340 years ago, the future English King James II almost died in a shipwreck when his frigate HMS Gloucester sank off the coast of East England. Now divers have discovered the wreck of the famous ship and recovered numerous objects belonging to the noble passengers, the crew and the ship’s equipment. According to historians, the discovery of the Gloucester is one of the most important wreck finds in British history.
At the beginning of May 1682, James Stuart, later King James II, boarded the frigate Gloucester together with parts of his court in the English port of Portsmouth. The aim was to sail to Edinburgh to bring his heavily pregnant wife to London. But the ship ran aground off the coast of the east English county of Norfolk after James, who had previously been First Admiral in the English fleet, had previously argued with the captain about the course. Within an hour, the Gloucester sank at sea, killing a good 120 sailors and passengers. James Stuart stayed on board to the last, narrowly escaping death.
Historically momentous shipwreck
It was a catastrophe that almost changed the history of England. Because if James Stuart had died, this would have prevented the already controversial succession of this Catholic king at a time of strong religious and political conflicts – with potentially far-reaching consequences. Even so, the circumstances and causes of this shipwreck provided plenty of material for interpretation and conspiracy theories. “Political expediency and partisan interests continued to shape who was blamed for the tragedy for weeks, months and years afterwards,” explains Claire Jowitt, a naval historian at the University of East Anglia. “The sinking of HMS Gloucester became a key event in the Duke’s political fortunes and reputation.”
It is still unclear whether James Stuart, Duke of York, was to blame for the sinking of the ship. There were plenty of eyewitnesses because the HMS Gloucester was traveling with a whole fleet of escort ships. The reports about the dispute between the duke and the ship’s captain differ, as does the assessment of the navigation decisions made at the time. Despite the enormous importance of the sinking of the ship and thus also the wreck, it remained unclear exactly where the royal frigate had sunk. Previous dives have searched in vain for the wreck. The two divers and hobby historians Lincoln and Julian Barnwell were initially unsuccessful: “It was already our fourth diving season in which we were looking for the Gloucester,” says Lincoln Barnwell. “We thought we’d never find her again.”
(Video: University of East Anglia)
First a cannon, then the rest of the wreck
But in 2007 the time had finally come: “As I was sinking to the bottom of the sea, I suddenly saw a large cannon lying on the white sand – that was impressive and really beautiful.” His brother Julian adds: “We were quickly confident that it was about Gloucester was acting, but there are other wrecks out there with guns, so that had to be confirmed.” It wasn’t until 2012, when the ship’s bell from the wreck, broken lengthways in half and half covered in sand, was discovered and recovered that it was clear that it was actually HMS Gloucester. Due to the enormous historical importance of this find, however, it was kept secret until a few days ago in order not to endanger the shipwreck lying in international waters and the salvage of the finds.
In recent years, underwater archaeologists have recovered countless pieces of ship’s equipment, everyday objects, personal effects and even shoes and clothing from the wreck, in addition to the ship’s bell and cannons. Among the finds are 340-year-old wine bottles, some still corked – their contents could reveal what was drunk on board the royal frigate at the time. One of the bottles bears the coat of arms of the Legge family – ancestors of the first US President George Washington – embossed in the glass. The motifs of the coat of arms are used as a model for the later US flag with the stripes and stars. These and other finds provide valuable insights into the historically significant period.
Significant find
According to historians and underwater archaeologists, the Gloucester discovery is a significant find in every respect. “Because of the circumstances of her sinking, this can be considered the most significant maritime discovery since the 1982 salvage of the ‘Mary Rose,'” explains Jowitt. “The discovery could fundamentally change the understanding of the social, political and maritime history of the 17th century.” You and your colleagues will now investigate the circumstances of the shipwreck in their own research project. Findings from the wreck will play an important role.
“The full story of the Gloucester’s final voyage and the impact of her sinking must now be retold,” Jowitt said. “We also want to try to find out who died there and also tell the story of these victims, because so far only a small part of the dead from that time is known.”
Source: University of East Anglia