The wreck of one of the most famous ships of the 17th century, which sank 340 years ago on board the future king of England
Since he ran aground on May 6, 1682on a sandbank, the wreck of the warship Gloucester lay on the seabed. Their exact location was unknown until brothers Julian and Lincoln Barnwell and their friend James Little found it after a search that lasted four years.
Considering the age and prestige of the ship, the conditionwreckage, already salvaged finds and the political context of the accident, maritime history expert and professor Clare Jowitt from the University of East Anglia described the find as the most important maritime discovery since the recovery of the Mary Rose in 1982.
Ship's bell.
Credit: University of East Anglia
Gloucester represents an important momentin British political history: this shipwreck nearly led to the death of the Catholic heir to the Protestant throne at a time of great political and religious tension in the country.
Gloucester was commissioned in 1652.built at Limehouse in London and launched in 1654. In 1682 he was chosen to transport James Stewart, Duke of York, to Edinburgh to pick up his pregnant wife and their household. The goal is to return them to the court of King Charles II in London in time for the birth of a legitimate male heir.
The ship sailed from Portsmouth, and the Duke and his retinuejoined him at Margate, arriving by yacht from London. At 5:30 am on May 6, the Gloucester ran aground due to a dispute on board approximately 45 km from Great Yarmouth. Within an hour, the ship sank with the deaths of hundreds of crew and passengers. The Duke barely survived, delaying his escape from the ship until the last minute.
A major exhibition is planned for spring 2023,it will run from February to July at Norwich Castle Museum and Art Gallery. Finds from the wreck site will be presented there, including the bell by which the ship was identified. And also current historical, scientific and archaeological research.
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