John Flannery

John Flannery inherits his fathers estate and travels to the Americas in New York to take control of his fathers property and holdings.

My carriage arrived at the dock and came to a halt, I had attempted to get some sleep on the way but the roads and the aged coach were against me. Gathering my things, the door opened, “Watch your step Sir” said the coachman. I handed him my bag and stepped down to the wet cobblestones. The early morning foggy mist filtered the rising Sun which was just beginning to peek above the horizon far out to sea.

The dimly lit docks were soaked from the night's rain and the warm, damp air had an obvious pong of decomposing fish assaulting my nostrils. A rather grubby old sailor who crouched in a dark doorway hurried over,

“May I carry your bags for you sir?”

“No thank you sir I can manage” I said. He was A man I would hardly trust.

“How can you stand that god-awful smell?”

“What smell is that sir?” the old man said with his almost toothless smile.

“You can’t smell that?” I said.

“Nope, don’t smell a thing.”

I lugged my large canvas bag and the coachman grabbed a hand truck for my trunk. He loaded it and followed me as I made my way to the Harmony. I was impressed when I saw her for the first time. She was a three-mast, well-kept handsome vessel. I admit I had been apprehensive about this voyage. I had never been aboard a ship before.

The Harmony was to cast off the following morning and I was both anxious and excited. I arrived early to board and settle in for this, my first sea voyage. As I crossed the gangplank, I stopped to look up at the rigging. A gust of wind forced me to grab my hat with my free hand. I was in awe at what seemed like thousands of lines of ropes all crisscrossing the towering masts.

"Coming aboard sir?" A gravelly voice said breaking my focus, when I looked; a sailor stood waiting to use the narrow gangplank.

"Oh… why, yes" I said. “How in god's name can you fellows keep track of all that maze of lines?" I said as I made my way past him.

"It's an acquired process, sir." He pointed toward the rear of the ship, "If you go that way, sir, you can find someone who will show you to your cabin". Before I could thank him, he turned and hurried down the gangplank.

I went in the direction the sailor had indicated when I was surprised to hear the voice of a young woman, “Can I be of service, Sir?” I spun around and a young boy dressed in a midshipman's uniform stood with all seriousness. Uncertainly I answered,

"Why, yes, yes you may. I am a passenger on this voyage."

"May I have your name sir?" The boy asked as he looked at a folder he had removed from under his right arm.

"John Flannery," I said. He studied his list for a moment.

"Oh yes, Sir Mr. Flannery there you are sir.” Tucking the folder back under his arm he said, “If you would follow me, sir."

He led me down a ladder to the next deck and toward the back of the ship, he stopped, opened and held a door for me.

"Here you are, sir."

"Thank you, young man".

"Midshipmen, Benes, sir." The boy corrected.

“Yes, of course, Mr. Benes, my opolgies” I said. 

I was surprised to find my quarters about equal to the size of a cell at the city jail. Once I stowed my belongings, I left the cabin to venture about the ship and take in what was happening on board and about the docks.

Sailors were busy loading cargo and supplies such as barrels of water some crates of chickens and even some cattle and Goats.

All hands were trimming the ship for the long crossing to America. The sails were tied up and were extra heavy due to trapped water from the rain the night before. One had to be watchful for a drenching as the sailors wrestled with the canvas; occasionally freeing trapped water that fell to the deck with such force in some cases it was as if the water were a solid object. A sailor saw me, “Sir” he shouted, “You should go below until we finish working up here.”

I had had no sleep the night before; a result of all the tossing and turning I suffered from my anxiety over my pending maiden sea voyage. I took the sailors advice and found my way back to my cabin to lie down.

I did not wake until the following morning. I was surprised how long I slept and relieved to see we had not left port. I would have been extremely disappointed had I missed cast off. We should have been on our way by now and the delay puzzled me so when I saw Captain Nixon, I approached him and respectfully inquired,

“Pardon me, Captain, may I have a word, sir?”

“Of course, Mr... Flannery, is it?”

“Yes, Sir that’s right Sir.” I said.

“May I inquire the cause of our delayed, sir?”

I could see the Captain was obviously unhappy about the situation. He directed his attention back to his busy men who were taking the opportunity to substantiate the readying of the ship for departure.

"It may be days before we leave Mr. Flannery, thanks to a single late-comer who has plenty of influence."

Although angered about our delay the captain also had a reputation for insisting on sailing with a full ship. I was excited about our departure and looking forward to the long sea voyage.

Agitated as Captain Nixon was, I dare not inquire any further.

“Thank you, Captain,” I said and backed away.

We would be bound for New York. Like myself, most of the passengers had never been aboard a ship before but a ship of this size somehow made me feel at ease about the voyage.

Roaming about I managed to find a quiet spot on deck. Some canvas that had been laid out and had dried looked very inviting and I took the moment to lie down and stretched out on my back. Gazing up I watched as sailors at the extreme top of the mainmast running about the rigging and even jumping from one spot to another and though I was looking up and not down I found that often could not bear to watch the way they pranced about up there.

It then occurred to me, what if one of them drops a tool or something and here I am lying below.. Quickly I hopped up and hurried to the safety of my cabin to keep out of the way. As I lay quietly in my hammock, the ship gently rolled with the incoming tide. I pondered over how a ship of this tonnage could float at all.

I felt hungry and decided to ask Captain Nixon if there was time for me to go ashore and get a bite at a restaurant I saw very near the dock when I was getting out of my carriage.

The Captain was up on the quarter deck scanning the dock - I assumed for our tardy passenger.

“Excuse me, Captain Nixon, Sir!” I shouted from the main deck. “Might there be time for me to go ashore for a bite to eat, sir?”

He approached the railing as he looked down upon me, “Take the time you need Mr. Flannery. If I must wait for Lady Gabrielson, I can wait for you.”

I dared not seem amused by the Captain's comment.

“I thank you, Sir.” I quickly replayed and went straight for the gangplank.

After a fine meal of fresh fish and chips, I returned to find the ship was abuzz with activity and as I boarded I asked one of the sailors, "What's going on?"

"Lady Gabrielson has just boarded. “She’s the one we were ordered to wait for, you know". Hearing this I was eager to see the woman who keeps a ship from sailing as easily as Helen of Tory could have them make sail.

With things, so busy on the deck and recalling Captain Nixon's previous warning for my own safety, I went to my cabin to keep out of the way. I had purchased a book of blank pages to keep a journal of my first sea voyage and decided to take this opportunity to light a candle and get to work on my first entry.

“September 21, 1789: I am aboard the Harmony. Last night was my first time sleeping aboard ship and I slept rather well, to be honest, of course, we are still at the dock and not out to sea. Captain Nixon seems a quite pleasant and extremely helpful gentleman, especially with the passengers.

A woman, Lady Gabrielson, came on board today. She must be very important. Captain Nixon was ordered to hold the ship for her. I can hardly wait to see what manner of woman she is that she can keep the ship from sailing on time.”

My writing was interrupted by a noise outside my bulkhead, all sorts of bumping about along with a loud voice that seemed to be directing others struggling with something heavy through the narrow passageway. I waited for them to pass my door as it opened outward. Moments later I poked my head out to see what the commotion had been but the passageway was now void. Once I had secured my book and writing material I decided to go up on deck.

Upon warnings of the nature of sailors, I placed a straw I had plucked from a broom in the jam of my cabin door to my quarters so that I would know if someone had been in my room. I then went through the narrow passageway and climbed the steps into the bright sunlight.

I had to squint my eyes and when I had a hand free I shaded my eyes until they adjusted to the brilliant day’s sunlight, I scanned the decks.

There she was, my first sight of Lady Gabrielson. She was up on the quarter deck speaking with Captain Nixon. I could not hear with the wind and the clatter it created by the sailors moving about prepared the ship to depart. As I worked my way closer to eve drop Captain Nixon saw me and motioned to me to join them.

“Mr. Flannery, could you come over for a moment Sir?” When I got there the Captain said,

“Mr. Flannery may I present Lady Gabrielson.”

“An extreme pleasure my lady,” I said.

“Lady Gabrielson’s father is the owner of the Harmony and most of her cargo I might add,” He said with a slight chuckle. I bowed slightly. Lady Gabrielson was holding her bonnet upon her head against the wind so I could not get a good look at her face until the wind shifted and flipped the brim of her bonnet back up and against the top of her head covering her hand that kept it in place. The sudden reveal stopped my heart. Never had I seen such delicate features. To my embarrassment, my speech became hesitant as I struggled to present myself.

“My Lady you are as beautiful as Helen of Tory herself. It is my extreme honor, Lady Gabrielson”

“As is mine Mr. Flannery, I was just apologizing to Captain Nixon for my tardiness”

“An apology accepted but not at all necessary I assure you, my Lady.” The Captain replied. She looked into the Captain’s eyes and said,

“Perhaps the Captain will invite Mr. Flannery to join us for dinner this evening?” without hesitation the Captain said,

“Yes of Corse Mr. Flannery please do join us this evening, I am interested in learning your purpose for going to America.”

“As am I, Mr. Flannery.” Said Lady Gabrielson.

“Why… thank you, Captain and my Lady, that would be a great privilege indeed. I shall look forward to a conversation with you both.”

Author's Note

This is a first draft.