Nelson & His World

The Historic Dockyard Chatham has discovered beneath a floor 'the remains of a highly significant warship with important associations with 18th and early 19th-century people and events'. As far as I can surmise, the ship had been dismantled and its timbers stored.

The conservation and long-term preservation of ‘the ship beneath the floor’ will be central to The Dockyard's ‘Command of the Oceans’ project. This new £8.4m project has received initial HLF support and development funding of £116,300 at this stage to assist The Historic Dockyard Chatham in progressing its plans to seek approval for the full £4.5m grant at the second-round.

The identity of ‘the ship beneath the floor’ is being kept secret until 17 August when a major announcement will be made about the project. In the meantime, they have been dropping some hints on Twitter:

1st clue: http://twitter.com/DockyardChatham/stat ... 6257490944

2nd clue: http://twitter.com/DockyardChatham/stat ... 1631372288

I think I may have figured it out, and if I'm right, it really is very exciting, not just to futtocks men like me, but to anyone with the slightest interest in naval history. But I shall keep quiet for now... What do you make of their clues?

Excellent! Finds like this are always good news , oh I have also cross linked your post to a shipmodelling website with the text and linked back here for the original.

Joss

Tony,

It sounds as though you're right, and what an exciting find!

How she came to be there (and where 'there' is exactly) will be interesting to learn. I imagine her timbers might have been used as filling material, perhaps?

Just a bit confused here.

Boscawen is associated with the first HMS Namur, but Olaudah Equiano served on the second HMS Namur.

I guess from the statement "important associations with 18th and early 19th-century people and events" it must be the second HMS Namur - which was broken up in 1833.

But the association of that ship to Boscawen seems a bit remote!

Can anyone help untangle my brain please.

MB

Well now you are confusing me, Mark! The second Namur (launched 1756) was Boscawen's flagship at Louisbourg in 1758 and at the Battle of Lagos in 1759. Olaudah Equiano was on board at both. Having been cut down to a 74, the same Namur was also present at Strachan's action after Trafalgar and eventually broken up in 1833, so she has quite a history!

Tony

Sorry about that - I think I see now why I was getting confused.

It looks as if Boscawen served on both of the first 2 HMS Namur's. The first one on at least 2 occasions.

Assuming his entry on Wikipedia to be correct it includes the following:

Anyway I understand now that it is definitely timber from the second HMS Namur that has been discovered.

Phew!

MB

Ah yes, that is confusing!

3rd clue: http://twitter.com/DockyardChatham/stat ... 9755682816 Easy!

Confirmation that it is the Namur: http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2012/ ... ry-warship

Here is a fascinating podcast on the discovery of Namur's timbers from BBC History Magazine featuring Sam Willis: http://www.historyextra.com/podcast/30th-august-2012 - Sam Willis starts about 25 minutes in.

And here are some photos of the timbers: http://www.historyextra.com/namur