James “Jimmy” Minors was born on June 17th 1881 in St. David’s and died on May 2 1946. He was the great-grandson of Jacob Minors, a very famous St. David’s Pilot and a descendant of the Pequot tribe. His mother Florence Elizabeth born July 17, 1864 and had Jimmy when she was only 16 rumour has it that he was born in a cave. A Mr Hayward found them and took Jimmy in and taught him the shipwright business.
Jimmy built and owned a boat slip in 1912 near Cashew city in St. Davids, it was one of the oldest private boat yards in Bermuda and closed in the 1970s. During the early 1900s he designed, built and launched boats from his slip, and in 1934 he built the vessel “Seahorse”, the service boat for the boys on Nonsuch Island. He also serviced US Army boat J- 3787 which took officers and personnel to and from St. George’s and out for fishing trips. After his death in 1946 his son Thurston Minors took over the slip and on February 18th, 1951 the slip and warehouse burnt down but was rebuilt 3 and a half years later. The new warehouse was able to make boats ranging from 20 feet to 40 feet in length.
Jimmy was a highly respected shipwright who mentored many prominent St. David’s islanders including his sons and other well-known fishermen and boatsmen. As boats moved from sails, and schooners to vessels with large engines he was able to adapt to the changes. He married Lottie Minors, nee Lamb, and had six sons, five daughters all who were born and grew up on St. Davids Island.
The now Thurston Minors’ slip in a 1954 Royal Gazette article
Jimmy Minor’s wife and grandson, Lottie and Arthur “Cracker” Minors pictured outside their homestead in St. David’s 1945-1946