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Estelle Simmons with her uncle, Captain Tommy Vanterpool in St. Thomas -1941.

Captain Thomas Charles Vanterpool along with his brother Captain Ernest Toland Vanterpool were considered among the wealthiest Captains of their time. Together they also sired more than forty children.

Captain Tommy was descended from the Rev. Hugh Toland, a Presbyterian Minister and from Dutch ancestors who were prominent among the original Pirates who settled Saba during the occupation by Morgan’s buccaneers in 1665 and in later years.

Schooner "Mayflower" in roadsted of St. Eustatius - 1929.

Captain Tommy owned more than twenty schooners in his lifetime among which the 'Mayflower' of 190.27 tons, and 147 feet long. The 'Mayflower' was built in Glaucester, Massachusetts to compete in the 'Bluenose' races, but was not allowed to compete because she was built in the style of a yacht.

Captain Charles Ruben Simmons who was the captain of the 'Mayflower' between 1928 and 1930 states that in 1929 he left St. Kitts with 375 passengers and arrived 48 hours later (under sail) at Curacao located 500 miles to the South. Once he carried 460 passengers on the 'Mayflower' to Curacao. On return trips he would have as many as 100 people on board. Every fifteen days he would make the run to carry workers for the oil refinery there.

These passengers paid fls.25. -- first class, and fls.12.-- for a passage on deck. When one considers that in those days a captain was paid fls.250.-- per month, and engineer fls.100.-- and the cook fls.75.-- and that the schooner only carried eight in crew, the profits made by Captain Tommy were rather large.

The residence of the Lt. Governor, now rebuilt in the same style, was the private home of Captain Vanterpool (pictured above). His daughter Lena was married to Mr. W.F.M. Lampe who was Administrator of Saba in the nineteen-twenties and later became Minister Plenipotentiary to the Netherlands from the Netherlands Antilles.

Captain Tommy spent his last years on St. Thomas and died there in 1950. His son Professor Clifford Vanterpool was a famous researcher in plant pathology in Canada and won many awards for his work.

When Professor Vanterpool visited Saba he was a guest at the Captain’s Quarters Hotel.

© Will Johnson

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                Saba Lace by Kate Holm circa 1930 from the collection of Charlotte Holm

This page was last updated on 06/29/2008