Shotline Diving

Connecting You to the Depths of the Great Lakes

William Barclay US 26834

Explore the history of the William Barclay, a scow schooner lost in 1868, with no known wreck site or recovery.

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

  • Name: Barclay
  • Type: Scow Schooner
  • Year Built: 1857
  • Builder: Disputed — J. McDermot or Sylvester Larned
  • Dimensions: 72.7 ft (22.2 m); Beam: 18.8 ft (5.7 m); Depth of hold: 5 ft (1.5 m)
  • Registered Tonnage: 69 tons (Old Measurement); 53.23 tons (Gross Tonnage 1866)
  • Location: Unknown (assumed lost somewhere on the Great Lakes)
  • Official Number: 26834
  • Original Owners: J. McAllister, Whitney & Sims, F. Mannel, Nelson Little & William Brown
  • Number of Masts: 2

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

The Barclay was a wooden scow schooner — a flat-bottomed sailing vessel with squared-off ends, ideally suited for hauling bulk materials in shallow harbours and rivers throughout the Great Lakes. These vessels were integral to local freight trade, particularly in lumber and construction goods.

Description

The Barclay represents the unglamorous but vital merchant vessels that sustained 19th-century lake commerce. With multiple owners and over a decade of service, its disappearance without incident or record exemplifies the quiet losses common in the period. It remains one of many under-documented shipwrecks on the Great Lakes.

History

  • 1860: Owned by J. McAllister, Detroit, MI
  • 1863: Whitney & Sims, Lakeport, MI
  • 1866: F. Mannel, Port Huron, MI
  • Oct 26, 1866: Enrolled at Port Huron; owned by Nelson Little & William Brown

Significant Incidents

  • Date Lost: February 15, 1868
  • Location: Unknown (assumed lost somewhere on the Great Lakes)
  • Cause: Unknown — no documented wreck or casualty records
  • Document Surrendered: December 17, 1878, at Port Huron, MI, endorsed as “Lost”

Final Disposition

  • Not Found — No known location or archaeological recovery of the wreck exists.

Current Condition & Accessibility

  • No accessible wreck site or remains are confirmed. Presumed lost in open water or deteriorated beyond recognition.

Resources & Links

References are being reviewed for this wreck.

The Barclay represents the unglamorous but vital merchant vessels that sustained 19th-century lake commerce. With multiple owners and over a decade of service, its disappearance without incident or record exemplifies the quiet losses common in the period. It remains one of many under-documented shipwrecks on the Great Lakes.