Abram Kean Jr.
| Abram Kean | |
|---|---|
| Born |
July 8, 1855 Flowers Island, Newfoundland |
| Died | May 18, 1945 (aged 89) St. John's, Newfoundland |
| Nationality | Newfoundlander |
| Occupation | Sealing captain, politician |
| Known for | Sealing, Politics |
| Political party | Conservative Party of Newfoundland |
| Spouse(s) | Caroline Yetman |
| Relatives | Edgar Kean |
Capt. Abram Kean (July 8, 1855 – May 18, 1945) was a controversial sealing captain and politician from Flowers Island, Newfoundland. He was famous for his success in sealing, with capturing over a million pelts, and infamous for his role in sending 78 men to their deaths in the 1914 Newfoundland Sealing Disaster.
He embarked upon a career in the Newfoundland cod fishery at the age of 18 but quickly shifted his interests to the seal fishery in which he spent the vast majority of his marine career.
Kean was a very relevant part of The Commission of Enquiry report regarding the 1914 Sealing Disaster, which was submitted on February 27, 1915, to Hon. Justice Johnson in St. John's, Newfoundland.
In 1917, he was named skipper of the Royal Naval Reserve in St. John's by the British Emperor.
In the 1920s and 1930s, he ran in the Newfoundland general elections. Once elected he was subsequently appointed to the upper house of Newfoundland, which played a similar role as the Canadian Senate.
Abram Kean was born on July 8, 1855, in the small community of Flower’s Island in Newfoundland. Kean was the youngest son of Joseph and Jane Kean. Growing up in such a small town and community, Kean was deprived, like many children in Flower's Island, of knowing the importance of education and schooling. However, on May 1, 1863 Kean was sent to Pools Island, a town six miles (10 km) away to attend school. He was the first child in his family to be sent to school in order to get a proper education. While on Pools Island, Kean lived with his uncle with whom he developed a strong friendship. After four years of schooling, Kean returned home on May 1, 1867.
When Kean was twelve, his mother caught tuberculosis, devastating the entire family. Kean was the only literate child, so he read to her to alleviate her suffering. Kean had a close relationship with both of his parents, which intensified the impact of his mother’s sickness. Jane Kean died at 54 years of age.
After the death of his mother, Kean’s father, Joseph, retired and bestowed fishing schooners upon each of his sons. In 1871 at the age of 17, Kean met his wife Caroline Yetman who his father had hired as a housekeeper shortly after the death of his wife. Abram and Caroline were married on October 19, 1872, in Greenspond. Eleven months after their marriage, their first son, Westbury, was born. The couple had six sons and two daughters.
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