella Skolfield, 1900-1903
Skolfield, Ansel, with James E. and/or Ella Skolfield, 1904
Skolfield, Ansel, with James E. and/or Ella Skolfield, 1905 Jan.-May
Skolfield, Ansel, with James E. and/or Ella Skolfield, 1905 June-July
Skolfield, Ansel, with James E. and/or Ella Skolfield, 1906-1907
Skolfield, Clara, to Ella Skolfield, 1883-1884, 1890
Skolfield, Clement, to James E. Skolfield, 1907
Skolfield, Frank H., to Ella Skolfield, 1895
Skolfield, James E., with Ella Skolfield, 1886-1889
Skolfield, James E., with Ella Skolfield, 1902-1904
Skolfield, James E., with Ella Skolfield, 1905
Skolfield, James E., with Ella Skolfield, 1906 Dec.-1907 Jan.
Skolfield, James E., with Ella Skolfield, 1907 Feb.
Skolfield, James E., with Ella Skolfield, 1907 Mar.
Skolfield, James E., with Ella Skolfield, 1907 Sept.
Skolfield, James E., with Ella Skolfield, undated
Skolfield, Jennie (niece), to Ella Skolfield, 1905-1906
Skolfield, Lottie, to Ella Skolfield, 1905
Skolfield, J. P., to James E. Skolfield, 1890
Smith, May P., to Ella Skolfield, 1904
Tripp, Carrie, to Ella Skolfield, 1904-1906, undated
Trufant, Gertrude, to James and Ella Skolfield, 1901-1907
Twohey, W. E., to Ella Skolfield, 1895
van Inlver (?), L., to James E. Skolfield, 1890
Walker, Hannah, to James E. and Ella Skolfield, 1898, 1905
Wallace, Bette, to James E. Skolfield, 1905
Weeks, Fred M., to James E. Skolfield, 1905
Weld, W. E., to James Eastbrook, 1884
Wellium, Nellie, to Ella Skolfield, 1890
Wilcox, Phebe, to Ella Skolfield, 1898
Wilson, Emma, to Ella Skolfield, 1903(?)
Wilson, Sophie Rich, to Ellas Skolfield, 1894, 1902-1905
[?], Angelia (sister), to Ella Skolfield, 189?, 1906
[?], Deborah (sister), to Ella Skolfield, 1901-1905
[?], Meddie (sister), to Ella Skolfield, 1905
[?], Saddie (aunt), to Ella Skolfield, 1890, 1905
[?], Tene (sister), to Ella Skolfield, 1905
Unidentified, 1878-1906, undated
This series contains receipts, accounting records, memoranda, correspondence, telegrams, legal documents, and other materials related to James E. Skolkfield's role as captain of several schooners. While the majority of the materails pertain to his work on later excursions, especially captaining the "Myrtle Tunnell," and the "Isabel B. Wiley," there are some records related to earlier charges, includuing the "Dicky Bird" and "Georgie L. Drake." Of particular interest is an arrest warrant for one of Skolfield's worker who threatened his crew in 1889.
American Seaman's Federation, receipts re: "Myrtle Tunnell," 1905
Arthur Sewell & Co., commission to command "Dicky Bird," 1890
Bartlett & Co., receipts re: "Myrtle Tunnell," 1904
Boston & Philadelphia Steamship Co., receipt re: "Myrtle Tunnell," 1904
Brunswick Foundry Machine & Mtg. Co., correspondence re: "Dicky Bird," 1891
Bullak, Luis, note re: "Isabel B. Wiley," 1907
Burns, William, correspondence re: "Isabel B. Wiley," 1907
Charles T. Megee & Co., re: "Myrtle Tunnell," 1904-1905
Dailey, A. H., correspondence, 1903
Diggs, Frank B., telegram re: "Isabel B. Wiley, 1907
Dunn, Frank, list of nautical charts, 1907
Eaton & Wilson, correspondence, 1904
F. W. Scheper, business card, undated
Geo. M. Porter & Co., re: "Myrtle Tunnell," 1905
Geo. W. Jones & Co., receipts re: "J. Edward Drake" and "Isabel B. Wiley," 1903, 1907
H. H. Hayes & Sons, orders and receipts re: "Isabel B. Wiley," 1906-1907
"J. Edward Drake," accounts, 1903
J. S. Winslow & Co., receipt re: "Myrtle Tunnell," and "Isabel B. Wiley," 1905, 1908
James B. Drake & Sons, correspondence re: the "J. Edward Drake" and "Isabel B. Wiley," 1892, 1903, 1907
James Bliss & Co., receipts re: "J. Edward Drake," 1903
James N. Stetson & Co., correspondence, 1904
John M. Crane, correspondence re: "Myrtle Tunnell," 1905
John S. Darrel & James, re: accounts of "Georgie L. Drake," 1893-1900
Joseph M. Clark, Tugs, receipt re: "Myrtle Tunnell," 1904
Knickerbocker Steam Towage Co., correspondence re: "Myrtle Tunnell," 1905
Lambert's Point Tow Boat Co., receipts re: "Myrtle Tunnell," 1904
Lincoln-Dillaway Co., account for "Myrtle Tunnell," 1905
Mason & Bostwick, correspondence re: "Dicky Bird," 1890
Miller & Houghton, correspondence, 1904
R. A. & J. J. Williams Lumber, memo re: "Isabel B. Wiley," 1906
Sanders, T. B., telegram re: "Myrtle Tunnell," 1905
Sawyer, Warren, notes re: "Myrtle Tunnell," 1905
Smith & Kelly Co., receipt re: "Isabel B. Wiley," 1907
State of Georgia, arrest warrant for G. T. Masersman?, 1889 Sept. 2
Swan, William H., correspondence, 1904
Tunnell, George A. , correspondence re: "Myrtle Tunnell," 1904-1905
W. O. Sawyer, correspondence re: "Georgie L. Drake," 1898
Watson Bros., account record, 1903
Wiley, L. S., correspondence re: "J. Edward Drake" and "Isabel B. Wiley," 1903-1907
Williams, H. J., correspondence, 1890
Witte, Charles O., counsel to the German Empire, re: schooner "Ella L. Davenport," 1907
A small collection of ephemera, including legal documents, calling cards, grades for Ansel Skolfield from Hebron Academy, and a game of famous characters, seemingly created by the family for entertainment while at sea.
Calling cards and notes, undated
Certificates for cemetery lot at Sidehill Cemetery for Thomas Skolfield, 1883
Clippings, 1899
Executor appointment of Thomas Skolfield to the estate of Robert Skolfield, 1828
Forms (blank), undated
Game of famous characters, undated
Hebron Academy, grades for Ansel Skolfield, 1905
Receipts, 1874-1880