Captain Ned Wakeman

[Deborah]

Hello, I am new here, but I was looking up some information on a decendent of mine. Captain Ned Wakeman. He is my Great, Great, Great, maybe another Great, Grandfather. I have alot of information already, but as I logged on to this website, I found some new stuff. If anyone has anything to add to what I have, please, let me know.  Thanks!  Deborah[/i]

[PJ]

Hi Deborah!
 Â 
 The infamous Captain Ned!! That is quite a heritage you have  and his exploits with the "New World" which he hijacked and sailed round the  Horn to Sacramento cannot fail to capture the imagination of any  paddler enthusiast.  How much info do you have on your G/G/G/G?  Grandpappy?  Please share, then we can see what else we can dig up.   Ummm..I'm sure you know he had a bit of a "dark side". Here's a  quote:
 Â 
 Â Â "Captain Edgar Wakeman of the  American steamer, lately arrived, assisted in murdering some of Australia's  finest citizens, is a most dangerous person, and will have but twenty-four hours  in which to leave the country," the Sydney Herald warned.

A mob went down  to the docks, intent upon avenging the deaths of Australia's finest, but failed  to receive any response from the American ship to their reasonable request that  the  captain come out and be hanged like a man. They contented themselves  with swearing mightily at the armed seamen posted about her decks to repel  boarders. Good thing nobody knew that a heavy chain seven feet long, with golden  anchor attached, now reposed in Wakeman's sea chest, or he might have wound  up in Sydney Harbor with San Francisco's gift around his neck as a  sinker.

(the anchor I believe was studded with five large  diamonds!).
 Â 
 There's lots more on this famous and highly colourful  swashbuckling ancestor of yours whom Mark Twain immortalized in so many of his  works.
 Â 
 Kind regards
 Â 
 PJ. Victoria, BC Canada
 

  ----- Original Message -----
   From:    Deborah (construction@paddleducks.co.uk)
   To: construction@paddleducks.co.uk (construction@paddleducks.co.uk)    
   Sent: Saturday, November 05, 2005 8:48    AM
   Subject: Captain Ned Wakeman
   

   
Hello, I am new here, but I was looking up some    information on a decendent of mine. Captain Ned Wakeman. He is my Great,    Great, Great, maybe another Great, Grandfather. I have alot of information    already, but as I logged on to this website, I found some new stuff. If anyone    has anything to add to what I have, please, let me know. Thanks!    Deborah[/i]



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[PJ]

Hi Deborah!
 Â 
 The infamous Captain Ned!! That is quite a heritage you have  and his exploits with the "New World" which he hijacked and sailed round the  Horn to Sacramento cannot fail to capture the imagination of any  paddler enthusiast.  How much info do you have on your G/G/G/G?  Grandpappy?  Please share, then we can see what else we can dig up.   Ummm..I'm sure you know he had a bit of a "dark side". Here's a  quote:
 Â 
 Â Â "Captain Edgar Wakeman of the  American steamer, lately arrived, assisted in murdering some of Australia's  finest citizens, is a most dangerous person, and will have but twenty-four hours  in which to leave the country," the Sydney Herald warned.

A mob went down  to the docks, intent upon avenging the deaths of Australia's finest, but failed  to receive any response from the American ship to their reasonable request that  the  captain come out and be hanged like a man. They contented themselves  with swearing mightily at the armed seamen posted about her decks to repel  boarders. Good thing nobody knew that a heavy chain seven feet long, with golden  anchor attached, now reposed in Wakeman's sea chest, or he might have wound  up in Sydney Harbor with San Francisco's gift around his neck as a  sinker.

(the anchor I believe was studded with five large  diamonds!).
 Â 
 There's lots more on this famous and highly colourful  swashbuckling ancestor of yours whom Mark Twain immortalized in so many of his  works.
 Â 
 Kind regards
 Â 
 PJ. Victoria, BC Canada
 

  ----- Original Message -----
   From:    Deborah (construction@paddleducks.co.uk)
   To: construction@paddleducks.co.uk (construction@paddleducks.co.uk)    
   Sent: Saturday, November 05, 2005 8:48    AM
   Subject: Captain Ned Wakeman
   

   
Hello, I am new here, but I was looking up some    information on a decendent of mine. Captain Ned Wakeman. He is my Great,    Great, Great, maybe another Great, Grandfather. I have alot of information    already, but as I logged on to this website, I found some new stuff. If anyone    has anything to add to what I have, please, let me know. Thanks!    Deborah[/i]



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Exported by Paddleducks Mail System.

http://www.paddleducks.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?p=5849#5849

--------------------    m2f --------------------

 

Hi PD's...and welcome aboard Deborah...it is a rare treat indeed to have persons of such a Heritage as yours joining our ranks.
We will have to watch or P's and Q's now PD's...or she will have us keel hauled, or flogged.

PJ...The quote you posted for Deborah, was very interesting and I will look up this character for myself....one horrible thought though....are we sure he is not still living in OZ....under the name of D. Warner?.....rumour has it that both he, and his KIWI pall Tony are planning a covert trip to Scotland, possibly via Canada, (well you know what boy scout compasses are like for accuracy) with questionable intent....perhaps he's trying to get back at the authorities?    

I wish you all the luck, Deborah, in your search for information. I am sure the PD's will help all they can.


Regards and best wishes

sandy



If you want a STANDARD item I will have to charge you extra!!

[PJ]

A thousand apologies, Deborah, Sandy and PD's...I erased Sandy's reply in error thinking it was one which had been auto replied from my own email inbox.  I've restored as much as I can of Sandy's post except I couldn't get his emoticons to cling on to the message.   Incidentally I was sure the little quote I included about Grandpappy Wakeman's visit to Sydney was far too much for our greatest creative minds to resist and I very much look forward to the reply which will surely emanate from Derek's Vegemite spattered keyboard!  

Once again, Sandy, apologies for the erasure!

PJ
Victoria, BC Canada

[Deborah]

Thanks for the response. I live in Bellingham, Washington, USA. I am originally from San Francisco. As are all my decendents since Captain Ned. I have been to his grave, as well as other relatives of ours in Alemeda, California. And he was nice enough to pay out enough for at least 30 of his relatives. So at least I know where I can be buried! I am sure you have read the book " Paddlewheel Pirate, the life and adventures of Captain Ned Wakeman", by Gordon R. Newell. I have a copy of it and it is very interesting. His family has spread far and wide, mostly California.  I will pst again..I have to get back to work.  Thanks, Deborah

[Waverley]

Hi Deborah & others

I must confess that until recently I thought that Ned Wakeman was a fictional character - its only after getting net access I discovered he was real.

Reason is the novel "Act of Piracy" by Frank O'Brian (1975) which I bought many many years ago. Its a fictionalised account of his hi-jacking the paddle steamer NEW WORLD and voyage to California - I'll pass on whether the proud but beautiful woman who falls in love with him in due course (naturally), the cute little boy or the dastardly villain are more than figments of the author's imagination, but its the only story I've read in which a paddler features strongly.  

Regards

David

PS - just done a quick google & found his autobiography - including his own account of the NEW WORLD escapade. Interesting

[derekwarner_decoy]

Hi PD's - one Sandy Campbell {Esquire} [ :twisted:  :twisted:  :lol: ] - recently wrote
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"PJ...The quote you posted for Deborah, was very interesting and I will look up this character for myself....one horrible thought though....are we sure he is not still living in OZ....under the name of D. Warner?....."
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

Now I know most PD's will know me as humble simple convict stock, but that in itself is a blessing - at least I know who I am as the Trials from the Olde Baily werre transported with the first fleet convicts [in the ships that is].....

I have checked the records in the Mitchell Library in the big smoke and  [SYDNEY] &  :news  I  : find no record of a Captain Thunderbolt Wakefield, so the only similarity between the given name is "W" :twisted:

One interesting point from all of this is that there were a number of Campbell convicts with the first fleet & so could they be any long lost rellos of you Sandy [C]  :?:   - Derek

Oh - sorry I was looking on the wrong line :!:  :!: the convicts  were Campbell Mc Tavish, Campbell Mc Outlandsish, Campbell Mc Sporron but no record of a Campbell Mc Campbell :  :  :

[AlistairD]

the only story I've read in which a paddler features  strongly.

 Â 
 I have one paddle steamer  novel in my collection, "The Trials of the "Phideas" by E Laurie Long. It is  about the delivery voyage of a paddle steamer from the UK to South America and  the adventures of the crew en route. It was first published in 1944, and my copy  is from the fourth printing in 1946. The cover is a shot looking forward from  aft of the port paddle box of a typical UK excursion  paddler.
 Â 
 Alistair