John Hussey

London Bridges Thames 1840 - Scarrow of Cumberland

John Hussey first shipped when he was around 18 years old. John was born in London and joined the British Navy, serving 5 years on ships. John would then spend 32 years on merchant ships and 1 year in the US Navy.

The last ship that John Hussy would work on before entering Snug Harbor was the Ship London. This was possibly the immigrant ship that sailed between London and New York in the 1850s.  J. R. Hurlbut was Master of the Ship London, and the ship took passangers who hailed from Ireland and Germany. It also had Americans onboard (Ship London). While serving on the London, John would fall from the upper top sail yard, developing paralysis. He would enter Sailors Snug Harbor on August 26, 1858.

Immigrants on the Packet Ship Centurion - Irish John Smith.

After recovering from his paralysis, John Hussy left Snug Harbor in 1862 and joined the US Navy, serving on the USS Roanoke. The Roanoke was originally a Screw Frigate. In 1862, it tried to engage the Merrimack, but its draft was too large, and it could not enter near the Merrimack in Hampton Roads Harbor. Instead, the Roanoke would take 268 men from the Congress and Cumberland that the Merrimack sank, arriving in New York on March 25, 1862. The Roanoke would then be decommissioned and converted to an ironclad. The New Roanoke proved to be unstable and ended up doing blockade duty for the rest of the war (Roanoke II). After one year, John Hussy left the Navy and went to work at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, where he remained for three years before returning to the Harbor. John, although a bachelor, had family in Brooklyn; he mentions a sister at 253 Pearl Street, Brooklyn, which he could have stayed with while working at the Navy Yard (John Hussy Registration Page). During his time at the Navy Yard, John would see and possibly work on the new Ironclads and Side Wheelers.

USS Roanoke during service as a steam frigate. Lithograph, artist and date unknown. Courtesy of Naval History & Heritage Command #NH 45364

John Hussey would remain at Sailors Snug Harbor for a total of 12 years, dying at age 68. He is buried in Plot 1 of Sailors Snug Harbor Cemetery; see cemetery map.

John Hussey Register Page. The Sailors Snug Harbor Records. Stephen B.Luce Library of SUNY Maritime College, 1870, Published Trustees of Sailors Snug Harbor – Digital Archives Suny Maritime College, https://maritimedigitalcollections.com/Detail/objects/7415

London History and Photographs – London, Limehouse, and Poplar. The Scarrows of Cumberland, URI: http://www.cumberlandscarrow.com/london.htm. Accessed 31 July 2026.

Perry, S. (n.d.). Immigrant Ships Transcribers Guild - Vol 4 - Ship London. ISTG . https://www.immigrantships.net/v4/1800v4/london18570915.html

Quarstein, John V. “USS Roanoke: The Three-Turreted Monster.” The Mariners’ Museum and Park, 27 Mar. 2025, www.marinersmuseum.org/2020/09/uss-roanoke-the- three-turreted-monster/.

“Roanoke II (Screw Frigate).” Naval History and Heritage Command, www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/r/roanoke-ii.html. Accessed 31 July 2026.

“The Packet Ship Centurion.” Irish John Smith, irishjohnsmith.com/packetshipcenturion.html. Accessed 31 July 2026.