The wreck of the Nettie Woodward had great significance to Southampton and is often quoted as being the wreck that was the impetus for finally establishing Southampton’s life saving station. The Woodward’s ill-fated night was August 31, 1892. Laden with lumber the Woodward was on its way to Port Huron, when due to foul weather they sought refuge in Southampton’s port. Somewhere north of the Long Dock it foundered, due to rough waters. First Mate Joseph Greathead, and Seaman Nelson Mahan, both Southampton locals perished in the wreck. The rest of the crew clung to the mast for roughly ten hours before being rescued by Captain William Lambert, the lightkeeper of Chantry Island.
Newspapers of the time were often brief with stories, and through the research of local marine historians the story of the Nettie Woodward has been cobbled together. Once foundered, Joseph Greathead managed to get free of the wreck and was seen floating on a hatch. Sadly, his body washed up on shore the next morning, likely a victim of exhaustion and exposure. It was recorded that Nelson Mahan died of exposure in the captain’s arms, but then his body somehow disappeared and was later recovered in Oliphant midway through September. At the time of the wreck the Woodward was owned by locals Captain John Strong, John Greathead, and John Lowry of Brantford.
Newspapers also had scant details regarding the location of wreck, and through local stories and diving searches the location is thought to be known but is not wholly confirmed. In 1970 divers were searching the area for historic wrecks, however they did not positively identify the Woodward. Two of the divers believed to have seen its timbers however they were unable to put a marker buoy there and later could not relocate them.
In the Museum’s collection are pieces said to be from or thought to be from the schooner Nettie Woodward. These pieces were found at very different locations and donated between the 1950s and 1970s. One piece is a wooden ball spar top found at the mouth of the Saugeen River around 1905. If the Nettie Woodward went down north of the Long Dock, why would someone think this piece was from the Woodward?
That night in August was not the first time that the Nettie Woodward went aground in Southampton. In 1890, it sank at the mouth of the Saugeen River and was refloated/recovered. It was at this time that the schooner was purchased by Captain John Strong, and his original partner Philip Cress. If the spar top is from the Nettie Woodward, it would be from its first Southampton sinking, while the other items have the Lake Huron as their source, or no specific location mentioned.
