The wreck of one of the most famous ships of the 17th century has been found off the coast of Norfolk in the UK.
The wreck of the Gloucester, which ran aground on a sandbank on May 6, 1682, has been half-buried on the sea since then, but its exact location has been a mystery.
The near-death of the Catholic heir to the Protestant throne at a time of great political and religious tension is one of the most important moments in British political history.
The partnership between the Barnwell brothers, Norfolk Museums Service, and UEA resulted in the creation of a major exhibition. The bell that confirmed the ship's identity will be on display in the exhibition at the museum.
Professor Jowitt is a co-curator of the exhibition. This is the most significant historic maritime discovery since the raising of the Mary Rose in 1982. The discovery promises to change the way historians view 17th-century social, maritime and political history.
It is an outstanding example of underwater culture. A tragedy of considerable proportions in terms of loss of life, both privileged and ordinary, the full story of the Gloucester's last voyage and the impact of its aftermath needs re-telling. We will try to find out who else died and tell their stories, as the identities of a few of the victims are known.
The Barnwell brothers are members of the school of history at UEA. As a child, Lincoln watched the lifting of the Mary Rose and was inspired to search for the wreck.
He said that it was their fourth dive season. We were starting to believe that we were not going to find her. The first thing I saw when I descended to the sea was a large cannon on the sand.
It was so exciting to be there. We were the only ones who knew where the wreck was. I will never forget that. The site was identified as the Gloucester.
When we searched for the Gloucester, we didn't know how significant she was. The Duke of York was on the plane, but that was it. There are other wreck sites with cannons that we were confident it was the Gloucester.
There is still a lot to be learned from the wreck, which will benefit Norfolk and the nation. We hope the discoveries will inspire future generations.
The deputy lieutenant of Norfolk is helping out with the historic rescue project. He works with charities that have links to the military.
"It's going to be Norfolk's Mary Rose," said Lord. History that could have changed the course of this nation has been touched by Lincoln andJulian. It is an amazing story. Our goal is to share that story with as many people as possible.
Limehouse in London was where the Gloucester was built. James Stuart, Duke of York, was going to Edinburgh in 1682 to collect his pregnant wife and their household items. It was hoped that they could return to London in time for the birth of a male heir.
The Duke and his retinue traveled by yacht from London to join the ship on its journey from Pompey. A dispute about navigating the Norfolk sandbanks caused the Gloucester to run aground in the early hours of May 6. The Duke had argued with the pilot over control of the ship.
The vessel sank with the loss of hundreds of people. The Duke had to delay abandoning the ship until the last moment.
The Duke of York was one of the courtiers carried by the Gloucester.
The harrowing experience for victims and survivors, with some picked up "half dead" from the water, was described by SamuelPepys in his own account.
The wreck of the Gloucester was found by the Barnwell brothers and two friends in 2007, with the hull submerged in sand.
In 2012 the Ministry of Defence and the Receiver of Wreck used the bell from the ship to identify it.
Due to the time taken to confirm the identity of the ship and the need to protect an at risk site, it is only now that its discovery can be made public. The wreck has been declared to Historic England.
The brothers took an underwater archaeology course.
Clothes and shoes, navigation gear, personal possessions, and wine bottles are some of the artifacts rescued and conserved.
The glass seal on the bottle is from the Legge family of George Washington. The flag was a descendant of the crest. There were some bottles with wine still inside that were unique.
The historical research project will look at the failures of command at sea before the Gloucester sank, as well as conspiracy theories about the tragedy.
Some of the finds from the wreck may be analyzed by UEA's scientific expertise.
All artifacts are the property of the Ministry of Defence, but where items are positively identified as personal property, ownership will be given to the Crown.
The National Museum of the Royal Navy is one of the partners involved in the landmark project. The project is being supported by two organizations.
The politics of a royal wreck is the subject of a new paper by a professor. The journal English Historical Review published it.
More information: The Last Voyage of the Gloucester (1682): The Politics of a Royal Shipwreck, English Historical Review (2022). DOI: 10.1093/ehr/ceac127
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