John Williams 1783-1863

[envelope with handwritten text:]

Account of Capt. John Williams 1783-1863 typewritten.
His miniature as a young man is owned by W.F. Dix.
Also enclosed is a newspaper account of John D. Williams who was the oldest of three sons of Mary Adelaide Williams, only sister of John Edwin Dix and Asa Clapp Dix. M.A.W. was the wife of Judge Williams of Portland, Maine. John D. W. was born, 1844 died 1932

[inside the envelope is a two page typed document with one handwritten notation on each page:]

[first and second pages of document (second page begins at: "There is a tradition, that at this time he was the handsomest man that ever walked a deck."):]

CAPTAIN JOHN WILLIAMS OF PORTLAND, MAINE.
Born July 15, 1783.
Died 1863 [note: "1863" is handwritten]

"Extracts from Portland, Maine, papers at the time of his death."

This venerable man died in this city, on Saturday night last, after a short illness. Captain Williams was a remarkable man.. His genial temperament, which ever pervaded his life, made him beloved and respected by all. His hardy old age was the result of long life of service on the ocean, guarded by those sterling principles of temperance and probity, which preserved the system from the waste of dissipation, and the mind from the anxieties attendant on a lack of moral rectitude. Our deceased friend was early in life placed on board ship as an apprentice, and sailed for many years in the European trade, from the port of Boston. He rose by successive grades from apprentice to commander of a fine vessel, and long continued to fulfill that office with honor to himself and advantage to his employers. He once resided in Kennebunk, and thence removed to this city many years ago. He relinquished the sea, and went into mercantile pursuits - in which he was remarkable for manly dealing. He was in office in the Custom House for eight years in President Jackson's time. In town and city affairs he was often called by his fellow citizens to serve -- and he filled the places of Selectman of the town and Councilman and Alderman of the city, many times, and with great acceptance to his constituents. The nomination for Mayor of the city was often tendered to him, but he had no desire to run for that office. In political sentiment he was a Democrat of the Jeffersonian school. During his long life he adhered to the Democratic party; and went to his grave with the devout and patriotic hope in his heart that the Constitution and the Union would continue to bless this nation, after the terrible civil war is over, which now sweeps the land. Captain Williams was a member of the First Unitarian Society, for many years, and at his death held the office of deacon. A few months since, his wife died, after a marriage connection of more than sixty years. This shock affected him severely. In his last sickness, he fulfilled the promise of his daily life, by entire resignation. "I think," said he, "I shall weather this storm, and make one more safe harbor on the shores of time. But, it is as God Wills. My wife has gone before, and if I do not survive, I shall the sooner join her."

He was born in Boston. The house stood on Federal Street, Long Lane then. His father was a mathematical instrument maker, and has his shop at the head of Long Wharf. The early passion of John's breast was for the wave. And with that was mixed a manly feeling that he could pay his own way, thus relieving the parental burden. Accordingly he sailed in the Brig Fame, Captain Tilden, "a steady man," at thirteen years, on a voyage to Surinam. The boy did well, and was not sick of it. At twenty he took the ship Lenora as captain. There is a tradition, that at this time he was the handsomest man that ever walked a deck. He "followed the sea" twenty-five years, more or less. He was at Bordeaux when Napoleon was crowned, and when the French army marched through to Spain. In the war of 1812 he lost a ship by British cruisers came home, joined a privateer, and paid off the score in full, taking back what he had lost, good measure, about $17,000. In 1817 he went to Portland, where he spent the remainder of his days. The world was always rough with him, and providence was dark. His property was scattered, and his children died before him. The wind always seemed to blow on him from the fiercest quarter, and yet he sailed his ship as if it were sunshine and gentle gale.

Captain Williams had the misfortune to lose his father when quite young, and he was placed under the care of his cousin and guardian, the late Jacob Quincy, of Portland, who took him to this place in 1792. After a few years, he went back to Boston and commenced trading in Quaker lane, now Congress Street, and married Catharine Geally of that place, the excellent woman with whom he happily lived for more than half a century, and who died June 2, 1863. He afterwards engaged in trade with John Dix, who married his sister Mary. The family of Capt. Williams was well connected: his grandfather, Captain John Williams, came from Portsmouth, England, to Boston about 1730. Besides William, the father of the subject of this notice, he had a daughter who as Madame Berry was well known to the boys half a century ago, the kind and gentle keeper of a shop on the corner of Federal and Temple Streets. Her first husband was Mr. Quincy, a brother of Dorothy, the wife of Governor Hancock, by whom she had our late fellow citizen, Jacob Quincy, Madame Clapp, wife of Captain Asa Clapp, Abraham of Boston and others. After Mr. Quincy's death, she married Mr. Berry, who dying left her a second time a widow.

Captain John Williams had a brother Charles, who died in Kennebunk, October 21, 1860, aged 80, and a sister Mary, who married first Mr. Brazier, and second John Dix, by both of whom she had children. His father's brother was one of the three persons shot in the Boston massacre by the British troops in State Street, March 5, 1770.

[handwritten text at end of second page:]

A miniature of Captain John Williams as a young man painted by his brother Henry Williams was given to William Frederick Dix by Charles Edwin Williams of Portland, Maine.

[additional handwritten text next to photograph of John Williams:]

Brother of John E. Dix's mother. He took care of him after the death of his parents.