AH-WR-0480

John

Merchant Ship · United States · Lost 1797 · Delaware Bay & the Approaches

A transatlantic immigrant ship ran aground on Christmas Eve 1797 near the Cohansey River, giving Delaware Bay's Ship John Shoal its name.

Become Captain of Record See Shipwreck on Map

Artistic recreation based on recorded historical documents. See the documented evidence.

Interpretive Reconstruction, drawn to convey the vessel's era, type and general form. See the documented evidence.

The Vessel and Her Loss

The ship John, carrying more than fifty German passengers and a cargo of European manufactured goods from Hamburg to Philadelphia, ran hard aground on Christmas Eve 1797 near the mouth of the Cohansey River in Delaware Bay. Passengers were safely put ashore and taken to Greenwich, New Jersey, while the captain and crew worked with local residents to save the cargo. Winter ice on the bay eventually sliced through the stranded hull, sealing the ship's loss. The nearby shoal was later named Ship John Shoal in her memory, and a lighthouse still bears the name.

Vessel

Built: Not established
Builder: Not established
Yard: Not established
Material: Wood
Length: Not established
Beam: Not established
Tonnage: Not established
Propulsion: Sail
Owners: Not established

Loss

Date: December 24, 1797
Cause: Grounding
Location: Unnamed shoal near the entrance to the Cohansey River, Delaware Bay
Water: Delaware Bay
Voyage: Hamburg, Germany → Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Cargo: Linen, glass, rope, copper nails, gin, and German toys
Aboard: Not established
Lives lost: Not established
Master: Robert Folger

The Wreck Today

Depth: Not established
Condition: Not established
Orientation: Not established
Discovered: Not established
Protection: Not established

Position

Coordinates: 39.31° N 75.38° W
Accuracy: Approximate position
Nearest: Cohansey River entrance, Delaware Bay, New Jersey
Region: Delaware Bay & the Approaches

The ship John wrecked on the previously unnamed shoal that was subsequently named Ship John Shoal after her; position given is the charted location of Ship John Shoal Light, which marks the shoal, per lighthouse historical sources, and is an approximation of the loss site rather than a surveyed wreck position.