Margaret and Ann (1835)

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Name: Margaret and Ann
• Type: Wooden schooner
• Year Built: Before 1835
• Builder: Not documented
• Dimensions: Not recorded
• Registered Tonnage: Not recorded
• Location: Lake Ontario — vicinity unspecified, likely mid-lake or east shore
• Coordinates: Unknown – reported lost Lake Ontario, November 1835 gale (likely east/central basin)
• Official Number: British (exact official number unrecorded)
• Original Owners: British-registered; specific owner not on record
• Number of Masts: Two-masted square rig

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

The Margaret and Ann was a British schooner—a wooden sailing vessel rigged with two square-sailed masts. Common in early 19th-century Great Lakes and Atlantic maritime operations, schooners were agile, efficient for cargo and passenger transport, and ideal for navigating the coastal and inland water networks. Specific dimensions, tonnage, and construction details of this vessel remain unrecorded, reflecting the rudimentary archival standards of the era.

Description

The schooner was lost during the November 1835 gale. Her final fate—whether sunk offshore, wrecked onshore, or broken apart—remains undocumented. Given the era and sparse details, it’s possible the wreck remains buried or demolished along Lake Ontario’s coastline.

History

• November 11, 1835: A severe gale struck Lake Ontario, resulting in widespread maritime losses. Contemporary notices in the Oswego Palladium (Aug. 26, 1835) reported that the Margaret and Ann, among other vessels (e.g., Medora and Robert Bruce), were lost in the storm.
• The report states: “The schooner Margaret and Ann, a British vessel, is also lost — particulars unknown.” No survivors or specific location details were provided, indicating limited follow-up information was available at the time.

Significant Incidents

No official Notices to Mariners (NOTMARs) or navigational advisories would have been issued in 1835. There is no modern advisory or marker associated with the wreck.

Final Disposition

The wreck has never been positively located in modern times. No archaeological survey, sonar search, or dive record confirms its position. The only acknowledgment of its loss comes from contemporary newspaper reports.

Current Condition & Accessibility

The Margaret and Ann is among the earliest documented vessel casualties on Lake Ontario, tied to historic gales like the “Witch of November.” Her loss underscores the perilous conditions of early Great Lakes navigation and the limited record-keeping of pre–maritime registry eras. Though unlocated, she represents a tantalizing target for historical and archaeological investigation.

Resources & Links

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The schooner Margaret and Ann embodies the early, tale-rich era of Great Lakes mariners. Lost in a November 1835 gale, her fate was reported but not documented in detail. Without a known wreck site, she remains an unresolved historic loss. Further archival and field research—including local historical archives, maritime logs, and targeted sonar surveys—could lend clarity to her story.