History #
The schooner named Emery, W.Y. was built in 1867 in Port Burwell, Ontario. It had an official number of 71280 and was originally owned by John Griffen and Sidney McDermand, both from Port Burwell. The vessel, constructed by George Dakin, had a single deck and was classified as a schooner. It featured two masts and had a length of 102 feet, a beam of 22.9 feet, and a depth of 10.2 feet. Its gross tonnage was recorded as 211, with a net tonnage of 154.04.
On September 20, 1899, the Emery, W.Y. met its final fate approximately 1 1/2 miles off Bear Creek in Lake Ontario. It foundered during a gale while on a voyage from Charlotte, New York, to Kingston, Ontario, carrying a cargo of coal. Fortunately, the crew was rescued by the tug PROCTOR.
The history of the Emery, W.Y. dates back to its registration in Port Burwell on June 11, 1867. Ownership of the vessel changed hands over the years, with Joseph McDermond of Port Burwell becoming the owner on March 12, 1872. E. Burge and W. McCombs of Port Burwell took ownership on February 13, 1873, followed by E. Burge as the sole owner from October 15, 1873, to 1879.
The schooner experienced several incidents throughout its history. On October 12, 1877, it went ashore 3 miles east of Toronto, Ontario. It was also damaged in a collision with the schooner FELLOWCRAFT in Leamington, Ontario, on April 8, 1880, but was subsequently repaired in Buffalo, New York. Ownership of the vessel changed hands multiple times, with George D. Megann of Toronto owning it from June 23, 1887, to August 20, 1888, and James Savage of Wellington, Ontario, becoming the owner on that date. George P. Megann of Toronto took ownership on February 19, 1890, followed by John Williams and Alex Ure of Toronto on November 30, 1891.
The vessel was later owned by Alex and Amelia Ure of Toronto from February 13, 1895. Amelia Ure became the sole owner in 1896. The Emery, W.Y. faced additional challenges, including going ashore one mile east of Toronto’s East Channel in 1897 and being stranded near Oswego, New York, but subsequently released. It was owned by George Mitchell in 1899 and encountered further trouble, going ashore at the Ducks in Lake Ontario on May 19, before eventually foundering on September 20 of the same year.
