Cathole Cliff Shipwreck, South Devon, UK: The Possible 18th-Century Trade Vessel Dragon

ABSTRACT

This paper presents the record of a survey carried out on the Cathole Cliff wreck site in 1990. The potential of the site as an 18th-century trade vessel Dragon is discussed. Artefacts including nine cannon and two bar shot along with an additional cannon and wood samples taken during a later survey support this hypothesis. Shipping records show Dragon to have traded regularly between London and Jamaica. Contemporary newspaper reports and burial records show that the children of the Chambers family were on board, possibly travelling to England due to the Seven Years’ War putting Jamaica at threat.

RESUMEN

Este artículo presenta el registro de un estudio realizado en el pecio Cathole Cliff en 1990. Se discute el potencial del sitio como Dragon, una embarcación mercante del siglo XVIII. Esta hipótesis es apoyada por los artefactos, entre los que se incluyen nueve cañones y dos palanquetas, junto con un cañón adicional y muestras de madera tomadas durante una prospección posterior. Los registros de navío muestran que Dragon comerciaba regularmente entre Londres y Jamaica. Reportes de periódicos contemporáneos y registros de entierro muestran que los hijos de la familia Chambers se encontraban a bordo, posiblemente viajando a Inglaterra debido a que la Guerra de los Siete Años amenazaba Jamaica.

摘要

本文介绍了1990年对猫洞峭壁沉船遗址进行的调查记录。文中讨论了该遗址作为18世纪商船“龙号”的潜在可能性。包括九门大炮和两个棒弹在内的文物以及在后来的调查中采集到的另一门加农炮和木材样本支持了这一假设。航运记录显示，“龙号”定期在伦敦和牙买加之间进行贸易。当时报纸报道和墓葬记录表明，钱伯斯家族的孩子们也在船上，他们前往英国可能是由于七年战争使牙买加面临威胁。

摘要

本文介紹了1990年對貓洞懸崖沉船遺址進行的調查記錄。文中討論了該遺址作為18世紀商船「龍號」的潛在可能性。包括九門大炮和兩個棒彈在內的文物以及在後來的調查中采集到的另一門加農炮和木材樣本支持了這一假設。航運記錄顯示，「龍號」定期在倫敦和牙買加之間進行貿易。當時報紙報道和墓葬記錄表明，錢伯斯家族的孩子們也在船上，他們前往英國可能是由於七年戰爭使牙買加面臨威脅。

KEYWORDS:

• Shipwreck
• Seven Years' War
• Dragon
• merchant vessel
• 18th century
• Chambers family

PALABRAS CLAVE:

• pecio
• Guerra de los Siete Años
• Dragon
• embarcación mercante
• siglo XVIII
• familia Chambers

关键词:

• 沉船
• 七年战争
• “龙号”
• 商船
• 18世纪
• 钱伯斯家族

關鍵詞:

• 沉船
• 七年戰爭
• 「龍號」
• 商船
• 18世紀
• 錢伯斯家族

الكلمات الدلالیة:

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Dave and Lyn Lister for their contribution to the initial 1990 site survey and the Archaeological Diving Unit, headed by the late Martin Dean, for their assistance in surveying the site. The authors would also like to thank Ruth Brown for her invaluable advice regarding the guns and Sheilah Openshaw and the other members of the NAS Members’ Research Group who provided support and assistance with the research carried out at the National Archives. The author would also like to thank the anonymous referees whose comments and advice have helped improve the overall quality of this article.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Author Contribution

The 1990 survey and subsequent monitoring of the Cathole Cliff wreck site were carried out by Bill Bunting and Mary Bunting (née Martell) along with much of the documentary research. Mary Martell has subsequently carried out further research on the Chambers family which is included in this paper. Upon the death of Bill Bunting his archives of the survey and research were passed to his daughter Christine Milton (née Bunting) who has conducted further research and pulled all the work together for this paper.

Permissions Statement

The 1990 survey and subsequent monitoring of the Cathole Cliff wreck site were carried out by Bill Bunting and Mary Bunting (née Martell) at their own expense having first notified the Receiver of Wreck at the United Kingdom’s Maritime and Coastguard Agency. All text and images have been taken or produced by the authors. The gudgeon, bar shot and paper archive discussed in this paper are curated by the Salcombe Maritime Museum.

Conflict of Interest Statement

There are no relevant financial or non-financial competing interests to report.