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Time of India
3 days ago
- General
- Time of India
160-year-old historic gold watch discovered from Lake Michigan returns to its hometown in England
Source: BBC 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. Also Read | 8 beautiful snakes you can spot in California's wildlands
New York Post
3 days ago
- General
- New York Post
Gold watch lost in Lake Michigan shipwreck 165 years ago returns home
When the Lady Elgin sank on Lake Michigan in 1860, British journalist and politician Herbert Ingram was lost to the deep, but 165 years later his pocket watch has returned home. The steamship quickly sank on Sept. 8, 1860, when it collided with a schooner during a storm off Winnetka, Illinois, killing more than 300 people, with many unable to make it to lifeboats before it went down. Advertisement Ingram and his son both died in the sinking with his gold watch going down with them. After the sinking, Ingram's body was recovered, and he was returned to England, and buried in his hometown of Boston in Lincolnshire. The pocket watch was discovered by divers in 1992, but remained in the U.S. until this May, when it was given to a historian to examine. 7 A gold watch belonging to British journalist and politician Herbert Ingram that was lost in the sinking of the Lady Elgin in 1860 has returned to England. FOX 17 WXMI Advertisement 7 The steamship sank on Sept. 8, 1860, after it collided with a schooner during a storm off Winnetka, Illinois, killing more than 300 people. Universal Images Group via Getty Images 7 The pocket watch was discovered by divers in 1992 and was given to a historian to examine last May. FOX 17 WXMI 'Back in 1992, when my team was documenting the remains of the Lady Elgin scattered over more than a mile of lake bottom, other divers were visiting the site,' Valerie Van Heest, co-founder of the Michigan Shipwreck Research Association who wrote 'Lost on the Lady Elgin,' told FOX 17. 'The location had leaked, and a trio of divers I have just recently learned, came upon a pocket watch. A gold pocket watch, an extraordinary discovery.' She added that Ingram was a 'member of Parliament. He was also the founder of the London Illustrated News, which was the first time a newspaper printed images in the paper. So he was really the founder of pictorial journalism.' Advertisement 7 According to Valerie Van Heest, author of 'Lost on the Lady Elgin,' Ingram was a 'member of Parliament. He was also the founder of the London Illustrated News, which was the first time a newspaper printed images in the paper.' Electric Egg Ltd. – 7 Ingram had the watch when he and his son both died in the sinking. FOX 17 WXMI 7 'A trio of divers I have just recently learned, came upon a pocket watch,' Van Heest said. 'A gold pocket watch, an extraordinary discovery.' FOX 17 WXMI Van Heest told BBC News she quickly realized that the watch 'doesn't belong in America. It belongs in Boston, England, where Herbert Ingram was from, where a statue of him still stands.' Advertisement Experts say the watch remained in relatively good condition while on the lake floor because of the lake's cold, low-oxygen environment, according to People magazine. Ingram is celebrated as the 'favorite son' of the Lincolnshire town where he was born and buried and where a statue of him stands. 7 Van Fleet bought the watch and donated it to the Boston Guildhall Museum, which was putting together an exhibit on Ingram at the time. FOX 17 WXMI Van Fleet bought the watch, then donated it to the Boston Guildhall Museum, which happened to be putting together an exhibit on Ingram at the time. 'They didn't have any physical artifacts, and here I was offering not only an artifact, but Herbert Ingram's personal watch,' Van Heest said. 'It was an extraordinary, serendipitous occurrence.' Councilor Sarah Sharpe, from Boston Borough Council told the BBC: 'The fact that this small part of him is coming back to his hometown to be displayed is really special and important.' The museum celebrated the watch's return on May 24, calling it a 'day to remember.' Advertisement 'Today, Boston came together to honour the life and legacy of Herbert Ingram — journalist, reformer, and one of our town's most influential figures — as his long-lost gold watch, recovered from the wreck of the Lady Elgin, was officially returned home,' the museum wrote on Facebook. 'From a private tribute at his grave, to the ceremonial handover at the Ingram Memorial, to the powerful stories shared at Boston Guildhall — every moment was filled with reflection, pride, and awe.' The museum added, 'Thank you to everyone who joined us today — in person and in spirit. Boston history is alive and ticking.'
Fox News
4 days ago
- General
- Fox News
Historic gold watch lost in deadly Lake Michigan shipwreck 165 years ago finally returns home
When the Lady Elgin sank on Lake Michigan in 1860, British journalist and politician Herbert Ingram was lost to the deep, but 165 years later his pocket watch has returned home. The steamship quickly sank on Sept. 8, 1860, when it collided with a schooner during a storm off Winnetka, Illinois, killing more than 300 people, with many unable to make it to lifeboats before it went down. Ingram and his son both died in the sinking with his gold watch going down with them. After the sinking, Ingram's body was recovered, and he was returned to England, and buried in his hometown of Boston in Lincolnshire. The pocket watch was discovered by divers in 1992, but remained in the U.S. until this May, when it was given to a historian to examine. "Back in 1992, when my team was documenting the remains of the Lady Elgin scattered over more than a mile of lake bottom, other divers were visiting the site," Valerie Van Heest, co-founder of the Michigan Shipwreck Research Association who wrote "Lost on the Lady Elgin," told FOX 17. "The location had leaked, and a trio of divers I have just recently learned, came upon a pocket watch. A gold pocket watch, an extraordinary discovery." She added that Ingram was a "member of Parliament. He was also the founder of the London Illustrated News, which was the first time a newspaper printed images in the paper. So he was really the founder of pictorial journalism." Van Heest told BBC News she quickly realized that the watch "doesn't belong in America. It belongs in Boston, England, where Herbert Ingram was from, where a statue of him still stands." Experts say the watch remained in relatively good condition while on the lake floor because of the lake's cold, low-oxygen environment, according to People magazine. Ingram is celebrated as the "favorite son" of the Lincolnshire town where he was born and buried and where a statue of him stands. Van Fleet bought the watch, then donated it to the Boston Guildhall Museum, which happened to be putting together an exhibit on Ingram at the time. "They didn't have any physical artifacts, and here I was offering not only an artifact, but Herbert Ingram's personal watch," Van Heest said. "It was an extraordinary, serendipitous occurrence." Councilor Sarah Sharpe, from Boston Borough Council told the BBC: "The fact that this small part of him is coming back to his hometown to be displayed is really special and important." The museum celebrated the watch's return on May 24, calling it a "day to remember." "Today, Boston came together to honour the life and legacy of Herbert Ingram — journalist, reformer, and one of our town's most influential figures — as his long-lost gold watch, recovered from the wreck of the Lady Elgin, was officially returned home," the museum wrote on Facebook. "From a private tribute at his grave, to the ceremonial handover at the Ingram Memorial, to the powerful stories shared at Boston Guildhall — every moment was filled with reflection, pride, and awe." The museum added, "Thank you to everyone who joined us today — in person and in spirit. Boston history is alive and ticking."
