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History of the |
| Your location: Rideau Region > Rideau Waterway > History > Locks > Nicholsons Locks 18-19 |
| Introduction | Acknowledgments | Prolog | Cast of Characters | Definition of Terms | Malaria | Lock Basics | Bibliography |
 | location map | Lower Nicholsons lock info | Upper Nicholsons lock info | The Setting Nicholson's Rapids were 990 yards (905 m) in length, descending in that distance 14 feet 5 inches (4.4 m), with a depth over the proposed dam site of 1 foot 9 inches (0.5 m). The rapids were named for one of the first settlers in the area, Robert Nicholson, who served with Jessup's Corps in the American Revolution. He may have been influenced to come here by the fact that another member of Jessup's Corps, Lt. Gershom French, had surveyed the Rideau in 1783 and had reported the area favourable for settlement. The Plan  The plan put forward in Samuel Clowes' 1824 report was to bypass the entire section of the Rideau River between Burritt's Rapids and Merrick's Mills (including Nicholsons) with a canal cut on the west side of the Rideau River. Six locks were proposed at the Burritts Rapids end to lift the canal the required elevation (about 55 feet - 17 m).By's plan was to stay in the channel of the river. The tender for the work at Nicholson's stated: "To construct a Dam, Lock and Embankments at Nicholson's Rapids. The dam to be raised 16 feet high and 250 feet wide; the Lock 10 feet lift; and the embankment eight feet high, and 280 feet long." This original plan would have placed the dam at the foot of the rapids, raising the water to flood the rapids, with a single lock to bring vessels up to the new water level formed by the dam. However, this plan had to be modified. By found during the re-survey of the site that Clowes' original survey was in error, that the rise to be overcome was greater than originally surveyed, and that the banks of the river in this area were lower than originally indicated, meaning that if the dam had been placed where proposed, it would have flooded a large area of tillable land. By noted, "The levels from which the original Estimate was formed proved, upon a more minute examination of the ground, very erroneous, the rise to be overcome being above fifteen feet 2 inches, and the necessary height of Dam Twenty feet, 2 inches, the nature and extent of the Embankments required were also much underrated, and if the Dam had been placed on the Site at first proposed, a much greater extent of cultivated land would have been flooded than provide for, the value of which much necessarily have occasioned a considerable increase in the Estimate." By further stated, "I deemed it indispensably necessary to deviate from the original plan, and instead of keeping [to] the river, and raising the whole lift by a single Lock, placed in connection with the Dam, I have quitted the same at the foot of the Rapids, cutting the Canal along the right Bank, placing Two Locks in the above distance, to suit the section of the ground, and forming the Dam at the head of the Rapids." So, the new plan was similar to that of Burritts Rapids, placing the dam at the head of the rapids, and bypassing the rapids with an artificial canal cut. Building the Locks The contractor was A.C. Stevens and Co.  Work on the cut and two locks was slow going since the banks leaked water which had to be continuously pumped out to allow the work to proceed. It was also noted when building the dam, originally intended to be an overflow dam, that the bedrock was not strong enough to take the pounding from the fall of water that would have resulted. By decided that he would have to add a waste weir: "The rock forming the Bed of the River has also proved so unsound, that the construction of a Waste Weir has been deemed advisable."By, explaining his increased expenses in the 1831 report stated: "The above statement will I trust satisfactorily shew, (an error having occurred, owing to the thickness of the woods and swamps,) that there was an indispensable necessity of deviating from the original plan and that the mode adopted is the most judicious one that could have been followed under the existing circumstances." Much of the stone for the construction of the locks and dam came from Clowes' Quarry. The floors of the locks were left as bare bedrock. The completed locks had a combined lift of 14 feet, 10 inches (4.5 m).
Through the Years
The locks were subject to normal maintenance. In 1910, the upper wing walls, upper sill and gate recesses of the upper lock were rebuilt in new stone and in 1912 the upper wing wall, piers and sill of the lower lock were also reconstructed. The stonework of the waste weir was redone in 1907, a concrete facing was applied to the upstream face in 1913, and a concrete apron added in 1975-76. The biggest problem over the years was the artificial cut between Upper and Lower Nicholsons. The bank on this cut leaked water. The wall along the bank, which had been done with dry stone sometime before 1867, was redone using cement in 1910-1913. In 1851 there were nine buildings on the site; a one storey frame house occupied by the permanent labourer, a vacant frame house, an old stone house also vacant, a wooden storehouse in which both Ordnance stores and the temporary labourer were housed, a vacant log house, a stable, a small wash house, and a log cookhouse. The former village of Andrewsville, on the west bank of the river across from Upper Nicholsons Lock, was established in 1861 when Rufus Andrews built a flour mill at this site. The mill was demolished in 1917. The Lockmasters to 2000 The first lockmaster was Richard Frayne, a master mason recommended by By. He resigned in 1836 and was replaced by Thomas Jenkins of the Royal Sappers and Miners. Jenkins died suddenly in 1847 and was replaced by John Newman of Burritts Rapids who retired in 1871. He was succeeded by his son, William Newman, who served until retirement in 1907. His replacement was George E. Johnston, who was discharged in 1912, likely for reasons of patronage. Luke Depencier of Burritts Rapids succeeded him. Depencier retired on May 1, 1924. He was followed by George L. Davis from 1924 to 1933; Clarence Watt from 1934 to 1962; Leonard Hassall from 1963 to 1973; Charles Action from 1973 to 1976; Clarence Curry from 1977 to 1978; Ken Bygrove from 1978 to 1982 (from 1980 to 1980 Nicholsons joined with Clowes under one lockmaster); Ed Dale from 1983 to 1984; Peter Donnelly from 1984 to 1987; Charlie Sampson in 1988; Grif Caine in 1989; and Ron Welch from 1990 to 1997. In 1998 Nicholsons was again combined under a single lockmaster with Clowes and Gerald Covell was lockmaster from 1998 to 2000.
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