HMS ANSON SHIPWRECK ARTEFACTS ARRIVE AT THE HISTORIC DOCKYARD
HMS ANSON SHIPWRECK ARTEFACTS ARRIVE AT THE HISTORIC DOCKYARD
The Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust is delighted to announce that, in partnership with Marine Archaeology Sea Trust (MAST), it will house a display of artefacts recovered from the shipwreck of HMS ANSON (1781).
SAVED FOR THE NATION
Formerly part of the Shipwreck Treasure Museum in Charlestown in Cornwall, these significant objects provide a fascinating glimpse into life aboard an early 19th-century Royal Navy ship.
Now known as the Marina Camrose Collection, it is the largest collection of material from historic wrecks in the United Kingdom.
Historic England considered the collection to be one of the largest bodies of material from English historic wrecks currently on public display, and likely to be the single largest body of publicly accessible material from protected wreck sites within English waters.
Included amongst it was:
- Some of the oldest shipwreck material recovered from the sea in the UK
- Material from some of the oldest known shipwrecks in the UK
- Material from 22% of English Protected Wrecks (the maritime equivalent of Ancient Monuments on land)
- The only publicly accessible material from many sites excavated in the early days of maritime archaeology in the UK
MAST were able to save the Protected Wreck collection when the museum closed its doors for a final time in 2025.
OBJECTS ON DISPLAY
The new artefacts arriving at The Historic Dockyard include various miscellaneous objects recovered from the shipwreck. There are several glass medicine bottles, with some still containing the remnants of ointments and remedies, copper sheathing from the ship’s hull, musket balls, telescope parts, and a leather shoe.
The items were recovered mostly intact by divers to the wreck site by divers.
ABOUT HMS ANSON
ANSON was launched at Plymouth as an Intrepid-class ship-of-the-line in 1781, carrying 64 guns. She was later reduced in size (or ‘razeed’) to a 44-gun frigate, before fighting in both the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars (including at the Battle of the Saintes in 1773).
While off Loe Bar in Cornwall in December 1807, ANSON was wrecked in a storm with great loss of life (estimated between 60 – 190 lives were lost).
Lasting Legacy
Treatment and looting of bodies of the unfortunate sailors in the aftermath led to the passing of the Burial of Drowned Persons Act 1808.
Local resident, Henry Trengrouse, witnessed the tragedy and later developed a rocket-based lifesaving system that went on to inspire the breeches buoy.
How to See the Display
The HMS ANSON artefacts will be on display in the Maritime Treasures gallery when No.1 Smithery reopens with the launch of the Ocean Photographer of the Year Exhibition on 28 March.
📸 Dive Image Credit: David GIBBINS
