Search

In 2008 the remains of a chain pump were recovered from the wreck of the third-rate man-of-war Northumberland, which sank on the Goodwin Sands in the English Channel, during the Great Storm of November 1703. Chain pumps were vital equipment and integral to the safety of the ship. Historical evidence is mined for comparative material, and the recovery, conservation strategy, study and recording of this artefact using X-ray and CT scanning are discussed. Information gleaned, hitherto absent from the historical and archaeological record, includes details of the pump's chain, hook and swivel, valves and roller. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Northumberland, a third-rate man-of-war was lost with all hands during the Great Storm of 26-27 November 1703 on the Goodwin Sands-famously known as 'the ship swallower'. It was rediscovered in 1980 by local divers following the location of a sister ship, the Stirling Castle. Since, the primary concern has been to record exposed structural remains, ordnance and artefacts, and interpret the wreck formation of the site. This paper describes the results of this work, and discusses in particular the size of the keel, the use of chocks, and standardization of ordnance in the Restoration Navy through reference to comparable ship-finds and historical records. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]