Your search for Sutherland, James returned 76 entries.

Sutherland, James

1  sense of relief and accomplishment among Captain James Sutherland and her other owners, the vessel was christened

2  For Captain Sutherland the launch marked the opening of a stage in his

3  by the promoter's reputation."6 What makes Sutherland's experience particularly significant is that his

4  Royal Navy. At the age of seventeen the younger James set to sea. In the next ten or eleven years he

5  About James Sutherland's first twenty-nine years there are a variety of

6  That season Sutherland had been the mate of John Hamilton's Great

7  the Traveller.10 It was on her decks that Sutherland established his reputation as a commander.

8  Council,12 and before the troubles were over Sutherland was threatened by a pistol-waving William Lyon

9  in the government's employ.11 A year later Sutherland would be in the centre of the controversy that

10  Dock Company for a new vessel, the Niagara. As Sutherland supervised her construction over the next

11  The following season, however, proved to be Sutherland's last in Hamilton's employ. The latter was

12  his abrupt departure from the Executive Council, Sutherland spent the next season in the slow and decrepit

13  of openings for an officer as experienced as James Sutherland. But since Elmsley, Bethune's partner in the

14  had been retrenching in the early 1840s, Sutherland, though among the last to go, had nevertheless

15  greater security in the terms of his employment, Sutherland began to consider emulating the careers of

16  In the twelve seasons Sutherland had been on the lakes, he had risen rapidly from

17  who dreamed of investing in their own vessels, Sutherland had not married to great advantage. Nor could

18  probably between £8,000 and £10,000,22 whereas Sutherland's annual salary, although substantial by his

19  At some point in the early 1840s, Sutherland and his young family had moved from their rented

20  steamers,26 and they quickly came to see in Sutherland the expert they needed to promote their

21  Dock Company was reached in the spring of 1845, Sutherland, acting for the other, unnamed members of a

22  Otherwise the boats would remain in the hands of Sutherland and his associates. The type of vessel

23  copy, dated May 1846, has been preserved in the Sutherland papers. It clearly set out the specifications of

24  clearly set out the specifications of the vessel Sutherland was to build. By February 15, 1847, he was to

25  pay £15,280 Halifax Currency for her. Otherwise Sutherland and his associates were to receive £6,112, or 40

26  From Sutherland's perspective, it was certainly fortunate that the

27  for subsidies had been rejected. Even as Sutherland proceeded to gather the materials for the

28  One of Sutherland's first actions in the spring of 1846 was to

29  where this had just been done with the Passport, Sutherland concluded that it would be quicker to buy the

30  the next mails. Thus it was late July before Sutherland, cooling his heels for almost two months,

31  many of the debts of those vessels against which Sutherland would be running.43

32  his commitments and he and his family be ruined, Sutherland began to accuse the Harbour and Dock Company of

33  the launch having come off successfully, Sutherland struggled to get the Magnet finished. "Would to

34  were still making money. And money was what Sutherland needed most when his ship was finally ready in

35  the business season should be past."46 And while Sutherland and his men frantically worked, the summer drew

36  later prevent her complete loss.50 Although Sutherland had been approached with a visionary scheme for

37  be extended to the open sea. For the moment Sutherland, as managing director and captain of the vessel,

38  group of entrepreneurs comprised John Hamilton, Sutherland's first employer in the Great Lakes region, and

39  both groups. Almost immediately, the attempt of Sutherland's friends in the Kingston Commissariat office to

40  Canal and was laid up for repairs.59 Moreover Sutherland had personal liability for between £2,000 and

41  subcontract part of the mail service than have Sutherland and the Magnet in constant competition. And so

42  the upper hand and drove a hard bargain. But for Sutherland, the one-year agreement was an opportunity to buy

43  in Bethune's complex bankruptcy proceedings, Sutherland and his associates must have concluded that

44  believing Bethune to have been ruined.67 Later, Sutherland would ruefully accept responsibility for urging

45  his general dislike for Bethune and his tactics, Sutherland used his superior bargaining position to assure

46  Determined not to be cut out, Sutherland abandoned thoughts of pursuing his opposition

47  late that April.71 Among those attending were James Sutherland and Edward Jackson, representing the Magnet's

48  In fact, Sutherland need not have struck his colours so quickly.

49  provided the kind of stability in the trade that Sutherland had been seeking, and he kept the Magnet within

50  preparation for the 1851 season, "compelled" as Sutherland dryly put it, by "the remonstrances of his

51  In overall command, of course, was Captain Sutherland, who as managing director was responsible to a

52  dividend for the 1851 season. He also warned Sutherland to "make hay whilst the sun shines for the

53  It was only two years later that Sutherland relinquished the command of the Magnet to work

54  The accompanying testimonial paid tribute to Sutherland's "uniformly kind and gentlemanly conduct towards

55  Why would Sutherland, at the age of forty-nine, having successfully

56  trade. Although it was widely announced that Sutherland would superintend the construction of the Canada

57  on a free pass issued by the Great Western that Sutherland was travelling in March 1857, eight months after

58  her, these plans somehow went awry. Nevertheless Sutherland retained some position of authority, for the

59  Sutherland had been in Toronto on business, probably

60  the train plunged into the ice-covered canal. Sutherland was one of almost sixty who perished in the

61  indeed was one of the principal traits of Sutherland's entrepreneurial career. It was most apparent in

62  Sutherland was a lake captain of the "old school" as it

63  them to deal with "troublesome operators". As Sutherland lamented early in the promotion of the Magnet,

64  demanded both tact and political savvy. It is to Sutherland's credit that he rose to the challenge.

65  Sutherland was also a very religious man. In all the years

66  Hamilton.91 Into Margaret's care was entrusted Sutherland's estate, valued at about £4,000 and consisting

67  any other steamer pressed into service. Despite Sutherland's original agreement with the Admiralty, a

68  his career as Toronto Harbour Commissioner. Sutherland's career represented a mid-point between success

69  Captains Henry Gildersleeve and Hugh Richardson, Sutherland wanted to do something more than sail other

70  began promoting vessels a generation before Sutherland. Their careers represent different ends of the

71  James Sutherland and the Magnet represent nearly the last

72  who dominated Toronto's rise to prominence, Sutherland's associates represent on a personal level the

73  It was this success that his associates hoped Sutherland could duplicate when they hired him to design

74  At the same time Sutherland's trials in financing the Magnet illustrate the

75  vessel. To bridge this gap a promoter like Sutherland needed help. In the twentieth century it is

76  Although her interior design was conservative, Sutherland's vessel made an essential contribution to

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This article originally appeared in Ontario History.