Shotline Diving

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Hearld C 61138(Jennie Briscoe US 75203)

Explore the wreck of the Hearld, a historically significant steambarge lost in 1883, believed to rest offshore near Port Stanley, Ontario.

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

  • Name: Hearld (formerly Jennie Briscoe)
  • Type: Steambarge
  • Year Built: 1870
  • Builder: Campbell & Owen, Detroit, MI
  • Dimensions: Length: 84.6 ft (25.8 m); Beam: 22 ft (6.7 m); Depth of hold: 5.3 ft (1.6 m)
  • Registered Tonnage: 82.59 Gross Tons
  • Location: Approximately 1 mile offshore of Port Stanley, Lake Erie
  • Official Number: 75203 (US), C61138 (Canada)
  • Original Owners: Francis Tufts et al; later Richard Hawley Jr. and R.W. Elliott
  • Number of Masts: 1

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

Type: Steambarge

Hull Material: Wood

Propulsion: Screw, 1 cylinder, 1 boiler, 1 propeller

Decks: 1

Description

The Hearld, originally named Jennie Briscoe, was a wooden steambarge built in 1870. It had a length of 84.6 ft (25.8 m), a beam of 22 ft (6.7 m), and a depth of 5.3 ft (1.6 m). The vessel underwent significant modifications, including a rebuild in 1873 that altered its dimensions to 94 x 22 x 8 ft (28.7 x 6.7 x 2.4 m).

History

The Hearld was enrolled at Detroit on June 13, 1870, and shortly after delivered lumber from Port Huron to Toledo. It sank in a collision with the propeller Free State on September 1, 1870, but was raised and repaired by October 22 of the same year. The vessel was sold to Canadian interests in 1871 and renamed Hearld. It recorded various cargoes, including tanbark, and faced multiple incidents, including a collision with the steamer Dunkirk in 1873, which resulted in the loss of one crew member.

After several ownership changes, the Hearld went ashore at Grand Haven, MI, on November 23, 1875, and sank in a gale at Port Stanley, Ontario, on April 15, 1876. It was owned by Fred P. George from 1877 to 1883 and was re-registered under R.W. Elliott in December 1891.

Significant Incidents

  • June 13, 1870 – Enrolled at Detroit.
  • September 1, 1870 – Sunk in collision with the propeller Free State.
  • October 22, 1870 – Raised and repaired.
  • July 24, 1873 – Collided with steamer Dunkirk; one crew member lost.
  • November 23, 1875 – Went ashore at Grand Haven, MI.
  • April 15, 1876 – Sank in a gale at Port Stanley, Ontario.

Final Disposition

The Hearld was lost on November 2, 1883, after colliding with the propeller Ocean approximately 1 mile offshore of Port Stanley, Lake Erie. The vessel sank without loss of life, and a judicial ruling found the Ocean at fault. No salvage efforts were noted, and the wreck is believed to be lost and not yet rediscovered or surveyed.

Current Condition & Accessibility

The wreck of the Hearld remains undiscovered, with no confirmed sonar surveys or diver documentation available. It is presumed to rest offshore near Port Stanley at an unknown depth. The vessel’s history of multiple sinkings and recoveries makes it a subject of interest for further investigation.

Resources & Links

[shotline_reference_links slug=”hearld-c-61138jennie-briscoe-us-75203″ title=”References & Links”]

For research continuity, archival dives or records from Ontario courts and marine insurance underwriters may yield additional insights into the 1883 loss and crew complement. The vessel is of interest to wreck hunters and maritime archaeologists due to its repeated recoveries and unique dual-national registry.

Legacy Notes & Full Historical Record

This section preserves the original unedited Shotline content for this wreck so that no historical detail is lost as we transition to the new logbook format.

BRISCOE, JENNIE (also known as HERALD)

Official Number: 75203 (US), C61138 (Canada)
Year Built: 1870
Builder: Campbell & Owen, Detroit, MI
Master Carpenter: E.G. Merrick
Hull Number: 15
Hull Material: Wood
Type: Steambarge
Original Owner: Francis Tufts et al
Dimensions:

  • Length: 84.6 ft (25.8 m)
  • Beam: 22 ft (6.7 m)
  • Depth: 5.3 ft (1.6 m)
  • Tonnage (Gross): 82.59
  • Rebuilt dimensions (1873): 94 x 22 x 8 ft (28.7 x 6.7 x 2.4 m), 102 gross / 84 net tons
    Propulsion: Screw, 1 cylinder, 1 boiler, 1 propeller
    Decks: 1
    Masts: 1

Vessel History

  • June 13, 1870 – Enrolled at Detroit.
  • June 20, 1870 – Delivered 83,000 board feet of lumber and 13,000 lath from Port Huron to Toledo.
  • September 1, 1870 – Sunk in collision with the propeller FREE STATE in the Detroit River off Grosse Ile while carrying stone.
  • October 22, 1870 – Raised and repaired.
  • April 19, 1871 – Sold to Canadian interests; renamed HERALD by Richard Hawley Jr.; re-registered as C61138.
  • 1872 – Recorded carrying 90 cords of tanbark.
  • July 24, 1873 – Collided with steamer DUNKIRK on Lake Huron; one crew member lost.
  • July 31, 1873 – Raised, rebuilt, and remeasured. Ownership transferred to R.W. Elliott of Toronto.
  • November 23, 1875 – Went ashore at Grand Haven, MI.
  • April 15, 1876 – Sank in a gale at Port Stanley, Ontario.
  • 1877 to 1883 – Owned by Fred P. George of Kingston, Ontario.
  • December 15, 1891 – Again registered under R.W. Elliott, Toronto.

Final Disposition

  • Date of Loss: November 2, 1883
  • Location: Approximately 1 mile offshore of Port Stanley, Lake Erie
  • Cause: Collision with the propeller OCEAN
  • Outcome: Sank without loss of life. A judicial ruling found OCEAN at fault. No salvage effort noted.
  • Wreck Status: Believed lost and not yet rediscovered or surveyed.

Sources

  • Board of Lake Underwriters Marine Directory
  • Canadian Sessional Papers
  • U.S. Enrollment Records, National Archives
  • Inland Lloyds’ Marine Directory
  • R.L. Polk Marine Directory (Detroit)
  • John E. Poole Notes, Bowling Green State University
  • H.G. Runge Collection, Milwaukee Public Library
  • “Steamboat Era in the Muskokas” by Richard Tatley
  • Edward J. Dowling Collection, University of Detroit Mercy
  • C. Patrick Labadie Maritime Collection
  • Various newspaper clippings, 1870s–1880s

Additional corroboration from:
Great Lakes Rex – “H” Section
Great Lakes Rex – “B” Section
Flybridge Shipwreck Forum

Notes

The wreck of HERALD (formerly JENNIE BRISCOE) remains undiscovered. No sonar survey or diver documentation is publicly confirmed. It is presumed to rest offshore near Port Stanley in unknown depth. The wreck’s repeated incidents—including multiple sinkings, a rebuild, and final loss—make it historically significant for further investigation.

For research continuity, archival dives or records from Ontario courts and marine insurance underwriters may yield additional insights into the 1883 loss and crew complement. The vessel is also of interest to wreck hunters and maritime archaeologists due to its repeated recoveries and unique dual-national registry.

hearld-c-61138jennie-briscoe-us-75203 1883-11-02 14:59:00