Wreck of historic royal ship discovered off the English coast

[Kamaji]

Wreck of historic royal ship discovered off the English coast

Date:  June 9, 2022
Source:  University of East Anglia
Summary:  A royal shipwreck has been discovered off the English coast. The wreck is of one of the most famous ships of the 17th century -- The Gloucester -- which sank 340 years ago while carrying the future King of England, James Stuart. Since running aground on a sandbank on May 6, 1682, the wreck has lain half-buried on the seabed, its exact whereabouts unknown. It has now been found.

The wreck of one of the most famous ships of the 17th century -- which sank 340 years ago while carrying the future King of England James Stuart -- has been discovered off the coast of Norfolk in the UK, it can be revealed today.

Since running aground on a sandbank on May 6, 1682, the wreck of the warship the Gloucester has lain half-buried on the seabed, its exact whereabouts unknown until brothers Julian and Lincoln Barnwell, with their friend James Little, found it after a four-year search.

Due to the age and prestige of the ship, the condition of the wreck, the finds already rescued, and the accident's political context, the discovery is described by maritime history expert Prof Claire Jowitt, of the University of East Anglia (UEA), as the most important maritime discovery since the Mary Rose.

The Gloucester represents an important 'almost' moment in British political history: a royal shipwreck causing the very near-death of the Catholic heir to the Protestant throne at a time of great political and religious tension.

Now a major exhibition is planned for Spring 2023, the result of a partnership between the Barnwell brothers, Norfolk Museums Service, and academic partner UEA. Running from February to July at Norwich Castle Museum & Art Gallery, the exhibition will display finds from the wreck -- including the bell that confirmed the ship's identity -- and share ongoing historical, scientific and archaeological research.

*  *  *

Source:  https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/06/220609195006.htm

[Smokin Joe]

Wow!

[PeteS in CA]

Some quick chronological info:

The English civil war, in which Charles I lost his head was in the late 1640s and into the early 1650s.

Oliver Cromwell and his son governed Britain as "Lord Protector" in the 1650s.

After Parliament dissolved the Protectorate (the son was pretty inept), Charles II was restored to the throne in 1660 and reigned till 1685. This wreck is from that time period.

James II succeeded Charles II, who reigned for nearly 4 years, and was replaced by co-regnants William III and Mary II. James II was deposed because he was Catholic, and for some reason Parliament was still POed by the Spanish Armada, whose purpose was to restore Catholicism, and Bloody Mary's bloody reign.

James II was the last of the House of Stuart Kings (James I was the first). William and Mary were of the House of Orange. Mary outlived William, and when she died, her sister Anne reigned for about 5 years. Anne was succeeded by George I, the first of the Hanoverian Kings of England.

The latter half of the 17th Century was a stormy time for the British Monarchy.