San Francisco County
Biographies
CAPT.
EDMUND McNEVIN
CAPT. EDMUND McNEVIN, the well-known principal and head of the Nautical
School, 406 Beale street, San Francisco, was born in
Dublin, Ireland, in 1832. His father, Daniel McNevin,
was a prominent attorney and Sheriff of Galway. His mother, nee Emily
Catherine Blake Foster, was from Glasnevin,
Dublin. The Captain’s eldest brother, Thomas, was one of the leading
barristers of Dublin and the author of numerous historical works, as the
History of the Volunteers of 1782, the Confiscation of Ulster, Memoirs of Shiel, McNevin’s State Trials,
and was connected with Gaven Duffy (now Sir Charles)
as proprietor of the Nation; also with Smith. O’Brien
and a leader of the Young Ireland party. The subject of our sketch
was educated for the army in the Henry IV College, Paris. This was not
according to his fancy, however, and he ran away from college and went to sea.
In 1847 he crossed
the Atlantic in the Great Western, one of the first steamers to cross the
ocean, and a few years later, in 1852, he was in command of the old ship
Davenport, and thereafter for eighteen years he sailed all over the world in
command of different ships. In 1874 he came to San Francisco and was
engaged with the Oregon Steamship Company, under Henry Villard,
and made several trips.
Acting on the advice
of the Hon. Mr. Booker, the well-known English consul, now of New York city, and at the solicitation of citizens, Captain McNevin established his Navigation School or Nautical
Academy under the Board of Underwriters, and for the past fifteen years this
institution has maintained a high standard. It has a membership of over
1,500, and the certificates issued by the board number over 1,300.
Captain McNevin was appointed through the French consul French
superintendent or designer and constructor. In 1881 he designed the
gunboat Taravao and the Newheva. He
went to Tahiti in command of the former with his class, and also sent a class
in the latter boat. He received a handsome testimonial in the shape of a
magnificent chronometer from Admiral Corbiney of the
flagship Triumphant.
Captain McNevin is the author of several valuable works on
navigation, among which is his epitome on practical navigation, marine law,
seamanship, abstract taken from admiralty courts of all nations—a very valuable
compendium and adopted in nautical training schools. He has an extensive
library, completely equipped with the finest chronometers and mathematical and
nautical instruments.
His first wife was
Miss Tatem, of Leeds, England, and a cousin of John
Bright, the great English statesman. She left two sons, Edmund Henry and
Alfred Darcy. The Captain’s present wife was Miss Walker, daughter of the Hon.
Judge G. B. Walker of San Francisco. They have three children, two
daughters, Alice E. DeBurg and Julia Emily Walker,
and one son, Peter Collins McNevin. Mrs. McNevin’s uncle, Dr. John Walker, is a resident of Chicago,
having his office at 85 Washington street.
Transcribed
by 10-23-06 Marilyn R. Pankey.
Source: "The Bay of San
Francisco," Vol. 2, Pages 161-162,
Lewis Publishing Co, 1892.
©
2006 Marilyn R. Pankey.