Bear of the Sea: Giant Jim Pattillo and the Roaring Years of the Gloucester-Nova Scotia Fishery

Richard Wilbur is the author of The Rise of French New Brunswick and
H.H. Stevens, 1878–1973, and the coauthor of Silver Harvest: The Fundy
Weirmen’s Story.

Bear of the Sea was first published in 1966, in the United States, under
the title That Great Pattillo: The Merry Misdemeanors of a Legendary
Gloucester Fisherman. It is still a great read, thanks to the author’s
breezy style and wide knowledge of navigation and geography in general
and sailing and fishing in the 19th century in particular. Garland also
made excellent use of Pattillo’s account of his many exploits, related
to “a talented interviewer” in the final years of his long life.

The first seven chapters deal with Pattillo’s early years in Chester,
Nova Scotia, learning the twin arts of sailing and fishing while
drinking and brawling all the way. The other 23 chapters detail his
exploits after a run-in with Nova Scotia authorities forced him to flee
to Gloucester, Massachusetts, where he took the pledge and quickly
gained a reputation as one of the most productive fishing captains of
his day.

Perhaps the one weakness of this rollicking tale is the impression
Garland conveys that Jimmy Pattillo was the ultimate hero who always
finished on top (even though he continued to get into one scrape after
another). Pattillo was less fortunate in his domestic affairs: he had to
commit his Nova Scotian wife, Anne, to an insane asylum; six of his ten
grandchildren did not reach maturity, although he remarried and enjoyed
the company of the other four.

Garland provides intriguing details of how fishing was conducted in the
age of sail. His fascinating, and highly recommended, book includes
historical sketches and early photographs of fishing ports.