SIR ROBERT PEEL

Site Description

The steamboat named Sir Robert Peel was constructed by William Parkins in Brockville and was launched on May 5, 1837. It featured engine cylinders with a bore of 32 inches and a stroke of 10 inches, built by Ward Bros. in Montreal. The vessel was specifically designed for navigating rapids, characterized by its remarkable length and narrow beam. With a draft of only 4 feet, it offered 75 berths and a 68-foot dining cabin.

Originally intended for use on the Prescott-Coteau route when the canal opened, the steamboat ended up running as an opposition boat on the Prescott-Oswego-Cobourg-Toronto route. On May 16, 1838, while engaged in a race with the “Great Britain” near Oswego, the Sir Robert Peel caught fire, although the damage was not severe. Unfortunately, the vessel met its ultimate demise on May 29, 1838, when it was deliberately set ablaze by rebels near Wellsley Island, close to French Creek in New York.

Today, the wreck of the Sir Robert Peel rests at a depth of 125 feet, with its boilers located at a depth of 70 feet. Despite being over 171 years old, it remains one of the oldest identifiable shipwrecks in the Thousand Islands region. Only the wooden structure below the waterline remains intact. The site is challenging to access due to its depth and strong currents, and it is situated beneath the shipping channel.

Several historical articles provide insights into the construction and launch of the steamboat. The Brockville Recorder reported on June 24, 1836, that the vessel, constructed by Jonas Jones and others, would be named after the renowned Tory Baronet, Sir Robert Peel. A letter to the editor published on April 27, 1837, recounted an incident where a man was fired for refusing to swear allegiance to Jonas Jones during an election. On May 11, 1837, the steamboat was successfully launched, drawing a large crowd of spectators. Additionally, news of the Sir Robert Peel’s loss reached Kingston, Ontario, with the passengers being transported by the steamboat ONEIDA.

During this period, there were other steamboat-related incidents reported. One such case involved the steamboat Telegraph, which was fired upon in Brockville. The Rochester Democrat provided details of the incident, describing how the boat was surrounded by an unruly mob that ransacked the cabins and fired muskets, endangering the lives of those on board. The article questioned whether the men who fired the guns were part of the public authorities’ guard. The incident heightened tensions between the United States and Canada, with concerns that such outrages could lead to war if not addressed.

In another article from the Buffalo Commercial Advertiser on June 5, 1838, it was reported that eight individuals responsible for destroying the Sir Robert Peel had been arrested, with only one being American. The incident caused intense excitement on the Canadian side, leading to heightened security measures on the TRANSIT steamboat route from Toronto to Lewiston.

These historical accounts shed light on the construction, launch, and unfortunate fate of the Sir Robert Peel steamboat, as well as the turbulent times in which it operated, marked by rivalries, rebellions, and international tensions.

Rick Neilson, Jan. 13, 1985 for the S. O. S. Newsletter

In the fall of 1983 several P. O. W. (Protect Our Wrecks) members were looking for new shore dive sites to explore after the boats were taken out of the water. The PEEL was one of these sites. With information from a veteran American diver and several local people on Wellesley Island, we decided that we had the location narrowed down enough to start actual diving.

The dive site is a bit unusual. Because it is the main channel of the St. Lawrence Seaway and very narrow, freighters are apt to be going over your head at any time and there is a lot of pleasure craft traffic. The current is also very strong in the spring and summer but drops noticeably in the fall. The late fall is thus the best time to dive when the current is weaker, boat traffic is almost non-existent and the visibility is much better.

The bottom drops off at about a 60-degree angle until it starts to level out at 120 feet. A little further out it plunges to 250 feet. Two trips were made in the fall of 1983 during which we found some machinery and burnt timbers. This fall (1984) we found the remains of what we believe is the PEEL, a long wooden hull, definitely burnt, with the sides sticking up 8 feet in places. The decks are completely gone, inside the hull are broken dishes, large diameter pipes, and an area of bricks which is presumably the bed for the boilers. The bow is sitting in about 135 feet of water and is burnt down to the hawse pipe fittings, there is also a remnant of bowsprit left.      

The P. O. W, divers involved to date are Peter Blood; Toni Towle; Phil Ibbatson; Paul Conley; Ralph Volkert, and Rick Neilson. In the future we hope to get more information on the condition of the wreck when it was first found, possible track down some of the artifacts (removed years ago) for the Marine Museum of the Great Lakes at Kingston and to take still photos and videotape of the hull for the Marine Museum.

Pirate Bill Johnson

Pirate Bill Johnston was a grocer in Kingston but during the war of 1812 he was courting an American girl. The British accused him of spying so he became a U.S. sympathizer and guided their ships through the islands.  During the Patriot War, he burned the Sir Robert Peel, a boat from Brockville and plundered the valuables.  He withdrew to his stronghold on Fort Wallace Island.  In 1838 at the bloody battle of the Windmill, east of Prescott, Bill Johnson escaped but later was tried by the Americans who didn’t want to be seen to be involved with the ‘patriots’.  He gave himself up rather than starve on an island in winter. He spent a year in Albany jail then he served his sentence in an unlocked cell in Clayton, a folk hero in his own time.  Later he was lighthouse keeper on Rock Island off the south shore of Wellesley Island, New York.