Frederick W. Robinson

Frederick W. Robinson was born in Picton, Ontario, December 3, 1872. His mother was formerly Miss Isabella Buchanan, and his father was William F. Robinson, who was drowned while on the tug Washburn, in 1892, when it was sunk in the Detroit river by the steamer City of Mackinaw. Mr. Robinson was engineer of the St. Paul, and was going ashore on the tug at the time. Frederick's uncle, T. W. Robinson, was also drowned. He was engineer of the Unique in 1895, and the bursting of her boiler threw him into the water with such force that he could do nothing to save himself, and thereby lost his life. Two girls were also born to this family, Edith and Lottie, the former of whom died in 1892.

Frederick W. Robinson removed to Detroit with his parents in 1878, and in 1890 he went on the lakes as fireman on the steamer T. S. Christie. In 1891 he became oiler on the steamer German, and in 1892 he oiled on the Majestic. During the season of 1893 he was oiler on the Fayette Brown, and in 1894 he was second engineer on the same vessel, remaining until 1896, during which time he did not sail, being laid by with rheumatism throughout the entire season, but in 1897 again took up his duties as second engineer on the steamer Fayette Brown, on which he was serving previous to his illness. During the season of 1898 he was chief engineer of the steamer T. S. Christie.

On November 12, 1896, Mr. Robinson was married to Miss Jennie Smith, daughter of William Smith, a farmer.

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Volume I

This version of Volume II is based, with permission, on the work of the great volunteers at the Marine Captains Biographies site. To them goes the credit for reorganizing the content into some coherent order. The biographies in the original volume are in essentially random order.

Some of the transcription work was also done by Brendon Baillod, who maintains an excellent guide to Great Lakes Shipwreck Research.