LONDON –
Researchers and historians tell the world about the discovery of the remains of a royal warship that sank in 1682 while carrying a future king of England, Ireland and Scotland.
HMS Gloucester, traveling from the South of England to Scotland, got stuck while driving along the sandy shores near the town of Great Yarmouth on the east coast of England. It sank within an hour, killing approximately 130 to 250 crew and passengers.
James Stewart, the son of King Charles I, survives. He continued to rule as King James II of England and Ireland and as James VII of Scotland from 1685 to 1688, when he was overthrown by the Glorious Revolution.
Gloucester’s remains were found in 2007 by brothers Julian and Lincoln Barnwell and others after a four-year search. He was firmly identified in 2012 with the opening of the ship’s bell.
The discovery was made public only on Friday due to the time needed to confirm the ship’s identity and the need to protect the historic site.
Claire Joyit, an expert in maritime history at the University of East Anglia, said the crash was “one of the most important” almost “moments in English history”. The sinking of Gloucester almost caused the death of the Catholic heir to the Protestant throne at a time of great political and religious tension in Britain.
“If he had died, we would have had very different British and European histories as a result,” Joyit said.
“I think this is a time capsule that offers the opportunity to learn so much about the life of a 17th century ship. The royal nature of the ship is absolutely amazing and unique, “she added.
She believes the wreckage is the most important marine discovery since the Mary Rose, the warship of King Henry VIII’s Tudor fleet. “Mary Rose” capsized with a crew of about 500 people in 1545 in Solent, a strait between the Isle of Wight and the mainland of Great Britain. A massive rescue operation brought him back to the surface in 1982.
There are currently no plans to erect the remains of Gloucester, as most of them are buried under sand.
“We just touched the tip of the iceberg,” said Julian Barnwell.
Artifacts rescued from the remains include clothing, shoes, navigation equipment and many bottles of wine. A bottle bears the seal of the Lege family, the ancestors of George Washington, the first president of the United States. The coat of arms was the forerunner of the flag of stars and stripes.
An exhibition is planned for next spring at the Norwich Castle Museum and Art Gallery to showcase the remains and share ongoing research.
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