Captain Joseph Henderson was born in Charleston, South Carolina on September 9, 1826. He was a notable Sandy Hook Pilot in the New York harbor and along the Atlantic Coast during the Civil War.

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Joseph Henderson was born in Charleston, South Carolina. Click on the census image to the right to see the actual 1865 and 1880 census information. Source: 1865 New York State Census and Joseph's 1878 U.S. Passport Application.

According to the 1880 US Federal Census, Joseph's father and mother were both born in South Carolina. Source: 1880 US Federal Census.

At age of 21, Joseph was captain of his own schooner and a New York Sandy Hook pilot. Source: United States. Court of Commissioners of Alabama Claims, Goggle Books, 1882-85. v. 21.

On the Sunday evening, the Rev. Edward Lathrop married Joseph Henderson and sixteen year-old Angelina Annetta Weaver at the Baptist Tabernacle Church on Mulberry Street, near Chatham square, in New York City. The marriage was announced in the New York Herald. Rev. Lathrop was from Beaufort, South Carolina, which is near where Joseph was born and raised as a child. Source Marriage announcement in the New York Herald, Feb. 13, 1849, page 4.

Go to Angelina's page

At the age of 23, Joseph was listed as a Pilot living at 93 Roosevelt Avenue in New York City. Source: John Doggett, Jr. & Company, New York City Directory for the 1849-1850 edition.

The 1850 U.S. Census lists Joseph (23 - Pilot), Angelina A. (18), and Sarah R. (5 Mo.) living in New York City. It also lists Morris D. Weaver (28) as Pilot living in the same Ward. Source: 1850 Census, New York City, Ward 4; Microfilm Roll: M432, rool 536; Page: 278; Image: 558.

Joseph was listed as a "Pilot" living on 90 Roosevelt Street, New York City. Roosevelt Street is in the New York City borough of Manhattan, running from Pearl Street southeast to South Street. Source: New York City Directory, 1852, Page 244.

Maurice D. Henderson was born in New York City. Source: The 1855 and 1860 US Census.

Maurice D. Henderson

Joseph Henderson Jr.

The Free Church of St. Matthew's on Throop Avenue, in the ninth ward of Brooklyn, was organized as a parish. It later became a real church with a frame building, forty-five feet wide by eighty feet long; in Gothic style, with a bell tower twelve feet square and spire one hundred and thirty feet high. It could seat four hundred and fifty persons. Source: The Free Church St. Matthew's founded in 1859.

An amalgam bell was received from the New York pilots, at Sandy Hook and other furniture was provided by various friends and members of the St. Matthew's Church. Source: The Free Church St. Matthew's founded in 1859.

October 15, 1861

Joseph Henderson was listed as being a pilot on the transport Arago. She departed Eastport, Maine and proceeded to the New York Navy Yard at Brooklyn, New York, where she received weapons. The Arago then joined the expedition destined to capture Port Royal, South Carolina. The information that she obtained provided the South Atlantic Blockading squadron with its most important base for the remaining years of the conflict. Source: The Evening World, October 08, 1890, EXTRA 2 O'CLOCK.

Joseph Henderson purchased a cemetery plot for his nephew, Maurice D. Weaver, which became the Henderson family plot; Lot 13244 section 88 at the Green-Wood Cemetery. Source: The Green-Wood Cemetery Catalog of Heirs 2993.

Joseph Henderson is listed as having income at his residence on Myrtle and Throop. The total tax was 3% for 58.50 dollars.
Source: U.S. IRS Tax Assessment Lists, 1863-1864, New York District 2.

During the Civil War, the pilot-boat William Bell No. 24, ventured too far out to sea and was captured and burned by the Confederate raiding steamer the Tallahassee.

On June 5, 1883, Pilot Joseph Henderson was compensated for $6,170.31, as he owned 5/16 share in the William Bell. Source: The Tallahassee, Complete Rebel History of Her Depredations, the New York Times, pg. 1. and The William Bell, A New York Pilot Boat, the 1969 issue of The Log of Mystic Seaport, pg 17.

It talks about the duties, names of pilots and boats, rates of piloting, penalties and rewards, and the dangers encountered. The article goes on to say that pilots make from $1,000 to $2,000 per year. Source: New York Herald, Page 8.

There was a hearing to a committee of ship owners that were asking for a repeal or modification of the 28th By-law of the Board of Pilot Commissioners. Pilot Henderson opposed any change in the existing regulations. “Mr. Henderson claiming that a pilot who had, in the discharge of his duty, by going far out to sea to board a ship, was entitled to the privilege of taking her again out, instead of her being taken out by some velvet-footed stay-at-home, who might be a favorite and pet of the owner.”

Because of the above incident with the vessel Tybee, a judgment wad made in the district court of New York City in favor of Joseph Henderson for thirty-eight dollars and eighteen cents, besides costs for fees for pilotage. Source: Court of Common Pleas of the City and County of New York, Joseph Henderson v. Paul N. Spofford and Others, page 361.

The above judgment with the owners of the vessel Tybee, was appealed in the case HENDERSON against SPOFFORD but the judgment was affirmed. Source: Reports of Practice Cases, determined in the Court of the state of New York.

The County Court of Kings County filed a pursuance of judgment of foreclosure and sale of part or portion of a large piece of ground which Joseph Henderson and Angelina A. Henderson conveyed unto George A. Wilhelm, his heirs and assigns. Source: Brooklyn Daily Eagle, pg. 4, May 13, 1874.

Joseph was issued a U.S. passport to travel abroad to Great Britain and Europe with his wife, Angelina (46) and daughter, Mary Ann (18). The passport application describes Joseph as a man, age of 52, height 5 feet 3 inches, and eyes and hair gray. The passport lists his birthplace as Charleston, South Carolina. Source: U.S. Passport Applications, 1795-1925.

The New York Times had the following article about the Brooklyn Bridge:

THE OBSTACLES TO TBE BRIDGE VIEWS OF NEWYORKEERS—ITS SUPPOSED SHAKINESS-THE REGULATION OF PASSENGER TRAFFIC

There were glances of admiration bestowed by the inland members of the committee upon Capt. Joe Henderson, one of the oldest pilots around New-York, when that mariner reeled off a lot of nautical terms in his testimony. Even the Chairman, who has learned among many other things that there is no difference in the height of masts at low or high water, a point which he has persisted in raising several times, and which has always been settled as a joke at his expense—listened intently. The pilot described the increased difficulties in navigating the East River within the last quarter of a century, not the least of which is the bridge. Source: The New York Times, March 22, 1879.

The 1880 U.S. Census lists the entire Henderson family: Joseph (52) and Angelina A. (48) living at home with their three daughters, Sarah R. (30), Mary A. (20), Angelina A. (18), and three sons, Morris (28), Joseph (26), Alexander (15), and Barbara Stroller (20 - servant). Joseph Sr. was listed as "Pilot".

Maurice was listed as sailmaker, Joseph Jr. as broker, and Alexander at school. The census lists 'South Carolina' as the birth place of both his father and mother. Angelina's father's birth place is listed as Italy. Source: 1880 US Federal Census for 983 Myrtle Ave., Kings (Brooklyn), New York City-Greater, New York.

The Brooklyn Eagle listed real estate transfers from a Martin H. Duane to Angelina A, wife of Joseph Henderson for property on Willoughby Ave for $8,100. Source: Real estate transfers, August 23, 1883, The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, page 3 (left-side).

Joseph drafted his Will on April 11th, leaving his entire estate to his wife, Angelina and his six children Maurice, Joseph, Alexander, Sarah, Mary Ann, and Angelina. In case he survived his wife, Joseph appointed the Brooklyn Trust Company as executor. Source: Joseph's Will from the Surrogate Court, Kings County, New York. His estate was valued around $100,000.00. Source: Mary Anthony Lathrop, Mary's Family Connections, 1979, pg. 88.

On Saturday afternoon, May 7, 1887, the steamer Martello left her dock in Jersey City laded with merchandise, bound for Hull, England. The weather was foggy. On Sunday, May 8, 1887, the Martello left Gravesend Bay and started for se in command of Captain Francisco E. Jenkins, and Pilot Joseph Henderson. The vessel proceeded down the swash channel and through Gedney's channel. The vessel's engines were stopped and Pilot Henderson was discharged 40 minutes before hearing the horn of the sailing vessel Freda A. Willey. The two ships collided about 1 3/4 miles from the Sandy Hook lightship. As a result of this incident, Henderson was listed in a U.S. Supreme Court libel for a collision between the American barkentine Freda A. Willey and the British steamship Martello. The suit said "Pilot Henderson has been a New York and Sandy Hook pilot for nearly forty-two years." The Freda A. Willey was free from fault. The Martello was at fault for too great speed. Appeal from the court was argued on March 15, 16, 1894 and decided on April 16, 1894. Source: THE MARTELLO v. THE WILLEY, 153 U.S. 64 (1894).

Pilot Henderson, from the pilot-boat Pet, went aboard the British steamship Wingates to safely tow it to the Sandy Hook port. The steamship broke her shaft by the heavy seas off the east end of Long Island. Source: New York Herald-Tribune (New York, NY) Page: 4.

Steamer Teutonic

USS Baltimore

Certificate of Death
Click on picture

PILOT HENDERSON DEAD

He Was One of the Oldest and Best
Known of the Sandy Hook Crew

"The flag on the New York and Sandy Hook pilots’ building, at 20 State Street, hung at half-mast this morning in respect to the memory of Capt. Joseph Henderson, one of the oldest pilots in the service, who died at his home, 633 Willoughby avenue, Brooklyn, yesterday morning of peritonitis.
Capt, Henderson was sixty-four years old and had been a pilot since 1845. He bad always been attached to the Sandy Hook station, and was regarded at one the shrewdest and most efficient men in the service.
During the war Capt. Henderson was a pilot on the transports Arago and Fulton, running from Newport News to Port Royal. He was attached to the pilot boat America No. 21, at the time of his death, and it was this craft that Capt. Henderson was caught in the memorable blizzard of March 1888. He lay off the coast ninety miles east of Sandy Hook, and safely rode out the storm off Shinnecock light. Capt. Henderson was a member of the
Sandy Hook Pilots' Benevolent Association and also of Hillgrove Lodge. No. 540, F. A. M. of Brooklyn. He speculated in real estate in Brooklyn years ago and accumulated a fortune of $100,000. He leaves a widow and three sons and three daughters. Funeral service will be held tomorrow evening at his late residence, and a delegation of his brother pilots will attend." Source: The Evening World., Extra 2 O'clock, Image 1.