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Hunting New England Shipwrecks

Lord Ashburton

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LordAshburton-bell.jpg (135337 bytes)

AshburtonHead-EelBrookCove-JohnNorris.jpg (160183 bytes)

The Lord Ashburton bell is 
now on display at the 
Grand Manan Museum

Ashburton Head (right)
and Eel Brook Cove
(Photo by John Norris)

LordAshburton-BallastStone2.jpg (56299 bytes)

LordAshburton-wrecked1857-artistJosephHeard.jpg (66084 bytes)

Ballast stones from the
wreck are scattered on the
beach at Eel Brook Cove

Artist Joseph Heard's painting
of the Lord Ashburton
being driven by the gale

LordAshburtonMonument1.jpg (138961 bytes)

LordAshburton-nyt-27jan1857.jpg (121350 bytes)

Monument marking
the burial site of the
Lord Ashburton victims

Lord Ashburton wreck report
N.Y. Times - 27 Jan 1857
(Author's collection)

The table below provides historical and statistical data on the vessel. Some of the information may be incomplete. If you have additions or corrections, please e-mail us at the address listed below.

Shipwreck Data

Vessel Name Lord Ashburton
Other Names  
Vessel Type Bark
Owner  
Length / Beam / Draft (feet) 155' / 30' / 
Tonnage 1,009 G.T.
Hull Construction Wood
Propulsion Sails
Cargo  
Built 1843 at St. Andrews, NB
Date of Loss January 19, 1857
Reason for Loss Blown on rocks in gale
Fatalities 21 (8 survivors)
Location Eel Brook Cove, near Ashburton Head, Grand Manan Island (NB)
Coordinates (Lat/Lon) 44-47.668 N / 66-46.229 W
Coordinates (Loran C)  
Water Depth (feet)  
Typical Visibility (feet)  
Wreck Condition Wreck is probably mostly gone, but her black ballast stones are scattered on the beach at Eel Brook Cove.
Diving Considerations Caution - currents are very strong around Grand Manan
Other Information Last Trip - Toulon, France to St. John, NB

When the ship ran on the rocks during a winter storm, the crew members were swept overboard and tried to swim to shore. Some made it, but most died in the struggle. The dead crewmen were buried in the North Head Cemetery and a stone monument was placed there to commemorate the tragedy. 

For more information on this and other Grand Manan wrecks, see... http://www.gnb.ca/cnb/grand/ship-e.asp 

For more information on Grand Manan and its shipwrecks, see our Grand Manan page.
Attention Divers
The information on this page was obtained from a variety of sources. Although we have attempted to make it as accurate as possible, it may contain errors.  For your personal safety, use extreme caution when diving on this wreck.

For more information on this wreck's location and history, and water and diving conditions in the area, contact local dive shop personnel, dive charter boat operators and local fishermen. Also check out the other shipwreck Websites listed on our Favorite Links page.


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