Explorers and historians have revealed the discovery of the remains of a warship that sank in 1682 while transporting the future kings of England, Ireland and Scotland. HMS Gloucester, sailing from southern England to Scotland, ran aground on a sandbar in the town of Great Yarmouth on England’s east coast. The ship sank within an hour, killing between 130 and 250 crew and passengers. Many say that it is a “ghost ship”.

One of the survivors was James Stuart, son of King Charles I. He later ruled as James II of England and Ireland and James VII of Scotland from 1685 to 1688, when he was overthrown by the Great Revolution.

Brothers Julian and Lincoln Barnwell found Gloucester’s remains in 2007 after four years of searching. The identity of the ship was confirmed in 2012 with the discovery of the bell. The discovery was made public only on Friday because of the time it took to confirm the ship’s identity and the need to protect the historic site.

The ship is from a very important era for England

Claire Jowitt, a maritime history expert at the University of East Anglia, said the sinking of the ship was one of the “almost’ most important moments in British history”, as the sinking of Gloucester nearly led to the death of the Catholic heir. the Protestant throne when there were great political and religious tensions in the country.

“If he died, the history of Britain and Europe would be very different,” Jowitt said. “I think this is a time capsule that gives us the opportunity to find out a lot about life aboard 17th century ships. The true nature of the ship is truly extraordinary and unique,” ​​he added.

For now it is not planned to remove Gloucester’s remains as it is mostly buried under the sand. “We’ve just touched the tip of the iceberg,” said Julian Barnwell.

The salvaged artifacts include clothing, shoes, boating equipment, and many bottles of wine. One bottle is stamped with the coat of arms of the Legge family, the ancestors of George Washington, the first president of the United States. The shield is the antecedent of America’s current star and stripes flag. PNext year an exhibition is being prepared at the Norwich Castle Museum and Art Gallery.

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AP