New Brunswick (Bark), sunk, 26 Aug 1858

NEW BRUNSWICK Bark (C), wrecked near Point Au Pelee, Lake Erie. Total loss with five of her men. Property loss $5,300.
      Buffalo Commercial Advertiser
      January 15, 1859 (1858 Casualty List)

      . . . . .

      A F E A R F U L G A L E
      LOSS OF THE BARK "NEW BRUNSWICK" AND FIVE OF THE CREW ON LAKE ERIE.
The Chatham (C. W.) Planet learns the particulars of the foundering of the bark NEW BRUNSWICK, Capt. McTavish, during the gale of Thursday night last, five miles off Point Pelee.
      So fearful was the gale that all management of the vessel was lost, and after weathering the sea some time she foundered. As might be imagined, the position of the entire crew was most perilous. Without any apparent means of saving themselves at hand, the faint hope of preserving their lives seemed groundless. Upon a foundered vessel in the midst of a terrific storm of wind and rain, at midnight, and five miles from land, hope of reaching the shore in safety might well be banished from the stoutest heart. And little wonder was it that five persons, out of the nine composing the crew, found a watery grave ere daylight dawned. Even when morning had come, the prospect of reaching shore was but little improved. Not a tool to help to construct a raft was obtained, and had it not been that Capt. McTavish with the assistance of a small penknife was enabled to detach a "boom" and "gaff." and with these materials to construct a miserable raft, not one soul would have been left to relate the sad tale of their suffering. However, with this little instrument, the raft was launched upon the angry waters, freighted with the precious weight of five mortal beings who left the foundering vessel, with the hope that, by paddling with their hands they might gain the shore, five miles distant. This slow process had been industriously persevered in against the wind for five hours, when, to the great joy of the captain, he espied relief coming towards them, in the shape of a little boat, manned by Mr. Robert Shank and his family, which boat was in such bad shape, that it was only kept from going to the bottom of the lake by its numerous leakages being stopped with clay. However, in this boat the survivors of the crew of the NEW BRUNSWICK, which
consisted of Capt. McTavish, Joseph Darce, mate, John Banks and Duncan McVicar, seamen, were with much difficulty brought to shore. The names of those drowned are as follows: -
Duncan Turner; James Riddle, baker; Archibald. McMillan; a young man named Thomas ------, and the cook, Isaac Campbell, the latter of whom, during a fit of delirium, sank from the raft not more than ten minutes before Mr. Shanks came to their succor.
      Buffalo Daily Courier
      Monday, September 6, 1858

      . . . . .

      Only the broken ribs and empty hull of the schooner NEW BRUNSWICK that had foundered just 80 years ago off Wheatley, Ont., were found by three divers who went below to hunt for the valuable walnut and white oak cargo that has been the salvage dream of many on the northern shore of Lake Erie.
      Buffalo Newspaper Scrapbook
      September 2, 1939

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The old letter is to faint to scan. The part about the ship reads: "Grandpa was married at Stockland Church (England) 16th of March, year 1848 and they came over on the New Brunswick in the year 1851 in the Spring for Kimberly Owen died on April 24."

John Vincent married Isabella Bromfield. In the 1851 England Census taken March 31 they lived with his Father Benjamin Vincent on Ridge Farm, a 140 acre rented dairy farm, near Stockland.
Benjamin Vincent 59 farmer
Tabitha 64 wife
John 29 son
Isabella 30 daughter in law
John Howard 2 Grandson
Benjamin 1 Grandson
Henry Owen 1 month Grandson
2 farm hands and 3 servants

John's brother Benjamin came to USA first. Father, Brother, Son, all named Benjamin.

Note the baby probably died on the ship since they were counted in England March 31 and he died April 24. He is buried in Lakeside Cemetery Clarkston Michigan. I'll try to find newspapers from there to try and find out more. Would they kept a child's body on board?

We have information it went to England in 1850. Did it go again in 1851 or did it return in 1851 from the 1850 trip? Also it carried wheat from Chicago to England in 1857.

Also sometimes it is referred too has a schooner and other times a barque. Is there much difference in the rigging?

I left my name on a Stockland England web site and have been e-mailing with 3 distant cousins in England.

Two of John and Isabella's sons married sisters with the last name Bird. The older set named their son Bird J Vincent. He was a US Congressman from Saginaw who died in office in 1931. I'm named after him. The younger set were my Grandparents. I live in a farmhouse they built in 1901 20 miles NW of Saginaw.

The cargo of Black Walnut is interesting. My computer desk is made of black walnut that grew on this farm.