Identification & Site Information
•Vessel Name: William IV
•Year of Build: 1831
•Built At: Gananoque, Ontario
•Vessel Type: Steamer (with four smokestacks)
•Hull Material: Wood
•Number of Decks: 2
•Builder: James Wood
•Original Owner: John MacDonald and associates, Gananoque, Ontario
Power
•Propulsion: Sidewheel
•Engine Type: Vertical Beam (Walking Beam)
•Number of Cylinders: 1
•Propulsion Notes: Powered by a 200 horsepower engine (55 x 96 inches) built by Bennett & Henderson Foundry in Kingston. The ship was equipped with 26-foot paddle wheels. The machinery was later transferred to the William (1860).
Hull Dimensions
•Length: 140 feet
•Beam: 25 feet
•Depth: 10 feet
•Tonnage (Old Style): 450 tons
History & Final Disposition
The William IV was launched on October 29, 1832, and was patterned after Hudson River steamers. It operated between Prescott, Ontario, and ports along Quinte and later serviced Toronto.
In 1838, during the Patriot War, the William IV was chartered by the Canadian government to serve as a gunboat. It participated in dispersing a band of Patriots near Prescott in the Battle of the Windmill, alongside the vessels Cobourne and Experiment.
In 1840, the steamer was beached near Prince Edward during a gale, but it was recovered and repaired. By 1845, the vessel had come under the ownership of Calvin & Breck and was converted into a tugboat at Garden Island. It was used for log rafting, towing barges, and hauling freight along the St. Lawrence River, the Rideau Canal, and the Bay of Quinte.
In 1858, after many years of service, the William IV was retired. It was replaced by the William (1860), which was built on the bottom of the J.W. Brook and received the machinery from the William IV.
Final Disposition
•Date: 1858
•How: Retired from service and replaced by the William in 1860.
Conclusion
The William IV was a pioneering steamer on the Great Lakes, particularly notable for its involvement in the Patriot War as a gunboat and its long service in towing and freight operations. Its conversion to a tugboat by Calvin & Breck reflects the adaptive reuse of vessels in the 19th century, especially on the busy waterways of the St. Lawrence and surrounding regions.
