| Aug 1865 | Elijah Shepherd Pigott is born August 1, 1865. This is the date on his tombstone. However, in Lige's records there seems to be some confusion regarding his birth year. His Citizen Seaman's Identification Card of 1919 shows that he will be 49 on 8-1-1918, making him born in 1869. He has also written this date on notes he made for completing his resume. Yet, in other notes, he has specifically indicated he was "borned" in 1865. Did Lige try to make himself appear younger in order to meet requirements of a position for which he was applying? | 1865 - 1885 | ? ? ? | 1885 - 1886 | Working as sailor for William Hill out of Newbern (sic), NC, earning $15 to $20 a month on the schooner Ella R. Hill. |
| Oct 1887 to Nov 1889 |
Employed as deck hand on tugs of White Cross Towing Co. in Charleston, SC. A scribbled note says that in 1889 he was on Br Victorious as captain. But we have a picture of him on a vessel named Victorious and the vessel is surrounded by ice in the river. Also, see the period May 1898 to Oct 1899 below. This second reference to the Victorious seems more accurate - unless there happened to be a barge in Charleston harbor with the same name. |
| 1890 | Lige says he is not employed by others and that he is in the oyster business in Beaufort, NC, for 10 months. We do have a copy of his License To Make Oyster Bed, but it is dated 25 February 1891. We do not know if this is the first such license obtained by Lige. However, we would believe it is as there does not seem to be an expiration date associated with this license ather it runs "so long as the conditions of the law are fulfilled." |
| Sept 1890 to Oct 1891 |
For 13 months, Lige is employed in Beaufort, NC, It is unclear whether his employer was Thomas Thomas or whether this was the name of the vessel he was on. (He may have been on the schooner Martha Thomas at this time.) At any rate, he says he was a mate on sailing vessel along the Atlantic Coast, making $50 a month |
| Oct 1891 to Nov 1896 |
Lige spent 4 years working for Campbell & Hertz in Charleston, SC, as Master and Pilot of tugs, making $100 a month. Duties were towing barges and ships of all description. | Nov 1896 to Jan 1898 |
For the next 13 months, Lige was Mate and Master of the schooner Charmer, which was owned by his brother Joseph (sic) Pigott. He must have been transporting goods to New York on this vessel since he writes "NY" beside this entry. |
| Feb - May 1898 | ? ? ? Perhaps Lige was traveling to the West Coast? |
| May 1898 to Oct 1899 |
Lige spends 18 months with the Empire Trans. Co., as Master & Pilot on river steamers for $175 per month. It is during this time Lige makes his way to Youkon (sic), Alaska. Lige says he was Master of the steamers Victorious and Seattle. See the article that appeared in the June 1914 Beaufort News. There is a timing descrepancy here as to who he was working for when he went to Alaska. |
| Oct 1899 to Nov 1900 |
Mining in Alaska. See the Beaufort News article referred to above. |
| Nov 1900 to Feb 1901 | ? ? ? Perhaps he's making his way from Alaska to California? |
| Feb 1901 to Sept 1901 |
Master of the Isabell for Pacific Mail SS Co. He may have sailed this vessel to Panama. |
| Sept 1901 to Jun 1902 | ? ? ? He has a note that in 1902 he was Master and Pilot of the schooner Valletta. He doesn't indicate how long or whether this was before June. However, he indicates a different manager from the one below, so we assume this was during this period. |
| Jun 1902 to Jan 1903 |
Master of steamer on the Sacramento River, Calif, making $125 per month |
| Jan 1903 to Oct 1903 |
Master and Pilot on ______ ____ _____ and rivers for Farmers (?) Trans Co., making $150 a month. |
| Oct 1903 | This note is not really clear in meaning - "Tug Rescue Merchants Tow Boat Co., Gray, Mgr". Was he onboard the tug Rescue or did he participate in the rescue of a tug? |
| Oct 1903 to Sept 1904 |
Master and Pilot with California Transportation Co., making $125 a month. |
| Sept 1904 to Nov 1904 | ? ? ? |
| Nov 1904 to Feb 1907 |
Master and Pilot on steamers J. D. Peters and T. C. Walker for California Transportation Co. In another note, he indicates he was the Pilot on these vessels from Dec 1904 to April 1907. |
| May 1907 to Jun 1911 |
Master and Pilot for the Napa Transportation Co., at $150 a month. He indicates he was Master of the steamer St. Helena. His reason for leaving was "to work for myself." |
| Jun 1911 to May 1912 |
He indicates he was in S.F. (must be San Francisco). Another note indicates that in 1911 he was "not employed by others." This must be the time-frame for his business card. |
| Jun 1912 to Apr 1913 |
On steamer Fruto (?) for Southern Pacific or Santafe (sic) R.R. Co. at $155 per month. |
| Jun 1913 to Jan 1914 |
Pilot on Naiyo (?) for Southern Pacific Co. at $125 per month. At some point in 1913, he indicates he was appointed State Pilot at San Francisco. |
| Jan 22, 1914 | Lige is on the steamer Napa City out of San Francisco. |
| May/Jun 1914 |
On visit to Gloucester, NC. See write-up in Beaufort News about his life-saving apparatus. |
| Sep 1914 | The committee organizing the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco in 1915 chose him to present to the upcoming convention of the American Association of Masters, Mates and Pilots of Steam Vessels an invitation to have their next convention in San Francisco during the Exposition. He is the National First Vice President of this organization. It is not currently known when he was elected to this post or how long he has been a member. According to the Beaufort News article referenced earlier, Lige was supposed to have exhibited his life-saving apparatus at the Exposition. |
| 1914-1917 | ? ? ? |
| May 1917 | In May he renewed his A.A. of M.M. and P. membership (?) - 10th issue. He is Secretary of the A.A. of M.M. and P. of S.V. Paid his dues of $6.00. |
| June 1917 | Lige enrolls as Ensign in U.S. Naval Auxiliary Reserve at San Francisco. |
| Aug 1, 1917 | He is assigned to duty as Watch Officer onboard the USS Standard Arrow at Mare Island, Vallejo, Calif. Lige must not have been a patient man, for by Aug. 20th, he is requesting promotion to Lt. , feeling he is much more qualified by experience than the ". . . majority who are in command of Naval Reserve vessels . . ." This must not have set too well with his commanding officer, for on Sept. 21st, he requests that Lige and the Executive Officer be detached from his vessel as he does not feel they are ". . . adapted for this type of vessel (e.g., fuel oil) . . ." On Sept. 22nd, Lige is detached and assigned to the USS Neptune in Norfolk, VA. On Nov. 22nd, Lige writes a letter trying to find out what has happened to his request for promotion. It is not known what kind of response he received to this letter, but on Dec. 18th, he writes another letter to the same individual (Supervisor, Naval Auxiliaries in San Francisco) giving a blistering account of the Commanding Officer of the USS Standard Arrow and in no uncertain terms accusing his former commanding officer of acting out of malice and the intention of doing him (Lige) "personal harm." Lige requests that the Department appoint a Board of Investigation into this matter. No other papers concerning this affair were in Lige's effects. It is not known what the final outcome was. |
| Jan 22, 1918 | Assigned to shore duty at New York City. |
| Feb 2, 1918 | Assigned to the USS Teresa as Executive Officer with the rank of Lt. |
| Jun 21, 1918 | Lige enrolls in the U.S. Naval Reserve Force in New York as Lieutenant Commander. On Jun 22nd, he is assign to command of the USS Teresa. |
| 1918-1919 | ? ? ? |
| Dec 2, 1918 | Assigned to command of the USS Glen White. (His notes say 1919, but this does not correspond with dates of other documentation in his papers.) It appears the USS Glen White had been contracted out to the Barber Steamship Lines, under contract by the Naval Overseas Transportation Service. On Feb. 24, 1919, Lige was notified of the cancellation of this contract. |
| Mar 6, 1919 | Puts the USS Glen White out of commission at Baltimore, MD. |
| Apr 11, 1919 | Appointed to Capt. of the SS Wieldrecht by the U.S. Shipping Board Emergency Fleet Corporation. Either he was re-assigned to the SS Western Belle or the name of this vessel was changed, for no further mention is made of the SS Wieldrecht, |
| May 1919 | Lige is Master of the SS Western Belle which sails from N.Y. on May 15th. Lige refers to this as "Voyage #2 from New York to Danzig, Germany." |
| June 1919 | From itemized expense records, we learn that Lige was in Danzig, Germany, from mid June to early July. On Jul 1st., there was some trouble with the 1st Assistant Engineer who came aboard ". . . drunk and disorderly and began shooting with a revolver at the German guards on the dock." Lige was not able to turn this person over to any authorities in Germany or England and had to bring him back to N. Y. where he was turned over to Port Officer. |
| July 1919 | By July 8th, Lige is in Newcastle-on-Tyne, England, where he takes a leave while in port. We do not know how long his leave was. |
| Aug 3, 1919 | On Aug 3, he returns to N.Y. aboard the Western Belle and anchors off Bay Ridge, New York Harbor. |
| Aug 1919 to Jan 1920 |
? ? ? His identification record does not show the Western Belle leaving the United States again. Yet it does show him returning In Feb. 1920. |
| Sept 19, 1919 | Western Belle seeks permission to bunker at once at Gibraltar. |
| Sept 21, 1919 | Was supposed to sail to Marseilles after taking on coal, but was diverted to Bordeaux by French Consul. On the 29th received cable from J. W. Elwell & Co. wanting to know why and by whose orders he proceeded to Bordeaux and ordering him to cease unloading and proceed to Marseilles. |
| Oct 1919 to Jan 1920 |
After mandated repairs to the windlass and oil-cooler, the ship sailed for Gibraltar, arriving on Oct. 12th. After taking on coal, the ship sailed and arrived at Marseilles on Oct 18th. Finished discharging his cargo on Nov. 20th and sailed for Barcelona. Arrived in Barcelona on Nov. 21st and loaded a full cargo of sugar for Longon or Liverpool. By Jan 10th, the ship was in Oran, Alegeria. |
| Feb 1, 1920 | Lige returns to N.Y. onboard the Western Belle. |
| Feb-Apr 1920 | ? ? ? |
| Apr 1920 | Lige is in Charleston, SC, negotiating to purchase the property known as Belle Vista on the Wadmalow River in Adams Run, Colleton County, SC, consisting of sixty acreas plus residence and residence lot. Title is transferred on Apr 10, 1920. Lige has decided to try his hand at farming. But he does not seem to be able to make a go of this. He falls behind in the promised payments on this property and is badgered by the seller's attorney to be forthcoming with the money owed. His brother, John, gives him some assistance in Jul 1921 by paying the interest due. However, things must have worked out as Lige still owned this property when he passed away in 1925, albeit he still owed money on it. In 1926, the land was returned to the origional owners for about half of what Lige had originally agreed to pay for it. |
| 1921 to 1925 |
At some point, Lige decided to give up farming. He took a contract to deliver to New York a tug to be used on the Eire Canal. His nephew, Elwood, went along with him on this trip. After successfully delivering this vessel, Lige stopped off in Philadelphia on his way back and took a contract to deliver another tug to New York. Lige stayed on after delivering this second vessel. He went to work for the M. M. & Great Lakes Canal Corporation. It was only a summertime job but he was allowed to stay onboard the vessel during the winter without pay. |
| Jun 28, 1925 | Lige died at the wheel of his vessel on the Eire Canal. His body was brought back to Gloucester by his brother, Joe, for burial in the Pigott Family Cemetery. |
