Dorwin's Letters

Jedediah Hubbell Dorwin Replies

In the summer of 1881, Jedediah Hubbell Dorwin's article about Montreal in 1816 stirred a great deal of interest. The Star sold out and a second printing had to be ordered. Many marvelled at the old man's incredible memory, but it was aided by his extensive journal which he had been keeping for 60 years and to which he often referred. Some wrote letters to the editor of The Star and two of them are reprinted below, along with Dorwin's testy reply.

Mr. Dorwin's Reminiscences.

To the Editor of The Star:
Sir:-- Mr. Dorwin states in his interesting narrative of Old Montreal, that a Bible society was formed at a meeting held in he Mansion House Hotel, August 18th, 1820. I do not know if this refers to the Montreal Bible Society or not, but it is a tradition in my family that the first meeting in connection with the Montreal Bible Society was held in my father's house, and that he had taken an active part in the organization of the Society. A friend has confirmed this by placing in my hands a notice copied from a newspaper of the period which I enclose for publication.
Yours,
H. Lyman
Notice.--Those who are willing to support a Bible society on the principles of the British and Foreign Bible Society are respectfully requested to meet at the house of Mr. Lyman, McGill street, on Tuesday, 1st of July next, at 11 o'clock forenoon, to appoint a committee and attend to other business that may be necessary to form such a Society in Montreal.

The First Steamboat.

Sir,-- Mr. Dorwin states in "Montreal in 1816." that "Fulton launched the first steamboat in the world on the Hudson in 1807." A short time ago I saw a statement to the same effect in one of our city papers in a letter by a rather eminent machinist and worthy citizen of Montreal, he also having American proclivities.
In 1736 Jonathan Hulls took out a patent in England for a steamboat, which was the first attempt (with any success) to apply steam for the purpose of navigation. Again in 1787 Messrs. Furnace & Ashton built a steamer which plied upon the river between Hull and Beverly, and was afterwards sold to the Prince of Wales who had it fitted up as a pleasure boat. In 1788 James Taylor launched a steamboat on Dalswinton Loch in Scotland, and the British Government gave his widow a pension on account of her husband being the first to "practically and successfully: apply steam to the propulsion of vessels.
In 1801-1802 Mr. Symington built in Scotland (I think on the Clyde) a steamboat called the "Charlotte Dundas" and at that time it was said this was the first successful attempt to apply steam to vessels. Fulton was originally a portrait painter and worked as such under West in England, he quite that occupation and was employed by the Duke of Bridgewater (himself a rather successful experimentalist in mechanics and engineering) as a kind of civil engineer, all that he knew about steam or steamboats he learned in England ; hearing of Symington's success, Fulton went up to Scotland to see the boat and how she worked, gleaning all the information he could went to {Paris, and under the patronage of the American Minister he built his first steamer in 1803., four years pervious to the one (the "Clairmont") on the Hudson. It may be argued that the previous steamers were not a success, as compared with the "Clairmont;" going into comparisons, the Cunard Co., the Messrs. Allan or the Richelieu Co. probably think the "Clairmont:" far from a success as compared to their vessels; but that is not the point. For reliable information on this matter get the ""Concise ?History of the Origin of Steam Navigation," by Robert Chambers, published in 1842.
Montreal.
26 July 1881

Montreal in 1816

To the Editor of The Star:
     Sir,--Will you please allow me to reply to one of your correspondents on Montreal in 1816, which I think it necessary to do. I should not have taken any notice of this correspondent "Montreal's" long and rambling yarn on steamboats, which I read many years ago, had he not made insinuations on "American proclivities," which no gentleman would have done, and, for his digestion, he can read the following paragraph which I clipped from a Scotch paper some time since: "The oldest steamboat in the world has been presented by her owners to the Glasgow Chamber of Commerce. She is named the 'Industry,' is sixty-four tons register, and was launched from the building yard of Messrs. John and William Fife, of Fairlie, on the Clyde, in 1814." Now does this agree with "Montreal's" rambling tale?
     In regard to the question of establishing the Montreal Auxiliary Bible Society, the following is what I have of record:-- MONTREAL AUXILIARY BIBLE SOCIETY      Under the Patronage of His Excellency Earl 'Dalhousie, Governor General, &c. &c.
     On Monday evening, August 28, 1820, a meeting was held in the Mansion House Hotel for the purpose of establishing a Bible Society as an Auxiliary to the British and Foreign Bible Society, when a number of resolutions were entered into, and the following gentlemen were elected officers for the ensuing year, viz.: T. Porteous, Esq., President; Horatio Gates, Esq., Thomas Torrance, Esq., Mr. Samuel Hedge, and Mr. R. Taite, Vice-Presidents; Charles Bancroft, Esq., Treasurer; Rev. Messrs. Esson, Easton, McAulay, and Hick, Secretaries ; and the following Committee : Messrs. Lunn, Try, Flemming, J. Frothingham, A. White, Christie, M.P., Mower, Bain, M.P., J.A. Dwight, Savage, Smith, E. Lyman, C. Taite, W. Hedge, A Reid, Rea, D. Cameron, Warwick, A. Stanley and Fessenden.
     Seeing then that an institution is established for the purpose of which is to aid in the distribution of Bibles and Testaments without note and comment, it is hoped that a generous and enlightened public will under the conviction of its vast importance afford it that support which the nobleness of the object demands.
     "Subscriptions are received at the Montreal Bank, at the Bank of Canada, also by C. Bancroft, the Treasurer, and by the members of the Committee."
Yours truly,
J.H. Dorwin
26 July 1881

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