Hunting New England Shipwrecks

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The Lord Ashburton bell is now on display at the Grand Manan Museum	Ashburton Head (right) and Eel Brook Cove (Photo by John Norris)

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

Monument marking the burial site of the Lord Ashburton victims	Lord Ashburton wreck report N.Y. Times - 27 Jan 1857 (Author's collection)

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.