In 1758, the British deported the Acadians from Île Saint-Jean, today's Prince Edward Island. Some ships, like the Duke William and the Violet, were shipwrecked during this Deportation. In December 1758, the two ships claimed the lives of hundred of Acadians when they sank in the Atlantic. At the start of their journey the two ships sailed together, but they eventually lost sight of each other and were separated for a few weeks. When they finally met back up, Captain Sugget of the Violet discussed the bad condition of his ship with Captain Nichols of the Duke William. The next day, December 12, 1758, the Duke William's passengers sadly realized that the Violet had sunk in the Atlantic Ocean. The Oudy family completely disappeared in that tragedy. The passengers of the Duke William desperately tried to save their own ship from sinking in its turn, but to no avail. On December 13, 1758, the Duke William also sank. The shipwrecks of the Duke William and the Violet represent one of the saddest events of the Deportation.