Lake Smuggling 100 Years Ago: Schooner Days MIII (1003)

by C. H. J. Snider

Old Yonge Street Slip

CHIEF JUSTICE the Hon. William H. Draper, aide-de-camp to Sir Francis Bond Head in the Mackenzie rebellion, 1837, and Attorney General of Upper Canada later in the Sydenham government, died full of years and honors as the phrase goes "at Yorkville, near Toronto," in 1877. He was nicknamed "Sweet William," not from nautical associations with the ballad of Black Eyed Susan, but from his particularly persuasive eloquence.

He had, however, some marine interests in his capacity as attorney general, having to pursue some with a sharp stick in connection with smuggling prosecutions. At Toronto, March 14 he wrote "to the Honble. Inspector General":

"I have the honor to request that you will inform me whether in the cases undermentioned you have received the proper returns from the respective collectors on writs issued by my predecessor, viz:

HE HAD A LITTLE LIST

Collector of Port Hope on writ to sell the schooner MARGARET, seized in 1837.

Collector of Belleville on writ to sell the schooner CATHLINE or CATHLEIN, seized in 1837, and on a writ to sell the schooner John of Belleville, seized in 1838.

Collector of Presquisle on writ to sell two wagons, four horses and two double sets of harness, which strange to say, appear only to have produced £7-15-6. This seizure was made in 1839."

Three or rather four schooners, two wagons, four horses and their double harness had been "condemned" in the smuggling trade, and all Sweet William could find for the province out of this activity was about $35. Upper Canada at this time controlled its own customs and harbors.

The fourth schooner came in with another letter to the Collector of Customs of the Port of Belleville:

"I have the honor to request that you will inform me whether anything final has been, done so far as you are aware with respect to the seizure of the schooner RED ROVER for smuggling Tea, and if not whether you will be prepared to go on at the next Assizes with proof of the case. I have, etc., etc., etc. Signed, W. H. DRAPER."

Sweet William was also far from dulcet regarding following up the bonds given by collectors at different ports. Proceedings had been taken against a collector of customs on his bond, and the attorney general recorded acidly that he had "a minute that they were stayed in May or June last by an authority from the secretary's office, but no minutes of the authority or letter on the subject was then left."

Proceedings had been instituted against the collector for the Port of Turkey Point on Lake Erie in December, 1838, and in March, 1840, the attorney general was demanding of the Honble. Inspector General what was the amount claimed, and whether an arrangement had been effected by the collector or either of his securities.

THE RED ROVER

Of the four schooners mentioned the only one with which we have any association of ideas is the Red Rover, and this is very slight. The name used to appear on the wall of the old warehouse built of ballast limestone and beach stone in Oakville, as one of the regular customers of that port. It was coming into prominence at the period mentioned, through the energetic efforts of Col. Chisholm whom the Indians called White Oak. Another Red Rover hailed from the Bay of Quinte. She was of 67 tons, built by A. L. Hosselton at Bath in 1856; too young to have been smuggling tea in 1839; but she might be the one whose name adorned the warehouse wall.

We have already spoken of the schooner. Plough Boy and sloop Martin Van Buren, sold in Toronto for smuggling in 1837. The schooner Christina was also seized.

These facts are mentioned to show that the smugglers of old Yonge street wharf were not sinners above other sinners, and did not lack for company.

WHITE WINGS, 1901, DIDN'T