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Hi Cousin -
I am the great great grandaughter of Charles Sewall Pennell, John's brother that RPT's book was written about. RPT referred to him as the Great Charles. He was the business manager of the Pennell Brothers shipyard. I am also researching the information and Bowdoin College does have some archived information. Curtis Memorial Library/Brunswick Historical Soc may have some archived information. HOwever, we have learned that a lot of the models were burned for firewood. I have been trying to research some of the specific ships that they built as some of RPT's information is not accurate. For example, the ship, the DASH was not commissioned by the Pennells but by a family in Freeport Maine and there is no accurate information re. the builder but I believe that Jacob Pennell's father who was a master builder may have built that ship. His name was Thomas Pennell and he is buried in an old cemetary on Maine St. in Brunswick Maine. Charles and John and several other family members are buried in the Pine Grove Cemetary off Rt.123 opposite Bowdoin College. They are in good company as Civil War general Joshua Chamberlain is buried there too. My great grandfather married Cornelia Pennell, my namesake after he graduated from Bowdoin and had a letter of reccomendation written for him by Joshua Chamberlain but that's another story...we think they met at the launching of the Benjamin Sewall. It was a spectacular event.
There is a painting of the ship, the Benjamin Sewall at the Arctic Museum at Bowdoin College. I do not know of any other locations of paintings. There are some logs in the Mystic Seaport Maritime museum and you may do research through the Maine Historical Society. My brother and I are trying to get the lines of the Benjamin Sewall as he builds half models. We both grew up in Brunswick and the history is still close to us although the family became so large just because of the number of children the Pennells had so a lot of the history has been lost. I have photos of my great grandmother's siblings on her wedding day.
Do a google search on the Benjamin Sewall and your wife will learn a little more about John and the story of the ship. In RPT's book, he talks about the ship, the Jacob Pennell lost off the coast of Ireland and refers to a large loss of life, but the Pennell ships were built for cargo and not for passenger transport. Sometimes though, Maine ships would take on passengers if they couldn't get cargo.
There is a Sharon Davenport who also posts here and another of our cousins so it is interesting. One of John and Charles brother's was convicted of burning a ship in Baltimore Harbor, but Charles went to Baltimore and paid his bond as none of the family believed he would burn one of their ships. They felt he had been framed by the crew. Good crews were tough to find. That's why they preferred Maine and Glouchester Mass boys.
The ancestors who left for the U.S. from Jersey were from Normandy. They were royalty who know doubt wanted to keep their heads during the French Revolution.
Let me know what you have found! It's great to share all this information. There was another fellow who posted too and was descended from another brother, can't remember, but I think he was the master builder in the family.
Best regards, Cousin Cornelia.
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