History #
The propeller wood bulk freighter “rabbit” named ABERDEEN was built in 1894 by J. Tait in Picton, Ontario. It had dimensions of 100 feet in length, 22 feet in width, and 9 feet in depth, with a gross tonnage of 142. The vessel had no other known names or official numbers.
Tragically, the ABERDEEN was lost on March 11, 1918, in Picton, Ontario, in the Bay of Quinte on Lake Ontario. The cause of the loss was a fire. Thankfully, no lives were lost in the incident. At the time of the loss, the vessel was not carrying any cargo.
The ABERDEEN met its demise in the harbor while in winter quarters at the “Ways” of the Hepburn Shipyard. The Hepburn Shipyard was part of the large Hepburn Fleet. It is worth noting that there are records indicating an alternative year of loss as 1917.
In terms of ownership, Bernard R. and James D. Hepburn of Picton, Ontario, were the owners of the ABERDEEN as of March 3, 1905. However, by April 7, 1905, ownership had transferred to the Ontario & Quebec Navigation Co. Ltd., also based in Picton. In April, the ABERDEEN was towed by the vessel ROB ROY. On April 28, 1916, ownership changed hands again, this time to Canada Steamship Lines Ltd., located in Montreal. Finally, on November 4, 1920, the vessel’s registry was closed.
