John Henry Low
John Henry Low (July 7, 1857 – July 4, 1934) was a 19th-century American Boston maritime pilot. He was the dean of the Boston Harbor pilots and nationally known, having served for almost fifty years. Low was owner of the pilot boats Liberty, Hesper, and Eben D. Jordan. He died on July 4, 1934, in Chelsea, Massachusetts.
John H. Low | |
|---|---|
 Captain John. H. Low | |
| Born | July 31, 1857 |
| Died | July 4, 1934 (aged 76) |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Maritime pilot |
| Spouse | Lillian B Stevens |
Early life
John. H. Low was born in Chelsea, Massachusetts on July 7, 1857. He is the son of harbor Pilot Captain John Low and Susan Lydia Young. He followed his father in the pilot business. He married Lillian B Stevens in 1922 when he was sixty-five years old.[1] The pilot boat Edwin Forrest, was built to the order of his father John Low.[2]: p82
Career
Captain Johnson was known as the dean of Boston Harbor pilots and one of the best known pilots in the country. He was skilled with vessels of any size and never had a serious boating accident. He became Quartermaster on the USS Nantasket and USS Nahant boats before receiving his pilots' commission, which he received on September 1, 1885. He served on the pilot boats Liberty, Hesper, and Eben D. Jordan.[3]
The Liberty was registered as a pilot Schooner with the ‘’Record of American and Foreign Shipping,’’ from 1897 to 1900, with the ship master as John. H. Low and owner as Susie Low. Susan "Susie" Low was his sister.[4]
He was elected secretary and treasurer and then president of the American National Pilots' Association, representing every port in the United States.[5] He took the RMS Majestic in and out on visits to the Boston dry dock and handled the SS Leviathan on the first outing into dry dock in May 1923.[6] During World War I he worked in the Boston Harbor and was commissioned as an officer in the United States Navy.[3]
On January 22, 1911, Captain Low, scattered the ashes of long time shipmate and friend Captain John C. Silva. According to Silva's request, Low went out in a pilot boat to distribute the ashes into the sea.[7]
Low retired as a Boston harbor pilot on April 24, 1928. He was a member of the Boston Pilots' Relief Society. He was also a member of Robert Lash Lodge, A. F. & A. M. of Chelsea, and the Elks.[3]
Death
Low died on July 4, 1934, at the age of 76, in Chelsea, Massachusetts. His wife and sister, Martha K. Low, survived him.[3] Funeral services were held by Rev James G. Lane of the First Methodist Church. He was buired at the Forestdale Cemetery in Holyoke, Massachusetts.[8]
References
- "United States Census, 1860; Massachusetts, U.S., Marriage Index, 1901-1955". FamilySearch. Retrieved April 25, 2021.
- Eastman, Ralph M. (1956). Pilots and pilot boats of Boston Harbor. Boston, Massachusetts: Second Bank-State Street Trust Company.
- "Capt John H. Low, Harbor Pilot, Dead. Dean of Boston Group Nationally Known". The Boston Globe. Boston, Massachusetts. July 5, 1934. p. 2. Retrieved April 25, 2021.
- "Record of American and Foreign Shipping". Mystic Seaport Museum. New York. 1897. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
- "Pilots Elect Officers. Capt John H. Low of Boston Their Secretary". The Boston Globe. Boston, Massachusetts. December 2, 1903. p. 14. Retrieved April 25, 2021.
- "Public Later To View Leviathan". The Boston Globe. Boston, Massachusetts. May 19, 1923. p. 3. Retrieved April 25, 2021.
- "Ashes Scattered To The Four Winds. Capt John H. Low Obeys Wishes of Shipmate". The Boston Globe. Boston, Massachusetts. January 22, 1911. p. 15. Retrieved April 25, 2021.
- "Funeral Saturday Of Capt J. H. Low. Dean of Boston Pilots Died Yesterday". The Boston Globe. Boston, Massachusetts. July 15, 1934. p. 6. Retrieved April 25, 2021.
