Marker for Captain Timothy R. Stinson
What makes his history particularly compelling is that the captain, along with his crew, abandoned his ship just prior to its sinking. The ship carried some 208 individuals of Dutch, German, and Irish ancestry, and had departed from Liverpool in March, 1853. According to a contemporary account published later, as the ship approached Nassau, it struck a reef, and was grounded there. Stinson ordered the passengers to man the pumps in the hold until rising tides might lift the vessel off the reef, so that it could travel the seven miles on to shore.
When it became obvious that the William and Mary was beginning to sink, the captain and his crew cut free one of the remaining sound life boats and sailed off, “thus (deserting) the ship, and (leaving the passengers) all to perish”, according to a news article. The last remaining life-boat quickly filled with mostly able- bodied men, who left their wives and family, “weeping…and calling upon them to come back again, saying ‘Let us die together!’”
Just as it appeared that all was lost, a schooner appeared and was able to ferry the majority of the abandoned people safely to land in the Bahamas. From there they reached New Orleans, and were scattered to their various final destinations.
Shortly thereafter, Mr. Stinson left his life at sea, moved from Maine, and eventually arrived in Denver in 1871, where he took up the house painting trade. Mr. Schaaf has learned that in 1873 the former captain joined the Central Presbyterian church in Denver, which he attended for 21 years until his death on March 24, 1894. His marker is in Block 5, Lot 50. His wife, Lucy, and son are also buried alongside him.
Note: this is precisely the kind of personal history I am hoping to receive from the multitude of families who have relatives or persons of interest at Riverside. Please feel free to correspond with me at david.c.cass@gmail.com. Let’s bring Riverside Cemetery alive!
David Cass
History Chair
Friends of Riverside Cemetery