William M. Keene of Waldoboro, Maine

Seaman: W. M. Keene
From: Waldoboro, Maine, USA
Ship:  Schooner, "Cant Comet"
Cargo/Fishing: Cargo
Coming from:
Going to:
Date of Last Location: September 14, 1859,
Longitude:
Cemetery of Memorial: German Protestant Cemetery
Town/State: Waldoboro, Maine USA

Close up of the stone.

W. M. Keene, he is not titled as a captain.

In Memory of
W.M. Keene
Who was lost off
Harbor Island in the Schooner, "Cant Comet"
Sept. 14, 1859
age 29 yr. 11 ms.














It appears that Mr. Keene had a baby boy born right before or after his death. I could not find his wife near him.  She probably remarried and is buried elsewhere.

This was on the back of W. M. Keene's stone:

WHERE IS HARBOR ISLAND?

Harbor Island is an island just off Phippsburg, Maine. There is another Harbor Island up the coast a ways in Downeast, Maine right off Bucks Harbor.  It is a small, heavily wooded, heart-shaped island that, after a few sales within the last few years, was finally purchased by a Land Trust. This island is too far up from Waldoboro, (where I am assuming Keene is from... and more than likely where he sailed from ). The coast along Phippsburg really isn't that far down from Waldoboro. It would be realistic to assume this is the island he was lost off.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Harbor+Island/@43.7689705,-69.8881115,14z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x4cad77884f62c60b:0xf02cbf6008040b89!8m2!3d43.7689724!4d-69.8706019

Seems as though a man named Benjamin Darling bought Harbor Island, married and raised his family there. More than likely, the family was still living there when the schooner "Cant Comet" sailed near... somehow losing Mr. Keene.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harbor_Island,_Phippsburg,_Maine

The historical importance of Harbor Island and nearby Malaga Island is apparent.  Benjamin Darling was a freed African slave, and his wife, Sarah, who was white, raised their family there. The family grew older and started their own families and spread out among the two islands and Phippsburg, Maine. The State of Maine actually evicted all the families (Labeled them all half-breeds, and incapable of caring for themselves) and sent them all to Pineland, which was a home/school for the "Feeble minded". (They had already become wards of the State). Their homes were dismantled and the cemetery dug up, several bodies crammed into ten coffins, and moved to the grounds of the School for the Feeble-Minded. This was obviously a very disgraceful act from the State of Maine and the towns nearby. More information about this is found at the Maine State Museum site:

http://www.mainestatemuseum.org/exhibits/malaga_island_fragmented_lives_-_educational_materials/explore_malaga_island/the_history/

Bear Island or Harbor Island and on the right is Malaga Island.
Photo- Maine State Museum, Augusta, ME, Malaga Island History

Descendents of Benjamin Darling who raised his family on Harbor Island.
This family is on Malaga island. Photo- Maine State Museum, Augusta, Maine
Malaga Island History

Information about Maine Eugenics Program that used to be in place at Pineland and other similar institutions:

https://www.uvm.edu/~lkaelber/eugenics/ME/ME.html

A little about Pineland:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pineland_Farms