History #
The schooner Robert Bruce, believed to have been built before 1835, met its tragic end on November 11, 1835, in a violent storm on Lake Ontario. The vessel, constructed as a schooner and made of wood, foundered in the treacherous conditions. It was bound for Hallowell, Ontario, from Kingston, Ontario. Unfortunately, the shipwreck occurred off Henderson Point, resulting in the loss of all on board.
The Robert Bruce was owned in Henderson, New York, and its precise construction details and ownership history before 1835 are not available. After the vessel sank, the wreck drifted ashore later in the month. The Oswego Palladium reported that the ship carried a crew consisting of Benjamin Chandler, Daniel Johnson, Albert Dye, and another individual, as well as a passenger named Elias Everett from Watertown. All of them perished in the shipwreck.
In the aftermath of the tragedy, some items from the wreck were recovered. Mr. Everett’s coat and wallet, which contained $719 in currency and valuable papers, were found in the cabin when the wreck washed ashore at Henderson Point. The loss of the Robert Bruce, along with the British vessel Margaret and Ann, which also perished in the same storm, was a grim reminder of the dangers faced by mariners on Lake Ontario during that era.
