Object in focus

HMS Havick Wreck Material

Background

Havik was an 18-gun sloop-of-war, launched in 1784 for the Dutch Navy. Upon completion, she was transferred to and served in South Africa. On 17^th August 1796, Havik, along with fourteen other Dutch vessels, was captured by the British in the Capitulation of Saldanha Bay, during the War of the First Coalition. She was transferred to Plymouth to undergo refitting in January 1797, and renamed to HMS Havick.

The Royal Navy fitted HMS Havick with eighteen 6-pounder cannons and six 12-pounder carronades, and fell under the command of Philip Bartholomew. From 1799, the Havick played its part in Britain’s war with France by attacking and capturing French-allied ships in and around the English Channel.

On the evening of 8^th November 1800, the Havick was anchored in St Aubin’s Bay in Jersey when a storm hit the Island. The Havick was already operating with a makeshift anchor made from spare cannons after it lost its main anchor a few days prior. In the morning of 9^th November 1800, the storm became more ferocious, reaching hurricane force winds. The Havick and other nearby ships, anchored in St Aubin’s Bay, attempted to flee the storm. The crew of the Havick cut away its masts and discarded its cannons to shed weight, but this was to little avail as the Havick continued to be blown closer to shore. She ran aground between First Tower and West Park where the crew and officers abandoned ship and made for land. All 121 of the crew survived.

The Havick filled with water which weighed the ship down, deep in the sand. After the storm had passed, the crew attempted to refloat her, but in the end the Havick was too badly damaged from the storm and so she was abandoned as a wreck.

Rediscovery, Excavation, and Preservation

In 1987, the wreck of HMS Havick was rediscovered by metal detectorist, Henry Connolly, 187-years after the Havick was lost. In 1997, when the Maritime Museum was opening, the site was excavated by Jersey Heritage, working alongside the local detectorists. The site was carefully recorded and the finds safely recovered over a three-year period.

Excavating the Havick was no easy feat as the site was located within Jersey’s tidal range. This meant that archaeologists could only work for a few hours a day, and had to work fast. Employing the use of a mechanical digger, archaeologists cleared the sand to a depth of four feet, before carefully removing the archaeological material.

Recovering archaeological material that has been exposed to sea water for an extended period of time poses its own unique challenges. Once the excavated material had been recovered from the wreck site, it had to be quickly submerged back into water to prevent the material from drying out. Had the objects been allowed to dry out, the embedded salt content would have caused the objects to crack, causing serious damage to the material. Thus, all the material had to be treated before it could be dry stored.

Copper Sheathing

One of the most numerous finds from the Havick wreck site was copper sheathing. Copper sheathing was a fairly new addition to British vessels during the late 18^th century, due to the Navy Board’s concerns over the cost of installation and maintenance. The Navy Board eventually set out to apply copper sheathing to the entire fleet following the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War in 1775.

Despite its high cost, copper sheathing was a major development in the Age of Sail. Wooden ship hulls were under constant attack from marine growth, which not only threatened the structural integrity of the ship, but also reduced its overall speed and stability. The introduction of copper sheathing allowed ships to stay out at sea for longer periods of time and travel at greater speeds, characteristics that were much needed for a growing empire at war.

Coins

Amongst the wreckage of the Havick, archaeologists also recovered coinage. Coins are a very helpful tool for archaeologists, as they aid in dating the site. This particular coin is known as a cartwheel penny, due to its distinctive design which resembles a cartwheel. It features the portrait of King George III, facing right, wearing a laurel on its obverse side, while its reverse side features the seated figure of Britannia. The value of a cartwheel penny back in 1797 was ¹/₂₅₀ of a pound, with 12 pence equalling 1 shilling, and 20 shillings equalling a pound. In today’s money however, a cartwheel penny would be valued at around £1.61.

The wage of a sailor in the Royal Navy between 1793-1806 varied depending on rank. The lowest-ranking sailors, known as landsman, were paid around £10.60 per year. While Captains, one of the highest-ranking sailors, were paid around £336-£400 per year.

Syringe

One of the most important roles onboard an 18^th century vessel was that of the surgeon. They would have had plenty to deal with, especially during and after a battle, but also when they were not engaged in conflict. An imbalanced diet could cause a range of digestive and bowel problems, particularly in the lower ranks, and venereal diseases were also common. Syringes became a commonly used item for surgeons and would often be shared between multiple patients.