The schooner Annie Falconer (1867)

General

Kingston Register (1867)

Cobourg register (1900), transferred from Kingston register 2 of 1882

See also the entry for the schooner Annie Falconer in our ships Database.

NOTATIONS:

2. Subscribing owners: George Plunkett, Hotel keeper of Cobourg, sold to Murrey Akerman of Picton dated Feb. 13, 1903
3. NOTATIONS INFORMATION RECEIVED FROM MURREY ACKERMAN, MASTER AND OWNER OF THE SAILING SHIP "ANNIE FALCONER" THAT THE SAID VESSEL FOUNDERED ON THE 12 DAY OF NOVEMBER 1904 ABOUT ONE & ONE HALF MILES NORTH OF THE FALSE DUCK ISLAND LIGHT H0USE, LAKE ONTARIO.. VESSEL & CARGO TOTAL LOSS -- register closed Nov. 20, 1904

Newspaper and other transcriptions

4. List of Vessels on the Registry Books of the Dominion of Canada on December 31, 1898 : Schooner ANNIE FALCONER. Official Canada No. 83285. Of 175 tons reg, Built Kingston, Ont., 1867. Home port, Kingston, Ont. 108.0 x 24.3 x 9.0 Owned by T.F. Taylor, Kingston, Ont.
5. British Whig (Kingston, ON), 14 Nov 1904 p. 1 : CREW SAVED But The Mate Perished After Reaching Land. VESSEL SUNK, Had Coal On Board For Picton.
   Picton, Ont., Nov. 14th. - The schooner Annie Falconer, owned and sailed by Capt. Murney Ackerman, of Picton, went down in the gale on Saturday night, between the False Ducks Islands and Timber Island. The Falconer was on her way from Sodus Point, N.Y., to Picton with a load of soft coal for A.W. Hepburn. The crew took to the boats and after hours of suffering and hardship reached shore at Emerald on Amherst Island, twenty miles from the scene of the wreck. James Sullivan, the mate, after reaching land wandered away and when found by his mates had perished from the cold and exposure. His body was brought here this morning for burial. The crew all belong to Picton.
6. British Whig (Kingston, ON), 14 Nov 1904 p. 6 : HOW IT HAPPENED. The Loss of the Annie Falconer. The particulars of the wreck of the schooner Annie Falconer, as told by a Picton man this afternoon, are: The schooner Falconer was owned and sailed by Captain Ackerman, Picton, and a crew of six men from Picton. The schooner was coal-laden from Sodus Point, N.Y. to Picton, and during her voyage encountered bad weather, which eventually strained her timbers so badly that about three o'clock Saturday afternoon, she sprank a leak and foundered off the False Ducks off South Bay Point. She sank in about fifty feet of water, leaving only her cross trees visible above the water. The crew took warning in time and got away in the life-boat. After six hours hard struggle with the high wind and heavy seas they reached the shores of Amherst Island, at nine o'clock Saturday night. The crew were all suffering intensely from exposure and one of their number, James Sullivan, was in a helpless condition. His comrades were not aware on what part of the island they had landed, and left him on the beach until they could find someplace of refuge. They started across the island but wandered into the marshes where they experienced considerable difficulty. Finally they found a refuge and when they returned to the beach for Sullivan, he had disappeared. They spent considerable time in searching for him, but were handicapped by the darkness and could find no trace of him. They at last gave up the search and sent news of the occurrence back to Picton. The Hepburns immediately got their steamyacht fitted out and reached the island early Sunday morning. The body of Sullivan was found in the morning on the beach a short distance from where he had been left the night before and from indications he had evidently died from the results of exposure shortly after he was left. The deceased was aged about sixty years, and was well known among marine men by whom he was known as "Shell" Sullivan. He was unmarried and had two brothers, Robert and David, farmers near Picton. The body was taken back there on Monday for internment. The crew this morning had recovered from the effects of their terrible experience and were taken back to Picton on Hepburn's yacht.
   The schooner Annie Falconer was built about thirty-seven years ago, and evidently was not sturdy enough to stand the heavy strain. An effort will be made to save the schooner and cargo.
7. Buffalo Evening News November 14, 1904 : SCHOONER WENT DOWN. THE ANNIE FALCONER OF PICTON IS LOST AND HER MATE IS DEAD FROM EXPOSURE. Picton, Ont., Nov. 14. -- The schooner ANNIE FALCONER, owned and sailed by Capt. Murney Acker of Picton, went down in the gale of Saturday night, between the false Duck Islands and Timber Island. The FALCONER was on her way from Sodus Point, N.Y., to Picton with a load of soft coal for A.W. hepburn, Picton. The crew took to the boats, and after an hour's suffering and hardship reached shore at Emerald on Amherst Island, 20 miles from the scene of the wreck. James Sullivan, the mate, after reaching land, wandered away, and when found by his mates had perished from cold and exposure. His body was brought here this morning for buriel. The crew all belonged to Picton.
8. Was a total loss in Lake Ontario off False Duck on 12 November, 1904. Registry closed November 20, 1904. See "Schooner days" 239 and 972.

References and source notes

(1-3) Various register entries
(4-7) Newspaper transcriptions donated by Mr. R. Neilson.
(8) Schooner Days collection