St. Paul Island
"The Graveyard of the Gulf"

Shipwrecks

St. Paul Island is infamous for the number of ships which have been wrecked on its rocks, earning it the nickname "The Graveyard of the Gulf". Experts say as many as 350 ships have met their end on St. Pauls rocky cliffs. Its location in the shipping lanes of the Cabot Strait, and the changeable weather conditions and fog in this area made it a treacherous hazard to navagation in centuries past.

"The Shipwreck"- A poem by Lord Byron

"Sally Greer"- A St. Paul Tune

July 5, 1881

Shipwreck	Type	Year	Location	Notes
1. Adalia	Steamship	June 26, 1872	Southern Part	British, none lost
2. Alfred Taylar	20 ton	1904	N/A	N/A
3. Anna	3 mast	September 8, 1874	Goat Rock	Former ClymeneClymene
4. Anna B	Schooner	March 5, 1889	N/A	Collision
5. Annie F. Hartigan	Schooner	Nov. 16, 1933	Atlantic Cove	38 ton former Victoria Kendall
6. Arcola	Steamship	July, 8, 1908	Hay Cove	Link2 Areola?
7. Atlodar	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
8. Aurora	N/A	1903	Atlantic Cove	Cargo of steel rails
9. Aurore	N/A	January 01, 1831	N/A	N/A
10. Avona	Steamer	N/A	N/A	N/A
11. Banadian	Schooner	N/A	N/A	N/A
12. Barbara	Brig	April 5, 1878	Near SW Light	N/A
13. Briton	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
14. Briton Elliot	N/A	N/A	Near Aurora Rocks	N/A
15. Brodrene	Barque	May 26, 1896	Anchor Rock	Crew Saved
16. Brunette	Barque	July, 1844	Brunette Cove	N/A
17. Canada	Brig	May 8, 1826	Northeast	Belfast to Quebec
18. Canadienne	Schooner	Oct. 26, 1909	N/A	Link2 , coal
19. Casabona	Barque	October 13, 1897	SW Point	Maria Casabone
20. Chelston	Steamer	September 12, 1919	Viceroy Cove	NB to Glasgow, Lumber
21. Cornelia	Barque	may 15, 1872	N/A	N/A
22. Deodata	N/A	N/A	Trinity Cove	N/A
23. Devonshire	Sailing	June 5, 1870	N/A	Liverpool to Quebec
24. Doris V. Douglas	Wood	October 27, 1954	N/A	N/A
25. Duncan	Wooden	1827	Hay Cove	N/A
26. Elliott	Steamer	March 17, 1904	Atlantic Cove	Sealing, carried by drift ice
27. Elliott Heste	Schooner	March 26, 1903	Atlantic Cove	227 Ton
28. Emperor	Barque	Nov 27,1871	North	16 lost, quebec to Bristol
29. Enchantress	N/A	September 23, 1848	Trinity Cove	From Bristol, Capt. Findlater
30. England's Queen	N/A	May 11, 1847	N/A	N/A
31. Eudora	Barque	Sept. 21, 1866	N/A
32. Freeman	N/A	May, 1820	N/A	Greenock to Pictou
33. George Barclay	Brig	January 1, 1838	N/A	N/A
34. Glenlevet	Steamer	N/A	N/A	N/A
35. Glenroe	Barque	June 5, 1876	SE	Glencoe?
36. Great Britain	Merchant Ship	Dec. 2, 1832	Near Trinity Cove	Crew of 29, 1 survivor
37. Harlaw	N/A	April 7, 1911	1 Mile North of island	Sealing Harlow?
38. Hero	Schooner	May 8, 1831	N/A	N/A
39. Heron	Barque	May 26, 1874	N/A	Bordeaux France to Que. {Maybe 1872?}
40. Horatio	wood	May 23, 1826	N/A	UK, Cptn. Peart
41. Hunter	Ship	1835	N/A	N/A
42. Irishman	immigrant	1834	N/A	Ireland to Que.
43. Isabella	Immigrant	1834	UK to Que.	British, 7 drowned
44. James	Immigrant	Spring, 1834	N/A	British, none lost
45. James A. McKean	Schooner	October 30, 1878	N/A	N/A
46. Jane	Brig	May 7, 1834/TD>	Anchor Rocks	UKto Que.
47. Jessie	Barque	Jan. 1, 1824	Jessie Cove	Link2 Link3
48. John and Charlotte	N/A	1822	N/A	N/A
49. Judique	Schooner	1841	N/A
50. La Canadienne	August 20, 1875	Schooner	Trinity Cove	N/A
51. Margaret	Irish Immigrant	About 1834	N/A
52. Marguerite	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
53. Mary	Brig	July 20, 1834	NA	2 Survivors
54. Mary Patricia	N/A	September 7, 1930	N/A
55. Mette Margrethe	Barque	N/A	N/A	Burnt, 5 lost
56. Miner	Ship	Aug. 24, 1863	N/A
57. Minerva	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
58. Mitchell	Schooner	N/A	N/A	N/A
59. Moon	N/A	N/A	Moon Point
60. Noon	N/A	1834	N/A	British, none lost
61. Norwegian	Barque/Steam	June 14, 1863	Norwegian Head
62. Ocean Belle	Schooner	July, 1873	N/A
63. Olivette	Brigantine	May, 25, 1886	N/A
64. Palace	Barque	N/A	N/A
65. Pallas	Ship	May 30,1856	South side	Cork to Quebec,82 lost NY TIMES Article
66. Rajahgopaul	N/A	Sept 4, 1870	N/A	English none lost
67. Ratchel	N/A	April 18, 1847	N/A	N/A
68. Rippler	Barque	Nov 26, 1871	N/A	N/A
69. St. Petersburgh	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
70. Savannah	NA	May, 1820	NA	London to Mirimachi
71. Scandanavia	Ship	June 5, 1870	N/A	N/A>
72. Seaflower	Schooner	May 23, 1844	N/A	general cargo
73. Shark	Brig	January 1, 1820	N/A	N/A
74. Sovereign	Troop Transport	Oct. 18, 1814	Sovereign Cove
75. Stella Maris	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
76. Sibylle	N/A	Sep. 11. 1834	Atlantic Cove	Ireland to Quebec
77. Thistle	Schooner	May 28, 1902	N/A	N/A
78. Turret Bay	Steamer	May 19, 1904	Jessie Cove	Coal, 9 saved
79. Vanguard	Barque	May 24, 1845	N/A	Crew Saved
80. Venesian	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
81. Vice Roy	N/A	Sept., 1855	Viceroy Cove	To Liverpool, timber
82. Wacusta	N/A	May 28, 1910	1 Mi. W of SW point	N/A
83. Warwick	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
84. Wild Wave	Ship	Sept. 7, 1870	N/A

Any information regarding St. Paul Island shipwrecks would be greatly appreciated.

The Sovereign

The Sovereign was wrecked on October 18, 1814 on the south side of St. Paul Island at a place that now bears her name, Sovereign Cove, just a little north of Atlantic Cove. Two days later Captain Kirby of the Transport ship Champion had observed smoke on the island, it induced him to approach and when he observed signal flags of distress he hove to and in consequence relieved the destitute survivors of the Sovereign�. The survivors arrived in Quebec on the 3rd of November. At the inquiry they stated that the ship was reduced to matchwood and went to pieces in 10 minutes. Her Master was S. Audus; she was owned by Barrack and Company, she was 373 tons and built in 1803. The Sovereign was en route from England to Quebec. It was also made known at the inquiry that the Sovereign also had on board a very large and very precious cargo of Mexican Silver Dollars, being shipped to Quebec to pay soldiers.

The following narrative was taken from the Quebec Mercury, Tuesday, November 8th 1814: �The loss of the Transport ship Sovereign bound from England to Quebec wrecked on the 18th of October last on the island of St. Paul in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The Sovereign sailed from Portsmouth on the 1st of September last under convoy of HMS Zealous. She had on board 9 officers and 186 solders of the 49th. 58th. and 81st regiments, 2 sergeants, 21 women and children, in all including the Captain, Mate and 19 seamen formed a total of 239 persons. Only 37 people were saved.�

21. HUBERT6 AUCOIN (ANSELME5, PIERRE4, JEAN3, MARTIN2, MARTIN1) was born Aft. 1785, and died Bef. 1842 in �le Saint-Paul, Cape North, Inverness County, Nova Scotia144. He married MARIE-MAGDEL�NE BOIS July 25, 1812 in Ch�ticamp, Inverness County, Nova Scotia145, daughter of R�GIS BOIS and APPOLINE ARSENAULT. She was born Abt. 1800145, and died Unknown.

Notes for HUBERT AUCOIN: "Norberts father, Hubert Aucoin, married to Marie (� R�gis) Bois, had previously been the victim of a still more horrible death. Hubert Aucoin was probably the captain of the schooner. He and his companions left for the ice like the others. They did not return. No one had seen them. It is easy to imagine the desperate anxiety of the families involved for months, and even years, afterwards. The boat must have been broken up by the ice. The whole crew was lost. Hubert Aucoin must have clung to an ice floe which brought him to land on �le Saint-Paul (St. Paul's Island) at Cape North. A vessel, some years later, found his bones with this inscription: 'Hubert Aucoin, son of Anselme Aucoin, dead from hunger and thirst. If you find my body, please bury it.'"