Captain William Abraham Pitt (29 November 1841 – 12 September 1909) was a Canadian ferryman from the

Kingston Peninsula The Kingston Peninsula is a peninsula in southern New Brunswick, Canada, located between the Saint John River and the Kennebecasis River in Kings County. The peninsula was the site of the first United Empire Loyalist settlement in New Brunswick ...

New Brunswick New Brunswick (french: Nouveau-Brunswick, , locally ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. It is the only province with both English and ...

. He was born in Reed's Point,

Kings County, New Brunswick Kings County (2016 population 68,941) is located in southern New Brunswick, Canada. Its historical shire town is Hampton. Both the Saint John and Kennebecasis rivers pass through the county. Approximately half of the Kings County population ...

, and for over thirty years he operated a small sail and oars scow ferry connecting the Kingston Peninsula with the Kennebecasis Valley. Pitt was the inventor of the underwater

cable ferry A cable ferry (including the terms chain ferry, swing ferry, floating bridge, or punt) is a ferry that is guided (and in many cases propelled) across a river or large body of water by cables connected to both shores. Early cable ferries often ...

. His new invention was installed across the

Kennebecasis River The Kennebecasis River ( ) is a tributary of the Saint John River in southern New Brunswick, Canada. The name Kennebecasis is thought to be derived from the Mi'kmaq "''Kenepekachiachk''", meaning "little long bay place." It runs for approximately ...

between Reed's Point and

Gondola Point Gondola Point is a Canadian suburban community located in Kings County, New Brunswick. Formerly an incorporated village, it was amalgamated with the town of Quispamsis in 1998. Geography Gondola Point is located in the southeast of the country, ...

in 1903. Believing that the cable required to operated his new ferry was too heavy and bulky, Pitt decided the lay the cable out during the winter. He ran the ferry cable across the river allowing it to sink into place with the spring thaw. By the middle of the 20th century, New Brunswick's road network improved and cable ferries to carry passengers and vehicles could be found in many river communities. Pitt later died from serious injuries obtained by falling into the machinery of his ferry. One of the two cable ferries currently operating at Gondola Point is named the "William Pitt II" in his honour.

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Christening of William Pitt II
19th-century Canadian inventors People from Kings County, New Brunswick 1841 births 1909 deaths {{Canada-engineer-stub