Divers discovered a “well-preserved bronze cannon” on a 17th century shipwreck by happenstance, the Historic Buildings And Monuments Commission For England (Historic England) states in a press release Wednesday.
Divers licensed by the British governmental commission found the “historic” cannon after it had been “hidden in thick clay and silt for nearly 360 years” in the old warship the London in the Thames Estuary, the press release reads.
A cannon from the wreck of the 17th-century warship the ‘London’ has been revealed in the Thames Estuary. 🤿
One of our licensed divers discovered it after it had been hidden for nearly 360 years.
Find out more ➡️ https://t.co/1UeqEQvFne#FestivalOfArchaeology @archaeologyuk pic.twitter.com/9LzBrv0ngF
— Historic England (@HistoricEngland) July 24, 2024
The cannon is thought to be a “medium-sized … Demi-cannon” cast by George Browne between 1656 and 1657, Historic England writes. Historians believe that around 41 of the 76 cannons from the warship were reclaimed from the sea. The London was one of four British warships to have a full complement boasting 76 bronze cannons when she sunk.
The warship has a storied history of her own as she was a member of the convoy that collected King Charles II from his exile in the Netherlands to reclaim the English throne in 1660, the historical commission observes.
Charles II was crowned in Scotland in 1651 after his father, Charles I, was executed in 1649 during the English Civil War, according to The Royal Family website. He was driven into exile in 1651 after Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, was victorious in Scotland. Charles II became King of England in 1660 and died in 1685.
The ship blew up into two parts in 1665 from a gunpowder explosion, according to Historic England.
“It was so exciting to see the cannon emerge from the seabed after many years of diving the site. This discovery sheds new light on my theories about how the ship may have exploded and how it came to lie in two parts on the seabed,” Steve Ellis, one of the divers, said, according to the press release. (RELATED: Historians Discover 130-Year-Old Sunken Ship That Sank With Captain’s Dog)
“This amazing discovery will help us to better understand the types of cannons on board the London when it blew up in 1665. They weren’t all the same as some were captured from enemy ships, so there is a complex story to unravel here,” Chief Executive of Historic England Duncan Wilson added.
