More information : DESIGNATED WRECK SITE - CORONATION (INSHORE)
Summary:
Inshore wreck section of the CORONATION, 90-gun 2nd Rate ship of the line, 1691.
Designation History:
Statutory Instrument (Inshore): No 1, 1988/2138, 03-JAN-1989
Protected Area (Inshore): Within 250m radius of position 50 18.96N 04 11.57W.
Visit by Government Diving Contractor:
University of St Andrews University - Archaeological Diving Unit (ADU) April 1986 - April 2003
1987, 1988, 1992, 1994, 1997, 1998
Wessex Archaeology 1st May 2003 -
2003
Documentary History:
The site is possibly HMS CORONATION, a Second Rate ship of the line carrying 90 guns. She sank during a south easterly gale while trying to make harbour in 1691. (6)
This is the inshore section of the wreck from the English 90-gun, 2nd Rate ship of the line, CORONATION. She was built in Portsmouth Dockyard and launched in 1685. Commanded by Captain C Skelton, her armament included 26 x 32lb demi-cannon, 26 x 18lb culverins, 26 x 9lb sakers and 12 x 6lb light sakers (4)(7)
Colledge gives 26 x 34pdr, 26 x 18pdr, 26 x 6pdr, 12 x 3pdr. (8)
Her crew would normally have been 660 men together with a detachment of marines. However, when she sank she was not carrying her full complement. Around 600 men including the Captain drowned, and only 22 men got ashore alive.
The CORONATION had been on patrol with the Channel Fleet, when the weather had turned bad and she had run for Plymouth Sound, hoping to gain shelter from the oncoming SSE gales. The actual details of her loss are unclear. The Admiralty Report stated that '...ye CORONATION, which was oversett off ye Ramhead, on ye Coast of Cornwall. Resolved that the opinion of the Court is, that by a Butt-head starting, or some Planke giving way Shee sprung a Leake, and thereby was lost.' It seems Skelton knew of this leak and had ordered the masts cut, but it had been to no avail and she had capsized.
The identification of this site as a section of wreckage from the CORONATION was questioned for some time, especially following the positive identification of the McBride finds from the offshore site in 1978. However, it is thought that the CORONATION, after capsizing, started to break up, leaving wreckage at the offshore site. Then the main part of the ship drifted in and was broken up on Penlee Point. If not this, then the reverse is possible -she broke up on Penlee Point and part of the wreckage was washed out to sea and sank at the offshore site. It seems clear that the guns of the size and number found on the Penlee site would have to have come from a First or Second Rate Ship of the Line, and the CORONATION is the only reported loss of equivalent rating in the area. That she was not located at the time could be explained firstly by the ferocity of the storm, and also by the conflicting accounts of the time - The WINDSOR CASTLE's report stated her 'oversett three miles from shore', whilst the OSSORY reported to have seen 'the wreck on shore'. (3)(4)
Dismasted in a violent storm, the CORONATION attempted to anchor off Rame Head. Several planks gave way, causing her to commence filling up with water and finally she dragged her anchors. She drove onto the Rame Head and rapidly broke up. (10)
The CORONATION, after taking part in the battle off Beachy Head, was lost off Rame Head on 3 September 1691. Getting into bad weather, she rolled away her masts and subsequently foundered with the loss of her captain, Charles Skelton, and almost the whole of her crew. It was suggested at the time that the disaster was due, at least in part, to her ports not being caulked. (12)
Foundered off Rame Head, Plymouth Sound, 03-SEP-1691. Divers have found remains both immediately under the Head and also some distance out in the Sound which seem all to be from this vessel, which could have come apart after sinking. (13)
'...and Admiral Russell being come up as far as Plymouth, and our coast being a lee shore to southerly winds, it then blowing hard and fearing bad weather, Admiral Russell bore up and sailed into Plymouth Sound. A great part of the fleet followed him, and running so hastily one upon another, caused many of them to run on board of one another. Some ran into the Catwater, and in running into the Hamoaze...the CORONATION, coming into the Sound and her anchor being let go, veered out cable to bring her up. She took a salley and sank down to rightes in about 22 fathoms, having on board above 500 men, and not 20 of them saved...' (17)
The CORONATION in fact capsized about 1.5 miles offshore, dropping all her deck armament, bell and fittings on the sea bed, then drifted ashore off Lady Island and cove, where she broke up in the shallows, and where the rest of her armament can be found. (17)
The CORONATION, a 90-gun Second Rate, was built in 1685 by Isaac Betts at Portsmouth Dockyard as one of the 1677 "Thirty Ships" programme. She measured 161 feet x 45 feet, weighed approximately 1427 tons, and had a crew of 660 men during wartime. The CORONATION took part in the British defeat at the Battle of Beachy Head on 30-JUN-1690, where she carried the Flag of Vice-Admiral Sir Ralph Delaval, commander of the Blue Squadron. On 03-SEP-1691, after patrolling for the French fleet, the English fleet under Russell made for Plymouth. The CORONATION foundered in a strong gale from the SE whilst trying to round Penlee Point with a loss of all but 13 of her crew, including the Captain, Charles Skelton. (18)
Built: 1685 (7)(8)(10)(13)(17)
Builder: Isaac Betts (13)(18)
Where Built: Portsmouth (7)(8)(10)(13)(17)
Armament : 78 guns [26 x 32pdr; 26 x 18pdr; 26 x 6pdr] (17); 90 guns (6)(13); 26 x 32pdr; 26 x 18pdr; 26 x 9pdr; 12 x 6pdr (4)(7); 26 x 34pdr; 26 x 18pdr; 26 x 6pdr; 12 x 3pdr (8)
Commanding Officer: Charles Skelton (3)(4)(7)(8)(12)(17)(18)
Crew: 520 or thereabouts (17); 622 or so (12); 660 (18)
Crew Lost: above 500 (17); around 600 (12); 647 (18)
Owner: Royal Navy [all sources]
Date of Loss Qualifier: Actual date of loss
Archaeological History:
1967: A scatter of cannon and cannon balls along with a number of large bronze pulley wheels were found near Penlee Point. (3)(4)(5)
Through the School for Nautical Archaeology Plymouth (SNAP) the seabed was leased from the Crown Estate Commissioners. (5)
APR - DEC 1969: some 60 divers worked on the site and triangulated a search area of 100 feet by 50 feet. An attempt at a photographic mosaic was made and underwater television with sonic communications tried out. In all 22 cannon were measured within the area falling within three main sizes, 9ft 3in, 10ft 3in and 11ft 3in. (5)
1972: Guildford British Sub-Aqua Club in liason with Alan Bax surveyed the Penlee cannon site. A rectangular grid survey was carried out using triangulation to plot finds onto a chart.The site currently measures 150 metres by 60 metres.(6)
MAY-1972: Two members of the above team cleaned a cannon down to the bare metal underwater, the concretion was made up of calcium and iron oxide along with marine growth up to an inch thick. The work took eight hours using mallets and wooden wedges to avoid damaging the gun. The gun measured 10.5 feet in length and on either side of the breech ring were two letters "T" and "W". The touch hole still had rope attached to it, proving the cannon was still in use when lost, disproving the idea that the area was a dumping ground for old cannon. (6)
2003: Multibeam sonar survey (18)
2011: A marine archaeological dive trail was opened at the site. (21)(22)
Environmental and Archaeological Remains:
This section of the wreck site lies in a general depth of 5 metres on coarse shelly sand and silt with rocky outcrops and kelp. Finds include 64 cannon, cannon balls and large bronze pulley wheels, all marked with the Royal Navy's broad arrow. (1)(2)(3)
The seabed surrounding the site is mainly bare rock and offers little potential for the burial of remains. The wreck lies at an average depth of 5m. Dense kelp coverage obscures the artefacts on the seabed. As a dynamic environment there is the potential for abrasion of the artefacts. Natural degradation appears to be the only serious threat to the site. (18)
The area between Penlee Point and Rame Head has, in the recent past, been used for dumping refuse from barges out of Plymouth and the whole seabed is heavily contaminated with 20th century detritus. (18)
Finds:
A number of cannon balls, of differing calibres, have been found along with lead musket balls, pieces of glass, wood, rope and vegetable matter. (6)
A grenade, 45 musket shot and 18 pistol shot recovered from this wreck (inshore site). (Droit A/4253). (16)
A hull pin (& timber?) recovered from HMS CORONATION but not stated which site. (Droit A/4587). (16)
1 Tea spoon, silver, slightly corroded. 1 Brass core sampler tool, Cu alloy c.20cm long. Finder says these two items came from unprotected area. Not stated near which site. (Droit 309/10) (20)
Additional sources:
Great Shipwrecks, 1880, p628; Underwater World 1981, p28-31; House of Lords MSS NS/1/397 |