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.

SHIPWRECK REPORT – THOMAS KINGSFORD

IDENTIFICATION & SITE INFORMATION

• Vessel Name: Thomas Kingsford
• Type: Steam Barge (Wooden Propeller Steamer)
• Date of Loss: August 8, 1882
• Location: Bay of Quinte, Belleville, Ontario
• Coordinates (approximate): 44°10′N, 77°23′W
• Depth: Unknown – presumed shallow, within inner Belleville harbour or bay
• Cause of Loss: Collision with another steam barge (Saxon)
• Crew: All saved
• Status: Total loss
• Discovery/Salvage: No modern rediscovery or diver confirmation noted
• Notmars: None currently active for this wreck

VESSEL TYPE DESCRIPTION

The Thomas Kingsford was a wooden steam barge, part of the inland freight fleet on Lake Ontario and its bays. Steam barges of this class were used for short-haul transport of bulk cargo, timber, and general freight between towns like Kingston, Belleville, and Toronto. These vessels often had large holds and minimal superstructure, operating at low speeds and vulnerable to collision in fog or crowded anchorages.

Steam barges like Kingsford were common in the Bay of Quinte, operating under sail and steam power in shallow waters.

HISTORY & INCIDENT SUMMARY

On August 8, 1882, while navigating Belleville Bay in the Bay of Quinte, the Thomas Kingsford was struck by the steam barge Saxon.

• Conditions at time of collision are unrecorded, but likely involved low visibility or poor navigation signals
• The impact was sufficient to cause the Kingsford to take on water rapidly and sink
• The entire crew was saved, either by the Saxon or nearby shore assistance
• Vessel was declared a total loss

Given the inland bay setting, the wreck likely settled in shallow waters, potentially close to Belleville’s harbour facilities.

FINAL DISPOSITIO

• Vessel: Sunk and lost in Belleville Bay
• Human Loss: None
• Cargo: Unknown or not recorded; presumed unrecovered
• Wreck Fate: Unknown; may have been broken up, scuttled, or silt-covered post-sinking
• Legal Follow-up: Possible court of inquiry between the owners of Saxon and Kingsford

CURRENT WRECK STATUS & NOTES

• The wreck site has not been identified in local dive maps or sonar surveys
• Belleville Bay is a heavily sedimented and shallow environment, with potential for buried remains
• If wreckage exists, it would be a low-lying debris field, likely overgrown or unrecognizable
• May offer historical insights if located: mid-19th-century steam barge construction, collision damage, local shipping practices

REFERENCES & LINKS

• Loss Record:
  *”1882 Aug. 8th – Steam barge *Thomas Kingsford* sinks in the bay at Belleville, Ont., by a collision with the steam barge Saxon. A total loss. Crew saved.”*
• David Swayze Shipwreck File: Summary entry
• Maritime History of the Great Lakes Database – Potential local newspaper follow-up
• Belleville Intelligencer (August 1882) – Suggested source for local accident reports
• Great Lakes Ships / Bowling Green State University – Potential registration or build data for both vessels

CONCLUSION

The Thomas Kingsford‘s wreck is a candidate for future local dive or magnetometer surveys in the sheltered waters of Belleville Harbour. While her structure may no longer be intact, she represents a class of working steamers that were once vital to Ontario’s grain, timber, and freight movement along the Bay of Quinte.

The loss highlights the navigational hazards within confined harbour areas, even in seemingly calm inland waters. She is now listed under:

“UNCONFIRMED SHORELINE WRECKS – BAY OF QUINTE / BELLEVILLE”

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