| Summary : Possible wreck of around 1720 or later, based on a 2.5pdr cannon of approximately this date retrieved from the Carrick Roads by an oyster dredger in 1932. It is not clear whether the cannon represents the site of a shipwreck or was simply cast overboard in bad weather. However, should the find of the cannon indicate a possible shipwreck, a vessel of 1720 or some time afterwards would have been a sailing vessel, constructed of timber. Cannon of this type were used as self-defence typically on small cargo vessels, in an era in which privateering was common, suggesting that the vessel whence it came was a cargo vessel. For another gun on display at Pendennis Castle, also apparently retrieved from a shipwreck in the vicinity, please see 1549573. |
More information : Wreck Site and Archaeological Remains:
Dredged up from the Carrick Roads in 1932 by an oyster or scallop boat; no further information concerning any other wreck remains located at this site in 1932 or subsequently.
The cannon was donated to English Heritage by the former Cornwall Maritime Museum, Falmouth, and is now on display in Pendennis Castle, mounted on a reproduction sea carriage. The surface of the gun is pitted, with the muzzle showing signs of damage. (1)
Interpretation of the find:
The cannon may be from a wreck site or simply have been cast overboard in poor weather (to prevent the ship being wrecked). (1) It is an iron cannon of 2.5pdr (1)(2), dated to 1720 (1), and thus lost after that, probably sometime in the mid to late 18th century (guns could remain in use for a considerable length of time) (3). A weapon of this type was favoured on small cargo vessels for self-defence, sometimes also used on the stern quarter of larger vessels. (1) This suggests that the gun is likely to have come from a cargo vessel. Should the find represent a wreck site, the vessel concerned would have been a sailing vessel, constructed of wood, and, given the depth of the Carrick Roads and the circumstances of finding, is likely to have foundered. (3)
Date of Loss Qualifier: Approximate date of loss |