HMS GLOUCESTER

joemasonspage

Mar 30

The early 1680s had seen over twenty years since the monarchy was restored in England. When King Charles II had come to the throne he inherited a Navy of over 150 ships, which had been built up under Oliver Cromwell. This was the beginning of the Royal Navy, and so the Gloucester represents a pivotal point in the development of Britain's sea power. The Gloucester was wrecked on 6th of May 1682, when she hit a sandbank off the coast of Yarmouth and quickly sank. This was no ordinary voyage; HMS Gloucester was taking the future King James II to Edinburgh, where his pregnant wife was due to meet him. The ship was laden with wine, pipes, tobacco, musical instruments and noblemen intent on having a good time of celebration.

Having set off from Portsmouth, the Duke of York (James Stuart) was accompanied by a flotilla of vessels, including a smaller craft containing Samuel Pepys, who was Secretary to the Admiralty. He was thus responsible for the early progress of the newly established "Royal" Navy. It was obviously one of his duties to accompany the Duke of York on his progress to Scotland by sea. By this date he had stopped writing his diary, otherwise it would have included a detailed account of his witnessing the disaster.

A boat was launched to take the King's brother to safety in Yarmouth. Also aboard the rowing boat was a thirty-two year old John Churchill (later to be created Duke of Marlborough for his Generalship). At the time he was an Member of Parliament, working to smooth the path of James back into favour following his conversion to Catholicism. John Churchill's way into James's circle had come about through his sister Arabella having a long standing affair with James, which produced several offspring. There is nothing new about the issue of sexual politics!

All this happened on a breezy May morning in 1682. The great and good who had been aboard (those who survived the North Sea) dispersed to their occupations elsewhere in the kingdom, but all the high quality merchandise settled into the sands with the wrecked boat off the coast of Norfolk, where they were to remain undisturbed until 2007. It was them that a team of divers discovered wreck. The wine bottles, glasses, beer tankards, bangles, bracelets, even the delicate fabric collars and petticoats (preserve in wooden chests) have been painstakingly lifted from the sea bed and conserved. These are currently on display in an exhibition in Norwich Castle Museum.

The Gloucester was a third rate frigate, launched in 1654 on the river Thames, built at a cost of £5,473. She was 117 feet long and had 50 (later increased to 57) guns. At the time of her sinking she had over 500 people on board, but this was because she had an exceptional number of passengers; normally she had up to 340 officers and ratings as crew. She had participated in the Battle of Sole Bay (off Southwold) on the 28th of May 1672, where the French and English fleets fought the Dutch. Despite heavy loss of life there was no clear winner of the engagement. The Duke of York, who was in overall command of the allies had his quarters in Sutherland House in the town, though for the battle itself he was at sea.

JOSEPH MASON

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