Ann Harvey
Encyclopedia
Ann Harvey was a fisher and rescuer born near the small fishing community of Isle aux Morts
, Newfoundland, Canada
. Harvey, called "Grace Darling
of Newfoundland", is known for her bravery at the young age of seventeen for rescuing, along with her father, younger brother and a dog, 163 shipwrecked souls from the brig
Despatch
between 12–15 July 1828.
The Harveys lived, along with one or two other families, on a small, bare, rocky island near Isle aux Morts. George, born in Jersey
, moved to Newfoundland with his wife, where they had eight children, of whom Ann was the oldest.
Ann and her father were fishing as usual one early July morning when she sighted a keg
and a straw bed floating in the turbulent seas. They immediately realized a ship had been wrecked nearby. They fetched twelve-year-old Tom, George's oldest son, and their Newfoundland dog, Hairy Man, and launched their punt
. On a beach nearby they found six men who had survived the wreck and set out to find more survivors. They found a large group on a tiny island that would be thereafter known as Wreck Rock. This rock, three miles from shore, was barely large enough to hold the remaining survivors of the thirty or more who had died from exhaustion or washed away and drowned. They had gotten to this small rock by means of a mast they had cut away from the sinking vessel. George could get no closer than 100 feet of them due to the heavy seas. He threw a billet of wood to which the survivors attached a rope and George got his dog to swim for it. Each person was taken off the rock in this fashion.
Five more people died on the rock and ten more expired on land after their dramatic rescue. The waves remained merciless the entire time; two babies were swept from their mothers' arms. But from Sunday morning to Tuesday morning, more than 180 people were saved.
It was a challenge to feed the rescued, given their large numbers and the limited supplies the tiny community had available. The nearest merchants were many miles away in Jersey Harbour
and Harbour Breton
. Although Ann and her family did their best to feed and care for the survivors in the intervening days, the would-be immigrants were in a pitiful condition. There were few homes on Dead Island, so the Harveys and some of the survivors built lean-tos for shelter.
When Captain Grant of HMS Tyne
arrived about eight days later, after receiving word of the wreck, they found no bread, flour or tea left in the Harvey home, their winter provisions all gone. Grant replenished the food stocks of the Harveys and removed the survivors to Halifax
, where news of the heroism of Ann and her father travelled throughout the island. From Government House, Governor Thomas Cochrane
applied to the Royal Humane Society
for recognition of the family and a special medal was struck. Lloyd's of London
, the insurance agents, gave the Harveys the then princely sum of 100 pounds.
Ann's days as a rescuer were not over; ten years later on September 4, 1838, the Rankin was sailing from Glasgow
to Quebec
and went aground near the same spot as the Despatch. This time, she helped save the lives of twenty-five people.
For a time, Ann was known as the 'Grace Darling
of Newfoundland', after the Englishwoman who, with her father, saved seamen wrecked on the Northumberland
coast. On July 17, 1987, the Canadian Coast Guard
Ship Ann Harvey
was commissioned in memory of Ann's heroic deeds.
Isle aux Morts, Newfoundland and Labrador
Isle aux Morts is a small town on the Southwest Coast of the Island of Newfoundland, with a population of 813. It is an approximate 16 km drive from the Marine Atlantic Ferry Terminal in Port aux Basques...
, Newfoundland, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Harvey, called "Grace Darling
Grace Darling
Grace Horsley Darling was an English Victorian heroine who in 1838, along with her father, saved 13 people from the wreck of the SS Forfarshire.-Biography:...
of Newfoundland", is known for her bravery at the young age of seventeen for rescuing, along with her father, younger brother and a dog, 163 shipwrecked souls from the brig
Brig
A brig is a sailing vessel with two square-rigged masts. During the Age of Sail, brigs were seen as fast and manoeuvrable and were used as both naval warships and merchant vessels. They were especially popular in the 18th and early 19th centuries...
Despatch
Despatch (brig)
The Despatch was a brig noted for having shipwrecked near Isle aux Morts, Newfoundland, and for the subsequent heroic rescue of many of its passengers and crew. The Despatch was partly owned by William Lancaster of Workington, England...
between 12–15 July 1828.
The Harveys lived, along with one or two other families, on a small, bare, rocky island near Isle aux Morts. George, born in Jersey
Jersey
Jersey, officially the Bailiwick of Jersey is a British Crown Dependency off the coast of Normandy, France. As well as the island of Jersey itself, the bailiwick includes two groups of small islands that are no longer permanently inhabited, the Minquiers and Écréhous, and the Pierres de Lecq and...
, moved to Newfoundland with his wife, where they had eight children, of whom Ann was the oldest.
Ann and her father were fishing as usual one early July morning when she sighted a keg
Keg
A keg is a small barrel.Traditionally, a wooden keg is made by a cooper used to transport items such as nails, gunpowder., and a variety of liquids....
and a straw bed floating in the turbulent seas. They immediately realized a ship had been wrecked nearby. They fetched twelve-year-old Tom, George's oldest son, and their Newfoundland dog, Hairy Man, and launched their punt
Punt (boat)
A punt is a flat-bottomed boat with a square-cut bow, designed for use in small rivers or other shallow water. Punting refers to boating in a punt. The punter generally propels the punt by pushing against the river bed with a pole...
. On a beach nearby they found six men who had survived the wreck and set out to find more survivors. They found a large group on a tiny island that would be thereafter known as Wreck Rock. This rock, three miles from shore, was barely large enough to hold the remaining survivors of the thirty or more who had died from exhaustion or washed away and drowned. They had gotten to this small rock by means of a mast they had cut away from the sinking vessel. George could get no closer than 100 feet of them due to the heavy seas. He threw a billet of wood to which the survivors attached a rope and George got his dog to swim for it. Each person was taken off the rock in this fashion.
Five more people died on the rock and ten more expired on land after their dramatic rescue. The waves remained merciless the entire time; two babies were swept from their mothers' arms. But from Sunday morning to Tuesday morning, more than 180 people were saved.
It was a challenge to feed the rescued, given their large numbers and the limited supplies the tiny community had available. The nearest merchants were many miles away in Jersey Harbour
Jersey Harbour, Newfoundland and Labrador
Jersey Harbour was a small place in Fortune Bay. The Post Office was established in 1895. The first Postmistress was Mary White.The name "Jerseyman's Harbour" has also been used interchangeably with Jersey Harbour in various written records...
and Harbour Breton
Harbour Breton, Newfoundland and Labrador
Harbour Breton is a small fishing community on the Connaigre Peninsula in Fortune Bay, on the south coast of the island of Newfoundland in Canada. It is the largest center on the Connaigre Peninsula and was long considered the unofficial capital of Fortune Bay...
. Although Ann and her family did their best to feed and care for the survivors in the intervening days, the would-be immigrants were in a pitiful condition. There were few homes on Dead Island, so the Harveys and some of the survivors built lean-tos for shelter.
When Captain Grant of HMS Tyne
HMS Tyne
Six ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Tyne, after the River Tyne, England:*The first Tyne, launched in 1814, was a 28-gun sixth-rate.*The second Tyne 1826 was another 28-gun sixth-rate....
arrived about eight days later, after receiving word of the wreck, they found no bread, flour or tea left in the Harvey home, their winter provisions all gone. Grant replenished the food stocks of the Harveys and removed the survivors to Halifax
City of Halifax
Halifax is a city in Canada, which was the capital of the province of Nova Scotia and shire town of Halifax County. It was the largest city in Atlantic Canada until it was amalgamated into Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996...
, where news of the heroism of Ann and her father travelled throughout the island. From Government House, Governor Thomas Cochrane
Thomas Cochrane
Thomas Cochrane may refer to:*Thomas Cochrane, 8th Earl of Dundonald , Scottish nobleman and politician*Thomas Cochrane, 10th Earl of Dundonald , Marquis of Maranhão, naval officer and radical politician...
applied to the Royal Humane Society
Royal Humane Society
The Royal Humane Society is a British charity which promotes lifesaving intervention. It was founded in England in 1774 as the Society for the Recovery of Persons Apparently Drowned, for the purpose of rendering first aid in cases of near drowning....
for recognition of the family and a special medal was struck. Lloyd's of London
Lloyd's of London
Lloyd's, also known as Lloyd's of London, is a British insurance and reinsurance market. It serves as a partially mutualised marketplace where multiple financial backers, underwriters, or members, whether individuals or corporations, come together to pool and spread risk...
, the insurance agents, gave the Harveys the then princely sum of 100 pounds.
Ann's days as a rescuer were not over; ten years later on September 4, 1838, the Rankin was sailing from Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
to Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
and went aground near the same spot as the Despatch. This time, she helped save the lives of twenty-five people.
For a time, Ann was known as the 'Grace Darling
Grace Darling
Grace Horsley Darling was an English Victorian heroine who in 1838, along with her father, saved 13 people from the wreck of the SS Forfarshire.-Biography:...
of Newfoundland', after the Englishwoman who, with her father, saved seamen wrecked on the Northumberland
Northumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
coast. On July 17, 1987, the Canadian Coast Guard
Canadian Coast Guard
The Canadian Coast Guard is the coast guard of Canada. It is a federal agency responsible for providing maritime search and rescue , aids to navigation, marine pollution response, marine radio, and icebreaking...
Ship Ann Harvey
CCGS Ann Harvey
CCGS Ann Harvey is a Canadian Coast Guard Buoy tender and SAR vessel with Light icebreaker duties. She was constructed in 1987 by Halifax Dartmouth Industries, in Halifax, Nova Scotia....
was commissioned in memory of Ann's heroic deeds.