An exceptionally well-preserved bronze cannon from the 17th-century protected shipwreck the London has been revealed on the seabed after 360 years of being buried in Thames Estuary silt and clay.
Historic England (HE)’s licensee for the nationally important wreck Steve Ellis discovered the gun. He has been diving the site since it was designated as a Protected Wreck Site in 2008, monitoring and recording the remains as they become exposed by shifting sediment.
The discovery is a Commonwealth medium-sized 8ft x 6in demi-cannon, cast by George Browne in 1656-1657 as part of a set made to be positioned on the London’s lower gun-deck.
London was one of only four English naval ships to carry a full complement of 76 bronze cannon when it sank. Based on historical documents and modern records, it is estimated that some 41 of the guns that went down with the warship were later recovered.
Each gun-carriage would have been unique, because the guns originated from different countries and different periods in naval history.
Large cannon were expensive to make because of the amounts of bronze or iron and individual casting required. “This amazing discovery will help us to better understand the types of cannon on board the London when it blew up in 1665,” said HE chief executive Duncan Wilson. “They weren’t all the same, as some were captured from enemy ships, so there is a complex story to unravel here.
“Our licensed divers play a huge part in investigating and monitoring our Protected Wrecks at sea, ensuring they are there for future generations to learn from and enjoy.”
Gunpowder explosion
The London had been built at Chatham in Kent in 1654-1656 during a period of political upheaval following the English Civil War and First Anglo-Dutch War. It had formed part of a convoy sent to collect Charles II from the Netherlands in 1660 and restore him to the throne.
A gunpowder explosion occurred on the ship during a journey from Chatham to the Hope in Kent to take part in the Second Anglo Dutch War, and the wreck lies in two parts off Southend Pier in Essex. It is one of four protected shipwrecks on HE’s Heritage at Risk register, along with the Rooswijk, Northumberland and Restoration.
Very rare ‘ideal’ underwater conditions came together to reveal the gun, said Ellis. “It was so exciting to see the cannon emerge from the seabed after many years of diving the site. This discovery sheds new light on my theories about how the ship may have exploded and how it came to lie in two parts on the seabed.”
Visibility in the estuary can fall to little more than half a metre, so conditions had to be perfect for the cannon, embedded in clay, to become exposed so clearly.
The highly tidal environment and the wreck’s location next to a busy shipping lane where large cargo vessels regularly pass by makes the divers’ work all the more challenging.
Licensed divers play a vital role in monitoring the condition and recording artefacts of England’s most historic and archaeologically significant Protected Wreck Sites, says HE, which grants the licences on behalf of the Department for Culture, Media & Sport.
Protective marking
The cannon is now being included in HE’s forensic marking programme, using the latest underwater protective marking technology to deter thieves. Working with MSDS Marine and partners, this scheme is part of HE’s wider Heritage Watch programme.
The invisible but traceable marking system was trialled on several protected sites around England during the summer of 2023, including bronze cannon on the 17th-century Dutch warship Klein Hollandia.
“Protective marking of this cannon will act as a clear deterrent to those looking to unlawfully lift and remove historic material from Protected Wreck Sites,” said HE head of heritage crime Mark Harrison. “The new markings will give police the ability to link the offender to the crime scene and implement criminal proceedings.”
In 2015 a diver, Vincent Woolsgrove, was jailed for two years for failing to declare to the Receiver of Wreck three cannon recovered from the London, and fraudulently selling them on.
“For over a decade we have suspected that some of the cannon onboard the London were still on the seabed, and now Steve and his team have proved it,” said Mark Beattie-Edwards, chief executive of the Nautical Archaeology Society.
“The discovery demonstrates just how culturally rich the wreck is and, with the site actively eroding, the potential for further similar finds remains ever-present.”
In 2015 a rare, well-preserved timber gun-carriage was raised from the London, with a missing wheel later brought up as well. There is not thought to be any connection between this particular carriage and the cannon recently uncovered.
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