User:King1411/sandbox

A full history of Captain Nicholas Simpkins of Massachusetts hasn’t been written Boston South Battery to my knowledge. Below is a collection of note that I’ve gathered about him over the past 30 years.

1632: A battery was constructed at Fort Hill, the southern most portion of the Boston peninsula as an advance line of defense in case of attack.

1634 Now an established community, Boston sought defenses further out in the harbor, on one of the numerous islands which protected the port; shipping being the only means of receiving supplies and communications from England. Hull was the first site inspected but the cold sea breeze proved too much for Governor Winthrop and his counselors and this idea was abandoned. In July of this year twenty men, including Governor Thomas Dudley and his council, visited Castle Island and decided it would be perfect site for a fortress. Each man present subscribed 5 pounds for the fortification and elected Deputy Governor Roger Ludlow of Dorchester, to supervise construction. After two platforms and a small earthwork were constructed on the northeast side of the island, the General Court resolved that the fort at Castle Island be fully perfected, before any other fortification was begun.

1635 Three cannon, one of which belonged to Deputy Governor Bilingham, were carried down on lighters and installed at the Castle and the garrison, made up of two men weekly from each of the six towns to be paid from the treasury of the colony, fired these at incoming vessels until the ship recognized the fortification by raising her flag. Thomas Beecher (ancestor of Henry Ward Beecher) who had come over as master of the "Talbot" was one of the Castle officers at this time. Nicholas Simpkins was the first commander (followed by Lt Edward Gibbons).