| Name |
John T. Corwin |
| Suffix |
< |
| Born |
1846/7 |
NY  [1, 2, 3] |
| Gender |
Male |
| Census |
1850 |
Brookhaven, Suffolk, NY [3] |
- He was living with his parents.
|
| Census |
1860 |
Bellport, Brookhaven, Suffolk, NY [2] |
- He was living with his parents.
|
| Occupation |
Bef 1913 [4] |
| market gunner -- shooting game birds commercially. |
- Bellport Bay is in the direct path of the great eastern waterfowl flyway. Geese, brant and blackduck use this route from Greenland, the maritime provinces of Canada and Newfoundland. Other Species, such as redheads, pintails, broadbill, and teal come from the interior. In the fall enormous flocks flying southward used to visit the area, alighting on the bay in great rafts. Market gunning -- shooting game birds commercially -- was the livelihood of many Brookhaven and Bellport men. In 1913 Congress passed the Migratory Bird Law, forbidding spring shooting and the shipment of waterfowl for sale. Legislation in 1918 limited to 25 the number of birds a gunner could shoot in a day, and in 1930 battery shooting was outlawed. Several Corwin family members were market gunners.
Decoys were a necessary part of the equipment for successful gunning. During the period of market gunning thousands of decoys were made, many have since become collectors items. Decoys by John T. Corwin are highly prized. John's brother Wilbur's decoys are also prized.
|
| Died |
Yes, date unknown |
| Person ID |
I7520 |
Brookhaven & South Haven Hamlets |
| Last Modified |
28 May 2009 |
_200.JPG)
1847 - Yes, date unknown