Historic Gold Watch from 165-Year-Old Lake Michigan Shipwreck Finally Recovered and Returned Home
Herbert Ingram’s lost pocket watch, missing for 165 years since the Lady Elgin sinking, has finally been returned to his hometown of Boston, England.
More than a century and a half after the tragic sinking of the Lady Elgin in 1860, a remarkable piece of history has made its way home. The gold pocket watch belonging to British journalist and politician Herbert Ingram, who perished in the disaster alongside his young son, was returned to his hometown in England this May, reuniting a lost artifact with its community and legacy.
The Lady Elgin, a luxurious sidewheel steamer, went down on September 8, 1860, after colliding with a schooner near Winnetka, Illinois during a fierce storm over Lake Michigan. The disaster claimed the lives of more than 300 passengers, making it one of the deadliest incidents in the Great Lakes' maritime history. Herbert Ingram, founder of the London Illustrated News and prominent member of Parliament, was among those lost. His body was later recovered and returned to Boston, Lincolnshire, where he was laid to rest and is still commemorated today.
For over 130 years, Ingram’s gold pocket watch lay undisturbed on the lakebed, preserved by the cold, low-oxygen environment beneath Lake Michigan’s surface. It was only in 1992 that the watch was discovered by divers exploring the scattered wreckage. Despite its recovery, the artifact remained in the United States for decades until its story took a new turn this year.
Valerie Van Heest, co-founder of the Michigan Shipwreck Research Association, helped bring renewed attention to the watch and its rightful place in England. Recognizing the historical and emotional significance, she facilitated its donation to the Boston Guildhall Museum—who coincidentally were preparing an exhibit about Herbert 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,” said Van Heest, describing the event as an “extraordinary, serendipitous occurrence.”
Boston, Lincolnshire, where Ingram remains a celebrated figure, welcomed the return of the timepiece with reverence and pride. Local councilor Sarah Sharpe highlighted the symbolic value of the artifact’s return, calling it “really special and important” for the town and its people. The museum marked the occasion on May 24 with ceremonies at Ingram’s memorial and exhibits honoring his enduring contributions to journalism—and to the town itself.
“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 declared in a statement. The exhibition attracted visitors and locals alike, serving as a poignant reminder that history is alive and ticking in the heart of Boston, echoing across generations through stories of loss, discovery, and remembrance.
