The ill-fated Ruby, one of the ships…
December 1758 CE
The ill-fated Ruby, one of the ships used to deport Acadians from Île Saint-Jean (Prince Edward Island) to France as part of the Île Saint-Jean Campaign during the Seven Years' War, is dashed mercilessly against the treacherous rocks Pico Island in the Azores and sent to the ocean depths on December 16, 1758.
By that point, seventy-seven passengers had already perished due to disease.
By that point, seventy-seven passengers had already perished due to disease.
The shipwreck claimed the lives of one hundred and thirteen more passengers and three crew members.
Among the survivors—comprising one hundred and twenty prisoners and twenty-three crew—eighty-seven prisoners remained as they were transferred to the Portuguese Santa Catherina.
The vessel eventually arrived in Portsmouth on February 4, 1759.
From there, the remaining prisoners were shipped to Le Havre on February 10.
From there, the remaining prisoners were shipped to Le Havre on February 10.
The fate of the other prisoners and crew members remains shrouded in mystery.