In 2001 I set out upon a journey, sailing if you will, upon an incredibly vast sea called the Internet. What began as a mild curiosity into a story about my family's history has grown into what you see here .. a website.
My great grandfather was a ship's captain whose ship was tossed upon an atoll somewhere in the South Pacific in 1906. We were mistakenly told by my grandmother that it rode a tsunami caused by the San Francisco earthquake. With little more than that, I began searching the Internet and was soon caught up in a tidal wave of information. This website is a collection of that information, put together for the enjoyment of my family. It is by no means an exhaustive research and is certainly open to correction by those concerned with maritime history. My great grandfather was not the only man to captain the County of Roxburgh. He was however the last, and it is his story I am relating. But if by some remote chance some other interested relative of another captain or crew member happens upon this website ... wonderful!
Actually, I welcome any visitors to this site who have knowledge of the County of Roxburgh to please share your knowledge.
On this page I want to acknowledge certain people and their websites. I am so appreciative of the individuals who took time to respond to my e-mails and snail mails. I am also including links to sites with suggestions on how and where to research maritime history, in case any other family members have the desire to dig deeper. For now at least, I must put the story to rest. My own home port needs attention.
Barbara Hutchison Seeley
November 30, 2001
revised June 2014
UPDATE 2017
The remote chance I hoped for in 2001 has happened. The grandson of William Miller discovered this website and contacted me. Now a new page has been added to the website: First Mate Miller.
I am grateful to Sue and Geoff Miller of Sydney, Australia for sending me their photographs, documents and the history of Geoff's grandfather.
Could Captain Leslie and First Mate Miller ever have imagined that their lives would be brought together again more than 100 years later by decendants living 7,500 miles apart?
UPDATE 2020
Thanks to the Knappton Cove Heritage Center and the Columbia River Maritime Museum, I was able to add information about the ship being in quarantine in 1902 to 1903.
ROBERT VECCELLA
http://archeonavale.org
BILL CUMMING
www.ScottishClipper.com
Maritime historian and author of "Gone"
A Chronicle of the Seafarers & Fabulous Clipper Ships of R & J Craig of Glasgow
GEOFF & SUE MILLER
Sydney, Australia - Grandson of First Mate William Miller
THE LATE CAPTAIN ARTHUR M. KIMBERLY
www.squaresail.com/romance.html
GREG & CAROL ALLRED
www.leolani.net/Tahiti/02%20Takaroa.html
INA KOYS
www.tallshipstales.de/90s/Christmas_1997.php
HARRY KILBRIDE
BRITISH MARITIME RESEARCH
www.barnettmaritime.co.uk"
DUNDEE CITY COUNCIL
http://photopolis.dundeecity.gov.uk
Nancy Anderson
KNAPPTON COVE HERITAGE CENTER
www.knapptoncoveheritagecenter.org
COLUMBIA RIVER MARITIME MUSEUM
www.crmm.org
I hope you have enjoyed this story. Thank you for visiting.
http://www.barbaraseeley.com
barbaraseeley@me.com
