Wednesday, 22 February 2023

The Kentledge of broken guns


 These are a few images taken by Ben Dunstan of what remains of the wreck of the Phoenix which sank here at Scilly in 1679. Ben is also the diver alongside the main pile of about 12 of the 16 broken guns that are down on the wreck.

So why are there no whole guns on the Phoenix site? 

The archives prove she was carrying these broken guns as ballast- "The Phoenix to sail with a Kentledge of broken guns" is how the East India Company described them. In the archives she is also described as a 30 gun ship- so where are all of her 30 main operational guns? Well these were either salvaged off the site just after she sank in 1679-or where never present to begin with- which I now believe is highly likely. This was not a vessel owned by the EiC. The Phoenix was only ever hired out to them by its Captain, whom was responsible for commissioning her to be built. When she was first constructed, Phoenix, would have been built to take operational cannon for protection- but an independent vessel didn't need to fight, and in most cases such ships could not get all the men needed to operate, in this case- 30 guns. They had too much competition, with regards to recruitment of men, from the Navy and from the EiC -whom both often resulted to the use of press gangs themselves. Therefore, Wildy, could probably only just about get enough sailors to sail his ship properly let alone man 30 guns.

This ship was not built as a fighting vessel, she was a trading vessel built for speed. Not only to get cargoes home quickly but also in order to evade any would be captors at sea. On her maiden voyage there is a report that she had an incident with a dutch ship aiming to capture her. Shots were fired and it is recorded that a few sailors aboard the Phoenix were injured. Captain Wildy was given a gratuity for any damage suffered and they were grateful that he successfully brought his cargo home under those circumstances. It sounds more like Wildy had simply set sail and made a run for it to evade capture by the dutch rather than having had a sea battle. The report does not say if Wildy ever fired any weapons.              
                                

At that time the Phoenix was brand new so was at her best. She was recorded as being the smallest ship to sail in that seasons trade fleet. Without operational guns she could carry more cargo than a normal to make up for her size. If she was owned by the EiC then she probably would have had a full accompaniment of guns and more crew to man them. But being privately owned this was not so easy to do and so unlikely that full gun crews were ever aboard. No trained gun crews would negate the need for guns.

Another factor to look at comes in the manner and way that the EiC had commanded Wildy to sail her to and from the east. Wildy was told- 'to keep well out to sea to evade capture'- they also told him to- 'avoid the usual routes and keep well out of sight of the African coast line and to get to the safety of St Helena', and to- 'form up with other ships into a fleet for the rest of the journey'. This advice was heeded by Wildy outwards and back. Had she been well armed and well manned maybe there would not be a need for such advice? Maybe she was one of those vessels that had all the appearances of a 30 gun ship but never actually was one in reality. It was all a front and quite a normal occurrence- especially for independent ships like her. I have read before that it was something that was sometimes adopted by the EiC with its own faster vessels later on in history. So why not earlier too?

Why is it that in the list of items saved from the wreck -and the other odd references to salvaged items too- there are no mentions of guns having been salvaged when 30 guns are clearly missing? The cargo belonged to the EiC, whereas Wildy owned everything else. Therefore it was not up to the EiC to salvage the ships guns unless they were asked to do so. That particular salvage operation was up to the ships owner- Wildy. Furthermore, had the EiC salvaged any guns then they should appear somewhere-but they are not in the list of items saved from the wreck -and no records of charges for the salvage of any guns- or-receipts for payment from Wildy for them being raised- or - payments or receipts with a salvage man for his services, in company minutes or their letter books. Yet the records are quite good for this later 17th c period in EiC historic documents.

                            

 We know there was a local salvage man present on Scilly at this time in-Thomas Ekins. So either Wildy had paid for the huge expense of raising them himself with someone like Ekins- and Ekins miraculously managed to salvage every single one of them-or that salvage operation never happened.

Lastly, even after heavy salvage, the majority of 17th century shipwrecks nearly always retain at least a few of their armament guns. This is because salvage was so primitive that far back. They fished them up from the surface only and unless the ship stayed perfectly upright, which is highly unlikely, then to get at those guns in the very bottom of the wreck was extremely difficult to do-hence we nearly always see the odd few guns remaining on such wrecks for us to find today. Over here Ekins salvaged the Golden Lyon and the Shaftesbury and the Princess Maria and on all those sites we know he failed to get all their guns up- and yet they were all salvaged from a similar depth to the Phoenix. The salvaged goods list proves somone clearly salvaged the wreck of the Phoenix-and Ekins was here at the time the wreck went in as we know he was here during the build of our first lighthouse in 1680. A local story that I have never yet proved with research either, is that proceeds from the salvage of the Phoenix went to build the first wooden church on St Agnes Island-(where Ekins lived and built the Lighthouse) Sadly there is not yet any evidence of guns ever being raised-and yet 30 guns are clearly missing. To me all the above circumstantial evidence points more towards there never being any whole guns on the ship to begin with.

       
EiC Salvage list of the Phoenix

Thank you Ben Dunstan for the pictures. (Want to see some good entertainment -Check out Bens- 'Ben o Cam' - videos on Youtube




Sunday, 19 February 2023

Shipwreck Artefact Recording.

The guys deep at work.

In a post last summer I reported how an underwater archaeological team came to Scilly to asses my wreck of the Phoenix which sank here in 1680. Well that was done but it was only half the job. Two more professionals came over last week to finish the job and properly record all the finds I raised from the site. These included almost 400 gold and silver coins and well over 70 items of contraband gold jewellery. Also all the other artifacts like 3 pairs of dividers used by captain Wildy. I even had parts of his sword and numerous weights from the pursers kit. Its always a lovely thing to be able to touch things that you are pretty certain you know who previously owned them and were the last person to handle them. 
Contraband Jewellery I found on the Phoenix.

Everything went well until they tried to go home and got fog bound here. Unfortunately we had guests taking up their rooms after they left and they had to go seek other accommodation. Luckily a guest house opened up especially and took them in-otherwise it was sleeping in our utility room on a blow up bed together. Not a good prospect and one im sure their employers-Wessex archaeology- wouldnt want for them.

Photographer left and coin expert on the right

One of the guys photographed every item and the other,who was a coin expert, had to write descriptions of everything. All very tedious stuff in my opinion but it desperately needed doing because the law states that the whole collection has to be sold at auction. That part is out of my hands as everything is currently held by the Receiver of wreck until sold.  My understanding is that, now everything is recorded, it will  all be taken by that office to London to be valued so that interested museums can get an opportunity to buy any of it at that valued cost-which i think is a bit unfair and not sure if its actually legal. I will consult with a solicitor about this as Im sure it can only be fair and legal to go to auction where the museums can bid like everyone else-otherwise those who stand to benefit from said auction could potentially loose out and im sure that is not right or proper. For those who dont know- the law is thus-if an item salvaged from a wreck is worth over £5000 it has to go to auction so that the secretary of state can decided what percentage cut of the proceeds to give to the Crown. See my earlier post called -'the duchy take' for my view on this. 

Some other items from the wreck.

Anyway, one day soon the final report on the wreck will be made. Then the authorities involved will decide what to do with the wreck site. I was told that it will likely get protected. I made my feelings known on this particular action. I cant see the point in it. All it does is make visitors to the wreck have to do paperwork and get a licence to visit the site. This is something unique to underwater finds as nonone has go through such things to visit land sites. You just visit them.  To even get the chance to apply for a licence you have to be a qualified diver which already limits it down to a selective few who can go and see it. I have two other wrecks with protection orders over here on Scilly and I dont visit either of them because I cant be bothered with the paper work. Whereas if they were not protected I would still dive them time to time. It just makes me think they are protecting these wrecks from me!

I am rather hoping to get back and keep some of the items in the final deal so that a small display can go in the local museum if they wanted it. However, as things stand Im sure they wont have room for it for quite a while to come as, last I heard, they are temporarily homeless. But I am talking in the future because one day they will be reestablished somewhere and when I get old I have stuff from other wrecks, like colossus, that I hope will end up on display with them again also. I only see myself as simply custodian of the best of anything I find for a short while. Sadly, the Phoenix stuff is already out of my hands- none of it can ever end up back in my possession unless I buy it at auction or can cut a deal for some items to return to Scilly.

 

Wednesday, 15 February 2023

Home from home

Sorry I have not posted recently but we have been away on holiday. Spent 3 weeks in Mahe in the Seyshelles. Like the Caribbean only better. Its friendlier without the crime. Bit like Scilly really and  its heaving in nice beaches like here too.  Did a lot of snorkelling and drinking of the local rum called Takamaka. Unlike Scilly they have huge bats instead of seagulls. We hired a car for the whole time we were there and found so many lovely beaches without a soul on them. You just park your bum under a nice tree in the shade crash and noone bothers you. Loved it.