Page 4 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, JAnUAry 17, 2025 ~ The Old Sachem ~ North Shore waters have a history of sea monster sightings By Bill Stewart S een any sea monsters lately on nearby beaches? The Daily Item had an article on January 10 about a sea monster sighted in Marblehead. The Marblehead Sea Serpent was fi rst sighted in 1817 near Tinker’s Island. Marblehead is credited with His Snakeship early on and he spent a memorable summer there. Gloucester Harbor next saw the serpent. The Linnaean Society of New England collected evidence and published 8 Norwood St. Everett (617) 387-9810 Open Tues. - Sat. at 4:00 PM Closed Sun. & Mon. Announcing our Classic Specials Dine In Only: * FREE Salad with purchase of Entree, Tuesdays & Wednesdays * Cheese Pizza - Only $10 Catch ALL The Live Sports Action On Our Large Screen TV’s Scan & Follow Us on Facebook! a report of the incident. The report announced that there was a new genus; the Scoliophis Atlanticus was introduced. There were mass sightings off Nahant of a serpent in 1819. The earliest sighting in the area was in 1639 by John Josselyn, who reported a “huge snake” on the rocks of Cape Ann. A boat passed by with two Englishmen on board and two Indians. The Englishmen sought to shoot the serpent, but the Indians convinced them that the serpent could be dangerous if shot and not killed. Next up was a sighting by www.810bargrille.com Commodore Edward Preble, who told of his sighting of a serpent, reported to be 150 feet long with a very round body. Daniel Webster also reported seeing a sea monster between Manomet and Plymouth. The British sailing ship British Banner was attacked in 1850 by a creature believed to be a serpent. General David Humphreys – maybe an early relative of my grandfather Bill Humphreys – travelled to Gloucester to view the witnesses. They told him that a creature 60 to 70 feet long was sighted and that its head was held above the water. They stated that it moved rapidly in a serpentine fashion and no one had been able to kill it. The Linnaean Society report stated, “The affi davits of a great many individuals of unblemished character are collected, which leaves no room to apprehend anything like deceit. They do not agree in every minute in particular, but in regard to its great length and snake-like form, they are harmonious. An animal of similar appearance was again seen in August in 1819 off Nahant, Boston, and remained in the neighborhood for some weeks. Two hundred persons witnessed it. Thirteen folds were counted, and the head, which was serpent-shaped, was elevated two feet above the surface, Its eye was remarkably brilliant and glistening. The water was smooth, and the weather was calm and serene. When it disappeared, its motion was undulatory.” Samuel Adams Drake wrote a book about the Cape Ann serpent, “A Book of New England Legends and Folk Lore,” which was published in 1884. He stated, “There is one topic which the annals of Nahant are inseparably associated that we feel a natural diffi dence in approaching, yet cannot in conscience ignore, and that is the sea serpent. Words are inadequate to describe wide-spread consternation which the apparition of such a monster created among the hardy population of our New England seaboard. He was soon perceived to possess none of the attributes of supportive and harmless fi sh but to belong strictly to the reptile tribe.” Another sighting of beachgoers and fi shermen was listed in The Boston Globe about the same time, describing what the “The Old Sachem,” Bill Stewart. (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate by Joanie Allbee) people saw: “The shiny sea serpent which has been such a terror along the New England coast during the past few years has made his debut in Nahant waters this season. He was seen on Monday and again this morning and the circumstances of his presence are given in such detail by astonished beholders that there is general credence to the statement that an unusual and prodigious serpentine monster is displaying himself in the waters of Massachusetts Bay.” If you happen to be in the Nahant area this summer, be sure to see if you can corroborate the stories of the late 1800s about the sea monster. (Editor’s Note: Bill Stewart, who is better known to Saugus Advocate readers as “The Old Sachem,” writes a weekly column – sometimes about sports. He also opines on current or historical events or famous people.) — Vinyl Siding — Carpentry Work — Decks — Roofing — Free Estimates — Replacement Windows — Fully Licensed — Fully Insured
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