Identification & Site Information

• Vessel Name(s): Gordon Jerry (also referenced as Jerry, Gordon)
• Official Number: 88628
• Built: 1884
• Final Disposition: Burned and destroyed
• Date of Loss: 10 October 1906
• Location: Ward Island, Toronto Harbour, Lake Ontario
• Coordinates: Not specifically recorded
• Cause of Loss: Fire (intentional or accidental not stated)
• Casualties: None documented

Vessel Type

• Type: Scow Schooner (converted to small Steamer by 1889)
• Configuration: 1 Deck, 2 masts
• Propulsion: Initially sail, later a high-pressure 14″ x 14″ single-cylinder steam engine (installed during 1889 Rebuild)
• Construction: Wooden Hull
• Builder: Jerry Duprey
• Built at: Ruscom River, Ontario
• Built on: Remains of the Grace Amelia (1874)

Vessel Specifications

• Length: 102 ft (31.1 m)
• Beam: 24.7 ft (7.5 m)
• Depth: 6.1 ft (1.86 m)
• Gross Tonnage: 109.75
• Net Tonnage: 109.75 (as Schooner), later 123.79 gross / 84.18 net as Rebuilt Steamer

Vessel History

• 1884 (Nov 14): Registered at Windsor, Ontario.
• 1889 (Sept 4): Re-registered Windsor after Conversion to Steamer. Owners included Emily Dupre (Rochester Twp.) and Alfred E. Beesen (Windsor). Fitted with 14″x14″ engine built in 1875 by Ronald & Co., Chatham.
• 1890s: Active in Great Lakes bulk trade, especially coal and salt. Routes included Cleveland (OH) to Chatham (ONT) and Meaford deliveries.
• 1905 (Fall): Stranded and Abandoned in Lake Ontario.
• 1906 (Oct 10): Destroyed by fire while grounded at Ward Island, Toronto Harbour.
• 1911 (Dec 26): Registry officially closed.

Final Disposition Details

• Date: 10 October 1906
• Location: Ward Island, Toronto Harbour
• Condition: Total Loss due to fire. Likely already out of service when burned.
• Registry Closed: 26 December 1911

Resources & Citations

• Primary Source Collection: C. Patrick Labadie Collection
• Canadian Register of Shipping (Windsor District)
• Great Lakes Marine Histories and Re-registrations (Windsor / Chatham)
• Propulsion Source: Ronald & Co. steam engine registry, Chatham, Ontario
• Rebuild Record (1889): Ontario Marine Archive Enrollments
• Related Hull (Grace Amelia, 1874): Not to be confused with Grace Amelia (1836)—this Schooner served as structural base

NOTMARs & Hazard Advisories

• None Noted: No known submerged remains or navigational hazards present; no active Notice to Mariners.

Wreck Site Status

• Unconfirmed Location: No diver surveys or sonar charting located. Potential buried or fragmented remains near Ward Island, Toronto.

Historical Significance

The Gordon Jerry is an unusual example of Hull recycling, having been constructed atop the remnants of another Schooner (Grace Amelia, 1874). Converted to steam by 1889, she represents a transitional vessel type common on Canadian inland routes in the late 19th century. Despite modest size, she carried bulk cargo and adapted to changing trade routes. Her abandonment and destruction at Ward Island is indicative of many low-value hulls near the end of steam’s early era.

Keywords & Categories

• Region: Lake Ontario
• Vessel Type: Scow Schooner → Steam Scow
• Propulsion: Sail → Steam
• Cause of Loss: Fire (likely post-abandonment)
• Material: Wood
• Period: 1880s–1900s
• Diving Difficulty: Unknown / Possibly no remains
• Historic Notes: Built atop older vessel, multiple reuses