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Dei Gratia (brigantine)
Encyclopedia
Dei Gratia was a Canadian brigantine
built in Bear River, Nova Scotia
in 1871. The brigantine was named after the Latin
phrase for "By the Grace of God
". Dei Gratia became famous in 1872 when, under the command of David Reed Morehouse, she discovered the mystery ship Mary Celeste
found sailing abandoned without any crew near the Azores
. Morehouse and his crew took the derelict Mary Celeste to Gibraltar
and claimed the brigantine as salvage. They were at first subjected to suspicion by Gilbraltar's Attorney General but the Vice Admiralty Court later approved their salvage and commended the crew of Dei Gratias for their resourcefulness and courage. The salvage award for recovering the mysterious brigantine of about $8,300 was diminished by the high court costs of the long inquiry. Dei Gratia was sold to Irish owners in 1881. She was wrecked at Black Rock, Dale, Pembrokeshire
after breaking her moorings in a southeast storm on 27th Dec 1907. The original ship portrait of Dei Gratia is preserved at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic
in Halifax, Nova Scotia
.
Brigantine
In sailing, a brigantine or hermaphrodite brig is a vessel with two masts, only the forward of which is square rigged.-Origins of the term:...
built in Bear River, Nova Scotia
Bear River, Nova Scotia
Bear River is a small village situated at the head of the tidewaters of the Bear River. The river itself is the border between the Annapolis and Digby counties of Nova Scotia and thus, splits the village so that half the village is in one county and the other half in the other.The village is...
in 1871. The brigantine was named after the Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
phrase for "By the Grace of God
By the Grace of God
By the Grace of God is an introductory part of the full styles of a monarch taken to be ruling by divine right, not a title in its own right....
". Dei Gratia became famous in 1872 when, under the command of David Reed Morehouse, she discovered the mystery ship Mary Celeste
Mary Celeste
The Mary Celeste was an American brigantine merchant ship famous for having been discovered on 4 December 1872, in the Atlantic Ocean unmanned and apparently abandoned , despite the fact that the weather was fine and her crew had been experienced and able...
found sailing abandoned without any crew near the Azores
Azores
The Archipelago of the Azores is composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, and is located about west from Lisbon and about east from the east coast of North America. The islands, and their economic exclusion zone, form the Autonomous Region of the...
. Morehouse and his crew took the derelict Mary Celeste to Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
and claimed the brigantine as salvage. They were at first subjected to suspicion by Gilbraltar's Attorney General but the Vice Admiralty Court later approved their salvage and commended the crew of Dei Gratias for their resourcefulness and courage. The salvage award for recovering the mysterious brigantine of about $8,300 was diminished by the high court costs of the long inquiry. Dei Gratia was sold to Irish owners in 1881. She was wrecked at Black Rock, Dale, Pembrokeshire
Dale, Pembrokeshire
Dale is a small village and community in Pembrokeshire, West Wales, located on the Dale Peninsula which forms the northern side of the entrance to Milford Haven estuary. The village has 205 inhabitants according to the 2001 census.-History:...
after breaking her moorings in a southeast storm on 27th Dec 1907. The original ship portrait of Dei Gratia is preserved at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic
Maritime Museum of the Atlantic
The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic is a Canadian maritime museum located in downtown Halifax, Nova Scotia.The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic is a member institution of the Nova Scotia Museum and is the oldest and largest maritime museum in Canada with a collection of over 30,000 artifacts...
in Halifax, Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
.