Shubael Peck (1815-1837)

There's not much to say about dear old Shubael because he died so young. About the only information I could dig up was the spectacular way he died quite frankly. There are a few mysteries though. 

Shubael P. Peck was born in Berlin, CT on 10 April 1815 (1) There are several errors in this book and this is the only place that I have seen his date of birth besides FindAGrave (which was probably taken from here). I also could not find out what his middle name was but I'm guessing Pattison after his mother's maiden name.

What's suspect about the FindAGrave info is his title, Major, (which I will take up further down) and the place of birth. It says he was born in Liverpool but we know that only the two youngest children of Elisha and Chloe Peck were born in England as they did not go to Liverpool until 1821.

When he was two years old, his sister Harriet was born. She would later die when Shubael was 18. 

In 1821, when he was six years old the family moved to Liverpool, England and stayed until 1930. They returned on the ship Sampson when he was 15. During this time period the family came back for visit but Shubael was not with them. Possibly because he was at boarding school.

I do not know if he went to university, he was 22 when he died and in business with his father so possible not. 

Now, about the military title mystery. In one article he is listed as a Major and another article a Captain. He's too young to be in the War of 1812 and way too young to be a Major, Captain yes. The clue is the man who died with him in the explosion, Henry Beecher. He was described as the manager of the chemical works and a lieutenant in the Warren Greys. I did some digging and found an article in the New York Military Magazine (2) So it looks like he was in a local militia. So he could have been a Major if the militia was raised by his family. (It's like Col. Sander's wasn't a real colonel, the local militia gave him that honorary title.)   

On May 26, 1837 the steam boat he built blew up. Shubeal, his brother John J. Peek, Henry Beecher and an Amos Briggs were on board. Shubeal and Beecher were killed and his brother John was badly injured. Only Amos was unscathed. 

Shubeal is buried in the family vault  at New York Marble Cemetery, Vault 33, Manhattan, NY. There is no inscription, the only name on the vault is his father's. 

(1) Genealogical and Family History of Southern New York and the Hudson River Valley: A Record of the Achievements of Her People in the Making of a Commonwealth and the Building of a Nation .... (1913). United States: Lewis Historical Publishing Company.

(2) New York Military Magazine: Devoted to the Interests of the Militia Throughout the Union. (1841). United States: Labree and Stockton..