The Captain William Jackman Story

Newfoundland's Greatest Hero:
Captain William Jackman

It was October 9, 1867 - A day never to be forgotten in Labrador for the vicious gale that lashed its rocky coast. William Jackman, a strong but soft-spoken sealing captain from Newfoundland, had taken his ship to safety at Spotted Island when the storm broke. In the afternoon, with the gale at its peak, Jackman and three crewmen were sitting in front of a blazing fire in one of the settlement homes. Suddenly, Jackman got up and began bundling himself in his warmest clothes.

"Where are you going captain?" one of his men asked.

"For a walk", he said quietly, his voice barely audible over the rattling of the windows.

"A walk?" said another. "You'll not get out the door captain!"

Jackman would hear nothing of it and headed outside. The third crewman, named Crosbie, pulled on his clothes and followed him. Their heads bowed, Jackman and Crosbie walked out onto a bleak jut of land overlooking the sea. Jackman squinted through the blowing snow and saw a reef several hundred metres from shore. There on the reef was a fishing schooner being pounded to pieces by the waves.

"Look!" the captain yelled at Crosbie, pointing at the stranded vessel.

"She'll not last a few hours in a gale like this."

Instructing Crosbie to fetch as many ropes and men as possible, he tore off his coat and boots and dived into the violent surf. Thoughts of the schooner's doomed crew spurred Jackman on through the icy water. As he got closer, he could see that the vessel, the Sea Clipper, had been ripped open by the jagged reef. He could hear the cries of those on board and , looking up, saw a crowd of faces, most of them weeping with joy.

Jackman soon learned that there were 27 in all on board the ship, more than her usual number since she had collided with another schooner earlier that day and had taken all of its passengers and crew on board as well.

After Jackman had caught his breath, he took one of the crew on his back and swam through the raging sea back to shore, stopping only long enough to catch his breath. This he did ten more times.

When he returned to shore with the eleventh man, Crosbie and three others had arrived with coils of thick rope. Jackman, by now blue with cold, quickly tied the rope around his waist and again plunged into the sea. Soon he had another crew member on his back. The men on shore pulled with all their might until Jackman delivered the survivor to shore. Then he was gone again.

Jackman managed to rescue 15 more this way. When the last shivering survivor was safe, the captain collapsed from exhaustion.

"Is that all of you?" he asked the group huddled on the rocks.

"All that can be saved", someone replied.

"What do you mean?" Jackman asked.

"There is a woman on board, but she's close to death and she'll not survive bein' hauled through that water. And it may be the death of you too, captain!"

Jackman had stopped listening. He pulled himself to his feet, saying "Living or dead, I'll not leave her there!"

He threw himself into the sea once again. When he reached the schooner, he found the woman lying in her berth in the cabin below and picked her up in his powerful arms. Jackman made one last trip to shore. He laid her on the ground and covered her with his heavy coat. The woman lived only long enough to thank him for his kindness.

Many besides the survivors of the "Sea Clipper" were impressed by Captain Jackman's sea rescue. Throughout Newfoundland, the 30-year old captain became know as "Jackman the Hero". In 1868, he was awarded a medal by England's Royal Humane Society for his great courage. His father, however, seemed somewhat less impressed. When he had heard about his son's feat, his only comment was "I would never have forgiven him if he had left that woman on board." Jackman himself was quite modest about his bravery. After he had received his medal, he asked his wife to put it away and he never spoke of it again.

Like so many Newfoundlander's, William Jackman developed his seamanship early in life. Born in Renews in 1837 , he received his education not in a classroom but on a sailing vessel where his father, Captain Thomas Jackman, taught him about cod fishing and sealing. Like his brother "Viking Arthur", William soon became much admired in Newfoundland for his many successful trips "to the ice", those dangerous expeditions in early spring to hunt seal for their valuable oil and skin. As commander of the steamers Hawk and Eagle, William reportedly brought back over 150, 000 pelts between 1867 and 1876.

His career was tragically cut short, however, when he died in 1877 at the age of 39. His funeral was one of the largest ever seen in St. John's. This is evident in the Obsequies of Captain William Jackman as they appeared in 'The Advocate' on March 8, 1877. The heroism of this great man has also been captured in the poetic words of P.J. Wakeham:

"We read of the noble Horatio
and his gallant Tiber Stand,
while he was great,
he does not rate,
with Jackman of Newfoundland"

The Legend of Captain William has also inspired ballads such as
Star of the Sea Man and The Man Who Saved the Day.