E-Newsletter | May 15, 2020
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Puzzle Me This...
The Voyages of the Swashbuckling Captain Caleb Cushing
Caleb Cushing (1770-1820)
was born in Salisbury, the son of Benjamin and Hannah Cushing and younger brother of John Newmarch Cushing of Newburyport.
Like so many of his family, he became a shipmaster involved in the West Indies and Atlantic trades. He settled in Philadelphia where he is listed in the city directories beginning in 1801. He had married Margaret Hoover of that city in 1793.
Over the years, Cushing was in command of many vessels including the brig
Industry,
bound for Madeira, and the schooner
Betsy
on
which he traveled to Haiti in 1794 during the period when France and England were at war along Haiti's seacoast. Dangers were great to American ships, but the
Betsy
made a long safe voyage with a cargo of coffee and cotton.
Cushing was not so fortunate when, on a second voyage to Haiti in 1795, the
Betsy
was captured by the French privateer
Nukewater
. The
Betsy
was robbed and plundered, losing everything including the captain's clothing, but she eventually made a return to Philadelphia in late summer with a cargo of Muscavado sugar. A month later Cushing was off to Haiti again, this time in command of the brig
Charlotte
.
By 1804, Captain Cushing was traversing the Atlantic as master of the ship
Philadelphia
bound for Antwerp, and he continued the pattern of voyages to Europe for the remainder of his career. 1815 found him en route to Bordeaux aboard the ship
Susquehanna
arriving shortly after Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo.
By 1816, Cushing had developed tuberculosis. Despite his illness, he continued his life at sea almost to the end. His final voyage was on the ship
Tennessee.
The voyage was interrupted in New Orleans in February 1820, possibly because of the captain's worsening health as he died in Philadelphia ten months later, aged 50, and was buried in the cemetery of the Old Swedes church.
Captain Cushing and his wife Margaret had numerous children, although because of the length of his voyages he hardly knew some of them. His first daughter Eliza was born in February 1795 and died six months later when he was in Haiti. A son and a daughter born in the late 1790s lived to adulthood, but a later daughter died at only four months, and his final child, Caleb, lived only fifteen months.
According to his will, Captain Cushing's estate, including his shares in the ship
Tennessee,
was divided among his wife and two living children. His daughter Anne followed him in death in 1829, and her brother John, a shipmaster like their father, died of tuberculosis in 1833.
After the death of his heirs, Captain Cushing, as embodied in his painting, made his final voyage to Newburyport and possibly to the home of his namesake and nephew the Honorable Caleb Cushing and, subsequently, to family matriarch Margaret Cushing. A label on the reverse of the painting states that it descended in the Cushing family to Margaret's niece, Ellen G. Todd (1874-1959) of 90 High Street and to her nephew, Lawrence Cushing Goodhue (1889-1965).
The museum acquired the painting of Captain Cushing in 2018. Today, it hangs in the exhibition at the museum,
From High Seas to Safe Harbors
.
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Garden Tour 2020...Coming to a Desktop Near You!
After much thoughtful consideration, the board of directors has made the decision to cancel our
41st Annual Garden Tour,
scheduled for June 13 & 14, 2020. This decision was made for the concern and wellbeing of our generous garden owners, museum volunteers and faithful guests.
During the last months, we have been working to develop a strategy for a virtual tour that will provide an exclusive, online preview of five of the gardens.
The theme for this year's tour is
The Many Faces of Gardening
. Virtual visitors will be able to explore back yard retreats, gardens that have wildflowers and natural pollinators, composting gardens and gardens that provide farm-to-table experiences.
Museum staff, with the help of board members and volunteers,
Dan Fionte and Bob Watts,
photographers extraordinaire, will roll out stunning visuals of the gardens accompanied by stories from the garden owners.
The garden episodes will be released throughout the summer via this e-Newsletter.
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A Message from the Board
Dear valued members, supporters and friends.
As co-presidents of the Board of Directors, we want to update you on the museum that so many have come to rely on to preserve and present the rich history of Old Newbury.
Like so many others, our organization has been severely impacted by COVID-19. Although we're currently closed, we are working hard behind the scenes – upgrading the electrical system in the Cushing House, developing a virtual garden tour and other programs, answering research inquiries, managing collections and attending to daily operations as efficiently as possible.
We are absolutely committed to our employees, volunteers, members, supporters and visitors. We place great importance on people and their lives (past, present and future), and the board of directors is committed to sustaining our employees through this critical time. Fortunately, through prudent management of museum operations, effective management of our endowment and support of recent grants, we are able to sustain our mission.
Small museums across the nation are suffering, and many have already made significant cuts to staff and programming. We foresee postponing many of our planned 2020 programs and events in the coming months, understanding that these decisions will significantly impact our ability to earn the revenue on which we rely. As you think about supporting local institutions and prioritizing your charitable giving, we hope that you will keep the museum at the forefront of your thoughts, if you can.
On behalf of the board and staff, we sincerely thank you for your continued support and commitment and look forward to welcoming you back when it is safe and possible to do so.
Catherine Strauss
David Mack
Co-Presidents
Museum of Old Newbury
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Something is Always Cooking at the Museum
Peter Wiggin,
who embraces all things cooking with dogged enthusiasm, shares his family recipe for a decadent, easy and delicious quiche.
1 pastry shell
1/3 lb. cooked lobster meat
8 oz. grated cheddar cheese
6 extra large eggs
Light cream
1 tablespoon brandy
Cayenne pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 350°F. Into your favorite pastry shell, evenly spread lobster meat and cover with grated cheese. In 2-cup measure, whisk eggs and add enough light cream to equal 2 cups. Whisk in brandy. Pour liquids over lobster meat and cheese. Lightly sprinkle with cayenne pepper. Bake for 50 minutes, or until puffed and golden. Serves 4-6.
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Zoom in Today @ Noon for the Premier Episode of "Yeat Yeat, Don't Tell Me!"
What do you get when you combine NPR's Wait Wait, Don't Tell Me!, Jeopardy! and Stump Trivia?
A whole new take on Q&A game shows designed for Zoom and today’s stay-at-home world kicks off today, May 15, 2020, at noon.
Show off your Newbury-area historical chops, win great prizes and maybe learn something from (or teach something to) your hosts,
Jack Santos, Customs House Maritime Museum,
and our own
Colleen Turner Secino
(click on the Yeat Yeat logo above to watch the opening).
To participate, Zoom in here (password: 333894):
Yeat Yeat, Don't Tell Me! sponsored by:
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During this difficult period of COVID-19, we rely on your support more than ever. We are working to reschedule many of the programs that we have had to postpone, as well as develop new, online programs for you to enjoy and keep us connected. We hope, if you are able, that you will consider a
donation
to the museum. Thank you for your continued support.
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Museum of Old Newbury
98 High Street
Newburyport, MA 01950
978-462-2681
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