Enoch Train

Enoch Train (1801 – 1868) was an American shipowner and merchant. He is known for establishing the White Diamond Line, that provided a packet service between Boston and Liverpool.

Early life

Enoch Train was born on May 2, 1801, in Weston, Massachusetts to Enoch Train (1763-1805) and Hannah Ewing Train, daughter of a Scotch chaplain in British army. The fourth of five children, but the second living child. His oldest sister, Harriette died (1793-1797) in her fourth year and his oldest brother, also named Enoch Train (1795-1796), died in his second year.

After death of his father Enoch's mother married Captain Levi Bishop in 1807 and they moved to Halifax, Vermont and to be closer to her parents. Then, in 1814 she died and Train found himself an orphan at the age of 13. Train learned the hide and leather business from his uncle Samuel Train, but eventually left this industry once his shipping business took off.

Personal life

On November 3, 1823 Enoch Train married Adeline C. Dutton in Hillsborough, New Hampshire. By 1824 they were living in Boston where their first child, Adeline, was born on September 15. She was followed by four more children, Theodore (1826–1847), George (1828–1848), Caroline (1830–1908), and Enoch (1833–1854). Adeline died on August 25, 1834 at the age of 31.

Train married Almira Cheever in 1835. They had one boy who died shortly after his birth in 1838. Almira lived until 1881.

In 1848, Train represented Boston in the Massachusetts House of Representatives.

On January 23, 1855, Leon Lewis, a newspaper editor who Train had once loaned money to, visited Train at his home in Dorchester. Lewis informed Train he was armed with a Bowie knife and a revolver and demanded money from him. Train grabbed Lewis and after a violent struggle, threw him down his front steps and tied him with bed-chord.

Train spent his later years in his wife's hometown of Saugus, Massachusetts.

Early years as a ship owner

Train bought his first ships in the late 1830s and early 1840s. ''Dorchester'', ''Cario'', and ''Governor Davis'' served as trading vessels between Boston and South America. He then decided to move into the Baltic cotton trade with ''St. Petersburg'' (built by Waterman & Ewell, in Medford, Massachusetts, 814 tons burthen, 160 ft. long, 33 ft. beam).

White Diamond Line / Enoch Train & Co. / Train & Co.

In 1843 Enoch Train established the White Diamond Line, to provide a packet service between Boston and Liverpool. Initially he pulled ships from other service to that purpose, until new ships were built. His Boston based firm was named Enoch Train & Company, while the Liverpool end of the operation was Train & Co.

Enoch Train and Donald McKay

While sailing to Liverpool, to establish Train & Co., Enoch Train had opportunity to converse with Dennis Coudry who had recently taken delivery of the ''Delia Walker'', the first ship designed and built by Donald McKay. Coudry was so impressed with McKay's work, and spoke so highly of his ability that Enoch decided to speak to Donald McKay when he returned to the U.S., about having him build the first packet ship. Upon his return to Boston he sought out McKay in Newburyport, MA and according to Captain Clark, ″it was the swift contact of flint and steel″, and Enoch ordered the ''Joshua Bates'', his first ship built by McKay. Upon the launch of this ship Train offered McKay his financial backing if he would move his ship yard to Boston. This began a relationship that produced nine ships between 1844 to 1853.

The Panic of 1857 significantly effected and eventually ended Enoch Train's shipping businesses. A Liverpool partnership, Thayer & Warren succeeded Train & Co. as the Warren Line.

Ships built by Donald McKay for Enoch Train

Other Ships owned Enoch Train & Co.

Boston & European Steamship Company

Enoch Train saw the future of steam powered ships and in 1855, along with James Bebee, Andrew Hall, Donald McKay, and George Upton, formed the Boston & European Steamship Company, ″for the purpose of navigating the ocean by steam.″ This venture seems to have been curtailed by the same economic issues related to the Panic of 1857 that ended Enoch Train & Co.

Notes

:1. Some sources give Train's place of birth as Hillsborough, New Hampshire.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Train, Enoch

1801 births
1868 deaths
19th-century American businesspeople
American businesspeople in shipping
Businesspeople from Boston
Members of the Massachusetts House of Representatives
People from Saugus, Massachusetts
People from Weston, Massachusetts
Politicians from Boston