The Jessup Bateau

Photos by Fraser Carr

An Important Craft for Loyalists

A small boat proved to be vital to the settlement of Loyalists in the St. Lawrence region and also provided major support for the newcomers as they attempted to carve out an existence in the wilderness. 

Called a bateau, the French word for boat, the small, flat-bottomed craft were between 30 and 40 feet in length and from five to eight feet wide at the centre with nearly perpendicular sides.

The bow and stem, which came to a sharp point, were each about a foot higher than the rest of the boat. A long oar, or sweep, was used instead of a rudder. A sail with about 15 feet of hoist was used on open water when the winds were favourable but oars were a necessity if there were strong currents. Nine-foot setting poles were used instead of the oars in shallow stretches. 

Ordinarily, the sides of the bateau were made of white oak and the sides of fir.  Drawing only about 20 inches of water when fully loaded, the boat was reasonably efficient in shallow water and rapids, being almost impossible to capsize. Normally there were four or more benches across the boat for oarsmen and their passengers.

Loyalists preparing to travel up the St. Lawrence gathered just above the Lachine rapids about eight miles west of Montreal. The bateaux used on the St. Lawrence were built at this location.

Four or five families and as many as 25 barrels of cargo were loaded on each bateau. Four oarsmen and one steersman made up the crew. A brigade of 12 boats embarked on the journey up the river.

 Rapids presented the greatest challenge for the bateau.  Adiel Sherwood, Sheriff of the District of Johnstown (later the Brockville region) described how the rapids were mastered:

When a rapid was ascended, part of the boats were left at the foot in charge of one man, the remaining boats being double manned and drawn up by means of a rope fastened to the bow, leaving four men in the boat, with setting poles to assist. The men at the end of the rope walked along the bank, but were frequently compelled to wade in the current, upon the jagged rocks. On reaching the head of the rapid, one man was left in charge. and the boatmen returned for the balance of the brigade.

On some occasions, the cargo had to be unloaded and portaged. When the brigade of boats was safely through the rapids, the crews and passengers resumed their places. The cargo was reloaded and the journey resumed through smoother waters.

The bateau continued to be the major source of transportation between Montreal and Kingston long after the Loyalists had established their settlements. As the need increased and canals improved, bateaux increased in size in the growing demand for transportation. 

The first generation of Loyalists on the upper St. Lawrence and the Bay of Quinte depended almost exclusively on bateaux to deliver supplies to them.

Launching of the Jessup

As part of the Leeds and Grenville Community History Project, sponsored by the federal government's Youth Services Canada agency, two 18th century-styled river bateaux were constructed by students using traditional boat-building techniques and tools. The Col. Edward Jessup Branch gave a small grant towards this project and the executive was pleasantly surprised when they learned one of the bateaux was named Jessup after Col. Edward Jessup.

The smaller of the two bateaux, the Jessup is styled after the type used for transportation. The other bateau, the Wolfe, is larger and resembles those boats used by the British military in time of conflict and is equipped with a small canon on its bow.

Three members of the Jessup executive, President Fraser Carr, Past President Roy Lewis and Don Clunas witnessed the official launch of the bateaux at Mallorytown Landing in June, complete with a canon salute from the shore and rum poured across the bows of the craft in a traditional Royal Navy christening ceremony.

Since then, the boats which are managed by the Thousand Islands River Heritage Society, have been featured at regional functions and were even props used in an historical television show currently under production.

The bateau, the French word for boat, were an essential aid in the settlement of the Loyalists along the St. Lawrence River. The small, stout, flat-bottomed craft measuring between 30 and 40 feet in length, were able to negotiate the St. Lawrence River rapids. Thousands of Loyalists were transported upriver from Montreal on the bateaux and the first generation of Loyalists on the upper St. Lawrence and the Bay of Quinte depended almost exclusively on bateaux to deliver supplies to them.

Article by Roy Lewis, Editor of "Jessup's Jottings"

The Leeds and Grenville Community History Project

This was a Youth Canada project led by Peter Ferri.  The building site was at Mallorytown Landing Parks Canada Complex.  Two boats were built, the Jessup Bateau and the Wolfe Bateau.

The British military Mohawk River Bateaux, theWolfe, measuring 32' long with a beam or width of 6'  were larger lake boats with a more rounded bow and sides.  They were armed with a small cannon on its bow.  The Wolfe would have been used for both military and civilian transportation on Lake Champlain and the upper St. Lawrence River.  It has the capacity to transport a family of up to 13 along with their household goods.

  The French Bateaux, the Jessup was smaller and had straight ribs with a flared bow and stern.  This bateau was named after a prominent Loyalist settler, Edward Jessup, who founded the community of Prescott, east of Brockville in 1810.

Photos by Fraser Carr

Click on the thumbnail prints.