History #
The BRITANNIA was a two-masted wooden schooner built in 1860 by D. Foster in Port Ryerse, Ontario. It had dimensions of 87 feet in length, 21 feet in beam, and 7 feet in depth. The Britannia had a gross tonnage of 124 tons and a net tonnage of 118 tons.
On October 30, 1870, the BRITANNIA was caught in a severe storm near Cleveland on Lake Erie. The storm caused the vessel to go ashore and be wrecked. Many other vessels were also destroyed in the same gale. The exact details of the loss, including the number of crew members and the cargo being carried, are unknown. By November 8, the BRITANNIA was being stripped and abandoned.
There is a report stating that Alonza Grant, one of the crew members, was injured in the gale and had his leg amputated. Unfortunately, it was not expected that he would survive. The wreck of the BRITANNIA was listed as a casualty in the Department of Marine & Fisheries’ statement for the year 1870.
In a separate incident in October 1866, the BRITANNIA , while carrying a cargo of wheat on Lake Erie, suffered damage to some of its cargo. The property loss was estimated at $1,000. Further details about this incident are not provided.
Please note that the information available is limited, and there may be additional details or accounts regarding the BRITANNIA that are not included here.
