''Duke William'' was a

ship A ship is a large watercraft that travels the world's oceans and other sufficiently deep waterways, carrying cargo or passengers, or in support of specialized missions, such as defense, research, and fishing. Ships are generally distinguished ...

which served as a troop transport at the Siege of Louisbourg and as a deportation ship in the Île Saint-Jean Campaign of the

Expulsion of the Acadians The Expulsion of the Acadians, also known as the Great Upheaval, the Great Expulsion, the Great Deportation, and the Deportation of the Acadians (french: Le Grand Dérangement or ), was the forced removal, by the British, of the Acadian peo ...

during the

Seven Years' War The Seven Years' War (1756–1763) was a global conflict that involved most of the European Great Powers, and was fought primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. Other concurrent conflicts include the French and Indian War (1754 ...

. While ''Duke William'' was transporting

Acadians The Acadians (french: Acadiens , ) are an ethnic group descended from the French who settled in the New France colony of Acadia during the 17th and 18th centuries. Most Acadians live in the region of Acadia, as it is the region where the de ...

from Île Saint-Jean (

Prince Edward Island Prince Edward Island (PEI; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is the smallest province in terms of land area and population, but the most densely populated. The island has several nicknames: "Garden of the Gulf", ...

) to France, the ship sank in the

North Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe a ...

on December 13, 1758, with the loss of over 360 lives. The sinking was one of the greatest marine disasters in Canadian history.

Captain

Captain William Nichols of

Norfolk Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the Nor ...

, England, was the commander and co-owner of ''Duke William'' when it sank. Nichols survived the sinking and received international attention when his journal recounting the tragic incident was published in popular print throughout the 19th century in England and America. Several years after the sinking of ''Duke William'', Nichols also received international attention when he was taken captive by American patriots during the

American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revoluti ...

Passengers

Noel Doiron (1684 – December 13, 1758) was one of over three hundred people aboard ''Duke William'' who were deported from Île Saint-Jean (

). William Nichols described Noel as the "head prisoner" and the "father of the whole Island", a reference to Noel's place of prominence among the Acadian residents of Île Saint-Jean (

).Journal of William Nichols, "The Naval Chronicle", 1807 For his "noble resignation" and self-sacrifice aboard ''Duke William'', Noel was celebrated in popular print throughout the nineteenth century in England and America. Noel Doiron also is the namesake of the village of Noel in Hants County, Nova Scotia. Jacques Girrard was a priest who also sailed on the fatal voyage. Girrard had been the parish priest for Noel Doiron and other Acadians who lived on Île Saint-Jean (

). He was one of the few who survived the sinking of ''Duke William''.

Voyage

Louisbourg fell to the British on July 26, 1758 and within two weeks a deportation order was issued for the

of Île Saint-Jean (

). The English authorities had given up on their earlier attempts to assimilate the Acadians into the thirteen colonies and now wanted them returned directly to France. On October 20, 1758, ''Duke William'' left Île Saint-Jean for France with over 360 Acadians on board. The ship sailed in a convoy with nine other vessels, two of which were (with over 280 Acadians) and (with approximately 310 Acadians). The ship sailed through the

Canso Strait The Strait of Canso (also Gut of Canso or Canso Strait, also called Straits of Canceau or Canseaux until the early 20th century) is a strait located in the province of Nova Scotia, Canada. It divides the Nova Scotia peninsula from Cape Breton Is ...

and moored off

Canso, Nova Scotia Canso is a community in Guysborough County, on the north-eastern tip of mainland Nova Scotia, Canada, next to Chedabucto Bay. In January 2012, it ceased to be a separate town and as of July 2012 was amalgamated into the Municipality of the Di ...

, for almost a month because of foul weather. During the time in Canso, the Acadians helped the ship narrowly escape a raid by the

Mi'kmaq The Mi'kmaq (also ''Mi'gmaq'', ''Lnu'', ''Miꞌkmaw'' or ''Miꞌgmaw''; ; ) are a First Nations people of the Northeastern Woodlands, indigenous to the areas of Canada's Atlantic Provinces and the Gaspé Peninsula of Quebec as well as the no ...

. On November 25, ''Duke William'' sailed out of the bay of Canso. On the third day at sea there was a storm and ''Duke William'' became separated from the other two ships. ''

Ruby A ruby is a pinkish red to blood-red colored gemstone, a variety of the mineral corundum ( aluminium oxide). Ruby is one of the most popular traditional jewelry gems and is very durable. Other varieties of gem-quality corundum are called ...

ran aground Ship grounding or ship stranding is the impact of a ship on seabed or waterway side. It may be intentional, as in beaching to land crew or cargo, and careening, for maintenance or repair, or unintentional, as in a marine accident. In accidenta ...

in a storm on

Pico Island Pico Island (''Ilha do Pico,'' ) is an island in the Central Group of the Portuguese Azores. The landscape features an eponymous volcano, Ponta do Pico, which is the highest mountain in Portugal, the Azores, and the highest elevation of the Mid- ...

in the

Azores ) , motto =( en, "Rather die free than subjected in peace") , anthem= ( en, "Anthem of the Azores") , image_map=Locator_map_of_Azores_in_EU.svg , map_alt=Location of the Azores within the European Union , map_caption=Location of the Azores wi ...

, which caused the death of 213 of the Acadians on board. Almost two weeks after the ships were separated, late in the day on December 10, ''Duke William'' re-encountered ''Violet''. ''Violet'' was sinking; during the night ''Duke William'' sprung a leak and the Acadians assisted at the pumps. In the morning on December 11, after a brief squall, ''Violet'' sank with all the Acadians on board. The Acadians and crew on ''Duke William'' tried for three days to pump the water from her. Captain Nichols recorded: "We continued in this dismal situation three days; the ship, notwithstanding our endeavours, full of water, and expected to sink every minute." Captain Nichols reports that he gave up and announced to the Acadians and crew: "I told them we must be content with our fate; and as we sure certain we had done our duty, we should submit to Providence, to the Almighty will, with pious resignation." Despite this resignation, Captain Nichols dispatched both the long boat and cutter that were on board so that they might approach any passing vessels. On the morning of December 13, two English vessels were within sight of ''Duke William''. Captain Nichols records: "I went and acquainted the priest irrardand the old gentleman oel Doironwith the good news. The old man took me in his aged arms, and cried for joy." The ships did not stop. During the possible rescue, ''Duke William'' almost got separated from the long boat and the cutter. As the long boat and cutter returned, a Danish ship appeared in the distance. Again those aboard thought they were saved, but the Danish ship, like those before, sailed away from them.

Noel Doiron's decision

Ship's boats in the 18th century were designed for work, not lifesaving. Intended to load cargo and supplies as well as shuttle people ashore, the three small boats aboard ''Duke William'' could hold only a handful of those aboard. Captain Nichols then recorded Noel Doiron's decision:

About half an hour after, the old gentleman oel Doironcame to me, crying; he took me in his arms, and said he came with the voice of the whole people, to desire that I and my men would endeavour to save our lives, in our boats; and as they could not carry them, they would on no consideration be the means of drowning us. They were well convinced, by all our behaviour, that we had done everything in our power for their preservation, but that God Almighty had ordained them to be drowned, and they hoped that we should be able to get safe ashore. I must acknowledge that such gratitude, for having done only our duty, in endeavouring to save their lives as well as our own, astonished me. I replied that there were no hopes of life, and, as we had all embarked in the same unhappy voyage, we would all take the same chance. I thought we ought to share the same fate. He said that should not be; and if I did not acquaint my people with their offer, I should have their lives to answer for.

The two boats on board were lowered into the English channel carrying only the Captain, his crew, and the parish priest Girrard. Upon lowering the life boats, Noel Doiron sharply reprimanded a fellow Acadian Jean-Pierre LeBlanc for trying to board a lifeboat while abandoning his wife and children. As Priest Girrard got in the lifeboat he saluted Noel Doiron. After Captain Nichols could no longer see the ship, four Acadians got into a third boat and arrived safely in Falmouth, England. ''Duke William'' sank about from the coast of France shortly after 4:00 p.m. on December 13, 1758. Noel Doiron, his wife, Marie, five of their children with their spouses and over thirty grandchildren were lost – 120 family members in total.

Acadian Remembrance Day

The Federation des Associations de Familles Acadiennnes of New Brunswick and the Société Saint-Thomas d'Aquin of Prince Edward Island has resolved that December 13 each year shall be commemorated as "Acadian Remembrance Day" to commemorate the sinking of ''Duke William'' and the nearly 2,000 Acadians deported from Ile-Saint-Jean who perished in the North Atlantic from hunger, disease and drowning.''Pioneer Journal'', Summerside, Prince Edward Island, 9 December 2009. The event has been commemorated annually since 2004 and participants mark the event by wearing a black star.

Endnotes

Secondary sources

* Earle Lockerby (2008) ''Deportation of the Prince Edward Island Acadians''. Halifax, N.S.: Nimbus Pub. {{ISBN, 1551096501 * Shawn Scott and Tod Scott (2008). "Noel Doiron and the East Hants Acadians". ''Royal Nova Scotia Historical Society: The Journal''.

External links

University of Moncton - Sinking of the Duke William
* Film short on Noel and Marie Doiron:

' * CBC Radio Documentary:

''Journal of Captain William Nichols'', Naval Chronicle. Vol. 17, p. 396

Letter from Captain William Nichols
dated December 16, 1758 * Webpage
Captain William Nichols

Account by Capt Pile of the ship Achilles
Maritime incidents in 1758 Acadia Acadian history Maritime history of Canada Maritime disasters