Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Edward Bancroft
- Type: Two-masted wooden schooner
- Year Built: 1836
- Builder: Point Peninsula, New York
- Dimensions: 79 ft (24.1 m) × 20 ft (6.1 m) × 8 ft (2.4 m)
- Registered Tonnage: ~114 tons
- Location: Harbor mouth, St. Joseph, Michigan
- Official Number: None (pre-enrollment)
- Original Owners: Wheeler & Porter and Captain Boulton of St. Joseph, Michigan
- Number of Masts: 2
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
A classic early 19th-century Great Lakes schooner—two-masted, square-fored, built primarily for hauling freight such as salt, produce, and general goods on the Michigan coast.
Description
At approximately 24 m long and 6 m wide, Edward Bancroft was modest in size but economically significant in coastal commerce. A typical hull form would offer a shallow draft ideal for lake travel, yet she was vulnerable in heavy weather.
History
Constructed in 1836 at Point Peninsula, pioneer-built schooners like Edward Bancroft were instrumental in early Great Lakes trade. Operated by a partnership under Captain Boulton from St. Joseph, Michigan, she carried bulk goods from Buffalo to Lake Michigan ports.
On 19 November 1842, arriving off St. Joseph harbor in a fierce gale, she struck the north pier, then drifted across the harbor entrance and grounded near the south pier. She ultimately broke up and sank after being battered ashore.
Significant Incidents
- The incident occurred during what contemporary sources call a “worse storm” across Lake Michigan on 19 Nov 1842—the same gale responsible for sinking 50+ vessels and over 100 lives on the lakes in that fall season.
Final Disposition
Declared a total wreck after breaking up at the harbor entrance. No remains are known—timber likely salvaged; wreckage dispersed or buried in shallow harbor sediments.
Current Condition & Accessibility
The schooner’s remains were visible immediately post-wreck; however, no modern archaeological survey or dive site information exists. The location—the mouth of St. Joseph harbor—remains known in generality, but undocumented.
The piers are charted hazards at St. Joseph; remnants of Edward Bancroft have long since vanished. No modern marine markers reference the wreck, and present-day navigation routines safely clear the area.
Resources & Links
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Edward Bancroft (1836–1842) was a wooden schooner transporting salt, apples, and merchandise from Buffalo to St. Joseph, Michigan. On 19 Nov 1842, she struck the north pier during a gale, drifted ashore, and broke apart—no lives were lost. Though her remains were visible at the time, no modern underwater investigations or dives have been recorded.
Full Wreck Record — complete historical article, construction details, voyage logs, incident reports, dive conditions, and all research sources.
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