Port Credit to the Rescue of the City of Toronto: Schooner Days CCLXXXIV (284)

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PORT CREDIT, long the home of the stonehooker, was brought into the picture of schooner days and rebellion times by the concluding chapter of the "Cobourg Conspiracy" episode last week, which told how the schooner Guernsey loaded lumber there after landing the desperadoes who were going to burn the town of Cobourg and rob the banks in 1839.

It may be a surprise to many to learn that Port Credit, whose long dead shipping interest has only recently been revived through the enterprise of the Lloyd Oil Refineries, was a port of such importance one hundred years ago that vessels lying there were impressed or commandeered to carry volunteer troops and pork and flour for the relief of Toronto in rebellion times.

Looking over some old "Rebellion Losses" accounts (Appendix to Journal of the House of Assembly of Upper Canada, 1837-8) one learns that the Port Credit schooners Prosperity and Jane, were pressed into midwinter service and were wrecked in the process, along with the Toronto sloop Nancy — no relation to the heroine of Nottawasaga — and other craft in the flurry of the Mackenzie uprising.

The report brings in quaint references to the Garrison Wharf, which was probably the one later called the Queen's Wharf, now high and dry and the site of the Rogers-Majestic radio plant, and to "the wharf opposite the Parliament Buildings," which would perhaps be the old commissary wharf at the foot of John street, where cannonballs are sometimes excavated now. The Parliament Buildings mentioned were the second series, on Front street between Simcoe and John; the first, burned by the Americans, were at the foot of Parliament street. There was also a wharf near the old Garrison Creek mouth, called Czowski's Wharf, and this may have been the Garrison Wharf mentioned in these extracts from the report. McDonald's Wharf and Nicholson's Wharf, also mentioned, were probably somewhat east of the. Commissary Wharf, on the old waterfront, and are now covered by the viaduct:

"3rd.—It appears that the sloop Nancy, owned by "Messrs" Powell, Cairnes and Bailey, was safely moored at Nicholson's Wharf, in Toronto, and at the time of the rebellion she was loosed from her mooring, and fastened at McDonald's Wharf, by direction of the authorities, to prevent any rebels escaping in her and in consequence of her not being properly secured there, and the wind blowing a gale, she was very seriously damaged against the wharf, and became nearly a total wreck. She was old, and the expense of repairing the injury done her would be £60, which sum the owners are entitled to.

"4th. It appears that the schooner Prosperity, owned by Messrs. Cleghorn and Blain, was laid up for the winter at Port Credit, but they were ordered to get her ready and convey volunteers to Toronto at the time of the insurrection, which they did accordingly. On arriving at Toronto with the volunteers, they were solicited by the commissariat to proceed to Port Dalhousie and bring a cargo of pork and flour, not exceeding 300 barrels; from thence to Toronto for Her Majesty's service, for which however, they, were to receive £23 15s, a sum much higher than the usual rate.

"They left Toronto for the above purpose, but were driven back, and were unable to reach Port Dalhousie. They arrived in the harbor of Toronto on the 9th December last, and anchored inside the Garrison Wharf, about 10 o'clock at night. The wind shifted during the night and she dragged her anchor and has sustained damage to the extent of £150, as several witnesses testify. The committee respectfully submit for the consideration of your Honorable House, whether, under the circumstances, the injury sustained by the vessel should be paid for by the Government or whether the owners should sustain the loss. She was a good vessel and worth £300 and can be repaired for £150.

"5th.—It appears the schooner Jane, owned by Messrs. Thomas Collins & Michael McNeeson, was pressed at Port Credit to bring volunteers to Toronto, and during the voyage encountered a gale of wind and was driven to the peninsula opposite the city of Toronto, where the volunteers were landed. The next morning she was brought to the wharf opposite the Parliament Buildings and fastened, but in the night the wind blew a gale and her bottom was stove in, and she was otherwise injured. The damage amounts, according to the evidence of two ship carpenters, £23, which the owners seem entitled to.

"6th.—It appeals that Thomas Collins was the proprietor of a fishing-net and and boat to fish in, and they were in the schooner Jane, at the time she encountered the gale, as mentioned already, and the net was frozen in the schooner, and was so injured as to be almost useless; the small boat was also lost.

"The damage done to the net and the loss of the small boat, will subject the owners to a loss of £12 10s., besides being thrown out of his employment as a fisherman during the time. The net was originally worth £25, and was in good order. You»r committee recommend that £12 10s should be allowed the said Thomas Collins fpr the injury to his net and the loss of his boat."

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"THAR SHE BLOWS!"

From a vivid painting of the Steamer ROSEMOUNT bucking a Lake Superior gale in the late '90's, towards the end of the schooner era. The Rosemount, built at Newcastle-on-Tyne in 1896, was a 245-ft. steel propeller of 1,580 tons, owned by the Montreal Transportation Co. She is still in commission under the name AUBE.