Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

REMAINS OF A VESSEL, CANNON FIND SUGGESTS LOST POST 1636

Monument Types

• WRECK (find dated to 1636, Post Medieval - 1636 AD to 1636 AD (post))

Full description

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The evidence below have all been obtained from (1).
Method of Fix: 5 Horizontal Datum: OGB Vertical Datum: LAT Quality of Depth: SWS 27-FEB-1962 Foul, least depth 29ft, in 51 29 42.0N, 000 44 06.0E. Cannon, dated 1636, recovered from site.

31-JUL-1979 Shown as wreck 8.5m.

31-AUG-1979 Examined in 51 29 43.0N, 000 44 06.5E. Drift swept - clear at 10m, foul at 10.2m, least echosounder depth 10.5m in general depth 11.5m. Scour depth 12.8m. Appears to have disintegrated further since last examination. Good fouls obtained only on the flood. Referred to as the "King".

09-APR-1990 Examined. Least echosounder depth obtained 10.8m in general depth 12m. Scour depth 13.5m.

From the National Heritage List for England:

Believed to be the London, a second rate 'Large Ship' built in Chatham in 1654 during the Interregnum. She is known to have participated in the First Dutch War (1652-4) and later formed part of an English Squadron sent to collect Charles II from the Netherlands and restore him to his throne in an effort to end the anarchy which followed the death of Cromwell in 1658. The London blew-up on passage from Chatham in March 1665. A second area of wreckage, known for many years as the King from a cannon recovered from the vicinity, is most likely part of the London.

The London was a Second Rate 'Large Ship' built in Chatham in 1654 during the Interregnum. She is known to have participated in the First Dutch War (1652-4) and later formed part of an English Squadron sent to collect Charles II from the Netherlands and restore him to his throne in an effort to end the anarchy which followed the death of Cromwell in 1658. The London blew-up on passage from Chatham in March 1665.

Designation History: Designation Order: (No 2), No 2775, 2008 Made: 21st October 2008 Laid before Parliament: 23rd October 2008 Coming into force: 24th October 2008 Protected area: Two areas bounded by straight lines whose corners lie at the points specified below:

Area 1:

NW Point: 51 29.7477 N 000 44.3802 E NE Point: 51 29.7435 N 00044.4159 E SE Point: 51 29.7240 N 000 44.4091 E SW Point: 51 29.7287 N 000 44.3734 E

Area 2:

NW Point: 51 29.7622 N 000 43.9862 E NE Point: 51 29.7532 N 000 44.0506 E SE Point: 51 29.7244 N 000 44.0408 E SW Point: 51 29.7334 N 000 43.9764 E

No part of the restricted area lies above the high-water mark of ordinary spring tides.

Documentary History: The fact that the Navy had sided with Parliament against the Crown was one of the decisive elements of the English Civil War. The London was constructed during a period when the Commonwealth needed to build up a strong navy to ensure its own survival, particularly as the Navy was already involved in a limited war with France over its right to prevent trade with the Royalist outposts in the Channel Islands, Isles of Scilly and in Ireland.

Following the successful construction of seven frigates between 1645 and 1647, the Parliamentary Commission for the Admiralty began to order new vessels over the next few years as the frigates were found to be lacking in 'accommodation for men of war.' The Commission devised the original Articles of War and provided room for the Navy to convoy merchantmen for the first time. By taking over of responsibility for the safety of merchant vessels at sea, the link between the British Navy and the British Empire was forged.

It is recorded that Cromwell's Navy, even more that the celebrated army, had made him feared and courted throughout Europe. Quickly recognising the potential of the Navy, Parliament turned the fleet against its commercial rivals, the Dutch.

In 1652 during the First Dutch War (1652-1654), Parliament ordered the building of ten new Second Rate ships, of which only three (including the London) were eventually completed. These ships were an enlargement and a modernisation of the Jacobean Great Ship design and influenced the future design of 90-gun Second Rates, such as the Association (lost of the Isles of Scilly in 1707). However, Despite ten being ordered, the London was one of only three completed Second Rate 'Large Ships' on the Ship List of 1642-1660; the other two vessels being the Richard (built 1658; re-named Royal James at the Restoration; burnt 1667) and Dunbar (built 1656; re-named Henry at the Restoration; burnt 1682).

Early in the First Dutch War (1652-4), the Navy had leave to take up to a quarter of the crews of outward-bound ships in the Downs. Colliers, whose seamen were reputed the best, were always a favourite target. A fleet of colliers entering the Thames in April 1653 found the formidable Commissioner Bourne waiting in the London. Bourne fired forty or fifty shots to make the more 'insolent' skippers drop anchor and then combed the ships for recruit.

The London is known to have formed part of an English Squadron sent to collect Charles II from the Netherlands and restore him to his throne in an effort to end the anarchy which followed the death of Cromwell in 1658.

The loss of the London was recorded by Samuel Pepys in his diary entry for March 8th 1665; '...This morning is brought me to the office the sad newes of "The London," in which Sir J. Lawson's men were all bringing her from Chatham to the Hope, and thence he was to go to sea in her; but a little a'this side the buoy of the Nower, she suddenly blew up. About 24 [men] and a woman that were in the round-house and coach saved; the rest, being above 300, drowned: the ship breaking all in pieces, with 80 pieces of brass ordnance. She lies sunk, with her round- house above water. Sir J. Lawson hath a great loss in this of so many good chosen men, and many relations among them.'

Archaeological History: In early 1962, a bronze cannon dated to 1636 was recovered from the King site. This cannon remains on display at the Royal Armouries, Fort Nelson. A magnetometer search for the London was undertaken in 1985 discovered the site but concluded that it 'appears to have too large an iron content to be a 17th century vessel. Requires further investigation'. The site lies at a general depth of 12m. (1)

Two adjacent sites (known respectively as the London and King) were subject to staged archaeological assessment as part of ongoing mitigation for the London Gateway project, River Thames. Dendrochronological assessment of the London in 2005 noted a disturbed concentration of timbers, including both planking and framing elements while assessment of the King site revealed the presence of disturbed fragments of wood over a wide area, with a concentration of timber around a single cannon found lying proud of the seabed and overlying a number of timbers.

Archaeological assessment of the sites was undertaken on behalf of the Port of London Authority in October 2007 (these results were made available to English Heritage in July 2008). The objectives of the investigation were to establish the presence or absence of cannon on the site, identify exposed archaeological features and to assess the risk of destruction or salvage of exposed archaeological features. A series of artefacts were identified and recovered to the surface, and the diver noted that there was an abundance of loose material on the river bed in a remarkably well preserved state. This suggests that the site has been recently disturbed. No cannons were seen during the investigation. However, visibility was very poor and the absence of any form of acoustic tracking means that the extents of the diver's search area is uncertain, and it is likely the entire site was not inspected.

Recorded for television, a small timber was recovered and linear planks could be felt by the diver. The Port of London Authority had recovered part of a musket, a gun carriage wheel and a deadeye from this site. The television programme also mentioned cannon previously recovered from this site.

In October 2007, English Heritage received notification that two bronze guns were salvaged from the site of the London or the King. These guns are described as being 'particularly important' by the Keeper of Artillery at the Royal Armouries; one gun in particular is the only known piece by the noted London gun-founder Peter Gill. It is recorded that the London had 76 'brass' guns fitted and nine were recovered prior to 1700. Clearly, further ordnance may exist on site.

Position relates to Protected Wreck Site

Wessex Archaeology, 2010, East of England Designated Wrecks: Marine Geophysical Survey and Interpretation (Unpublished document). SKE18262.

<1> Hydrographic Office wreck index, Extracted 21-JAN-1993, Page Nos. N/a (Bibliographic reference). SKE6339.

Sources and further reading

Related records