160-year-old historic gold watch discovered from Lake Michigan returns to its hometown in England
A touching relic from one of the most fatal maritime disasters on Lake Michigan has finally made its way back home. The gold pocket watch of Herbert Ingram, a well-known British journalist and politician, went missing when the steamship Lady Elgin sank in 1860.
It has been brought back to Ingram's hometown in England after spending over a century and a half at the bottom of the lake's cold waters, linking history, tragedy, and legacy. Beyond being a mere timepiece, the gold pocket watch symbolises the endurance of memory and the bridging of continents through shared history.
Source: BBC
Herbert Ingram's gold pocket watch went missing in 1860s
On September 8, 1860, the Lady Elgin, a steamship with hundreds of passengers aboard, sailed into a violent storm close to Winnetka, Illinois.
During the tempest, it rammed into a schooner, and the ship went down quickly in the icy waters of Lake Michigan. More than 300 people died in the disaster, among them Herbert Ingram and his son, who both lost their lives before they could be rescued. The disaster is still one of the worst maritime tragedies in the region's history.
Herbert Ingram was not a typical passenger, but he was a historical figure of prominence. As the creator of the London Illustrated News, Ingram transformed journalism by adding pictures to words, establishing the world's first pictorial newspaper.
He was also a Member of Parliament, thus being a powerful voice in British politics and media during the 19th century. His work earned him a renowned name in his birthplace, Boston, Lincolnshire, where a statue honors his memory.
Gold pocket watch discovered
and brought back to his hometown
The gold pocket watch was discovered in 1992 by scuba divers surveying the strewn wreckage of the Lady Elgin, which rests out on a mile-long stretch of lake bottom. Valerie Van Heest, a maritime historian and founder of the Michigan Shipwreck Research Association, called the watch an 'extraordinary find'.
Strangely, the cold and oxygen-starved environment of Lake Michigan also kept the watch's sensitive mechanisms and case intact for more than 160 years, rendering it an irreplaceable piece of history.
Source: BBC
Although the watch was discovered in the United States, it had been inaccessible to the public for decades before being transferred to a historian in May 2025 for research. John Van Fleet, realizing the historical and emotional significance of the watch, bought and donated the watch to the Boston Guildhall Museum.
This gift was well-timed, as the museum was in the process of preparing an exhibit in honor of Herbert Ingram.
The watch gave a physical link to Ingram's existence and the devastating sinking, adding depth to the exhibit with an intimate artifact.
According to New York Post reports, the watch's return was commemorated by the people of Boston on May 24, 2025, through activities celebrating Ingram's life and legacy. Councilor Sarah Sharpe called the event "special and important," given the emotional and historical importance of the repatriation of the watch. The museum honour took the form of ceremonies at the graveside and at the memorial statue of Ingram, and storytelling sessions that celebrated his accomplishments and the human toll of the Lady Elgin disaster.
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