History #
The WILLIAM BREWSTER was a two-masted wooden schooner built in 1838 at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. It had dimensions of approximately 61 feet in length, 18 feet in beam, and 7 feet in depth. The vessel had a tonnage of 73 tons.
On the night of November 12-13, 1852, the William Brewster fell victim to a storm on Lake Erie near Fairport, Ohio. The schooner, bound from Long Point in Ontario to Cleveland, capsized and drifted ashore. The exact number of individuals on board is uncertain, with reports indicating a crew of 4 to 6 members and 3 to 5 passengers who were part of the crew of the schooner Buffalo. The Buffalo had previously wrecked on Long Point on November 7. Sadly, all those on board the William Brewster, estimated to be between 7 and 11 individuals, including the crew and passengers from the Buffalo, perished in the incident.
It is unclear what cargo the William Brewster was carrying at the time of the loss, and the ownership of the vessel is attributed to S.S. Francisco, possibly based in Cleveland. The schooner was constructed with timbers cut at Euclid, Ohio, and assembled on Lake Superior. In its early years, the William Brewster was homeported in Mackinac, Michigan, after traveling down the rapids of the St. Mary’s River to Lake Huron.
Prior to its final loss, the William Brewster experienced several incidents. It ran aground at Point Burwell, Ontario, on April 8, 1851, and was also reported wrecked near Port Dover, Canada West (now Ontario), on April 6, 1851. These incidents resulted in the vessel being declared a total loss.
Please note that the available information is limited, and some details may be incomplete or subject to variations in different sources.
