Captain Thomas De Largie

Captain Thomas De Largie, who is in charge of the fuel business of Pickands, Mather & Co., in Cleveland, was born in Thorold, Canada, in 1850. His father, Charles De Largie, removed to Cleveland shortly afterward, and for some time acted as collector for the Cuyahoga Foundry Company.

Thomas De Largie attended school in Cleveland, and commenced sailing in 1863 as boy in the schooner Ellen White. He became a full seaman two months after joining the White, and remained in that vessel under Capt. John Cassidy for four years. He was in the brig Iroquois, Capt. Daniel Becker, for several trips, and in the Gen. Winfield Scott, Capt. John Cassidy, for one season with rank of mate. Then he joined the schooners New London (Captain Lampohl), Kimball, and Saginaw, remaining in the last-named vessel three seasons. He was mate of the schooner Buckingham when she sprung a leak and was lost off Black River island, Lake Huron, in 1871, and after the occurrence he became mate of the scow Butcher Boy. The next two seasons he commanded the Butcher Boy, after which he became master of the schooner Charles Hinkley, sailing her one season. Then he sailed the schooner Eliza Gerlach, for eight years, the schooner Leonard Hanna one year and the schooner Monticello two years. During the seasons of 1890-91 he was master of the steamer Otego; in 1892 commanded the schooner Negaunee; in 1893 had charge of the steamer Fred Kelley; commanded the steamer E. B. Hale during 1894, and the steamer H. B. Tuttle during 1895. The season of 1896 saw him in charge of the fuel boat and business of Pickands, Mather & Co. in Cleveland.

The Captain was married, in 1873, to Miss Annie Dorsey, of Cleveland. Their children are named Harry and Theresia.

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Volume I

This version of Volume II is based, with permission, on the work of the great volunteers at the Marine Captains Biographies site. To them goes the credit for reorganizing the content into some coherent order. The biographies in the original volume are in essentially random order.

Some of the transcription work was also done by Brendon Baillod, who maintains an excellent guide to Great Lakes Shipwreck Research.