A last-minute reprieve for half of the shipwreck treasures that had looked set to be dispersed into private collections at an auction in Cornwall from tomorrow (6 November) has been provided by UK charity the Maritime Archaeology Sea Trust (MAST).
Sir Tim Smit’s sale of some 7,000 exhibits from the Charlestown Shipwreck Treasure Museum in St Austell had upset wreck divers among others, with the prospect of artefacts that had been recovered, declared to the Receiver of Wreck and often donated as items of national heritage passing out of sight into private hands for profit.
Historic England had identified the collection as the largest and most important set of artefacts from shipwrecks in the UK, and MAST has now finalised a deal to save 514 of the items. All are related to Protected or Scheduled wrecks and a number of other key sites, and represents about 50% of the Charlestown collection of shipwreck artefacts.
Included are items from Royal Navy warships such as HMS Ramillies and HMS Association as well as English and Dutch East India Company shipwrecks. The wider sale of other museum exhibits goes ahead as planned this Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
MAST has bought the items outright and plans to conduct a full conservation assessment once it has moved them to its Archaeological Centre in Poole. Because they now belong to a charity, they can no longer be sold on.
The trust says it is planning local and national opportunities to display the reprieved artefacts with museums around the country, supported by the National Museum of the Royal Navy and Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust.
Countless stories
MAST was set up in 2011 to champion maritime heritage in the UK through archaeological projects; to detect and deter unauthorised salvage; to influence official heritage management; and to educate the public on maritime heritage matters.
In August Divernet had reported that the Charlestown museum’s entire collection was likely to be dispersed if the property could not be sold as a going concern, and in late October confirmed that the artefacts would be going under the hammer.
“I’m delighted and relieved in equal measure that MAST has been able to save this priceless collection that can tell countless stories of the history and archaeology of the Royal Navy and the development of global trade through the centuries,” said MAST CEO Jessica Berry.
“MAST has now taken the collection out of private ownership, so its risk of being dispersed again has now gone forever.”
“We, at the Shipwreck Treasure Museum, are delighted that MAST is buying the artefacts from what are now protected wrecks, saving a unique collection for the nation,” said Smit, the museum-owner who had put it up for sale.
“It is especially pleasing as MAST is made up of members who themselves have dedicated so much of their lives to exploring our underwater heritage.”
Full details of lots in the Penzance and online auction can be found on the Lay’s Auctioneers site. The sale follows that by Lay’s today (5 November) of the shipwreck archive of Richard Larn, a private collection of books and artefacts belonging to one of the UK’s foremost wreck-divers and authors, who was also a co-founder of the museum.
Also on Divernet: Thousands of UK shipwreck items go on sale, Break-up fears for shipwreck treasure collection, Drying-out Diving Museum needs support, Wreck-dive pioneers celebrated in Cornwall
