Bucknam was born in
Halls Harbour, Nova Scotia, on June 7, 1869, to Isabella Roscoe and Ezra Taylor Bucknam. He lived there until his parents both died when he was eight. He then moved with his paternal grandparents to
Eatonville, Nova Scotia. He moved to the United States and married Rose Thayer on January 2, 1904, in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He joined the
Turkish Navy in 1905. He most notably blockaded
Tripolitania to Italian soldiers during the
Italo-Turkish War. He retired from Turkish service when he was asked to renounce his United States citizenship in 1911. He then became involved in the
oil business. He died from heart failure in
Istanbul on May 27, 1915, after several weeks of severe illness. ==Memberships==