Archaeologists undertake scientific analysis and community-led historical research to identify 250-year-old Sanday wreck.
The identity of a shipwreck discovered in February 2024 on the island of Sanday in Orkney has now been revealed. All available evidence points to the wreck being the Earl of Chatham, a former Royal Navy vessel called HMS Hind which was latterly renamed once it became a whaling ship.
Wessex Archaeology, working with Dendrochronicle and community researchers, identified the ship thanks to funding from Historic Environment Scotland (HES).
A sixth rate 24-gun frigate, HMS Hind saw many years of active service, including the sieges of Louisbourg and Quebec in the 1750s and the American Revolutionary War in the late 1770s. Once it was decommissioned, it was sold and renamed the Earl of Chatham, becoming a mighty 500-ton whaling ship. This was common for Royal Navy ships as their excellent build quality allowed them to withstand the icy conditions of British whaling routes. As the Earl of Chatham, it completed four seasons in the Arctic before ultimately meeting its end in the Bay of Lopness in March 1788. It carried 56 sailors on-board at the time, all of whom survived.
After the timbers were first discovered by the community of Sanday last year, Dendrochronicle conducted a dendrochronological assessment and analysis of the wood. They were able to determine that the ship was built with wood from south and southwest England. Once the provenance of the timbers was established, archaeologists from Wessex Archaeology, local community researchers, and the Sanday Heritage Centre spent several months working with archives and community records to find the most likely candidate for the ship. This research was further supported by Sanday Heritage Group and Orkney Archaeology Society.
The Sanday Wreck, now believed to be the Earl of Chatham, was revealed due to changes in the climate. Increased storminess and unusual wind patterns led to removal of the covering sands which had hidden and protected the wreck for centuries. Changes to coastlines, which are predicted to accelerate in coming decades, could make similar finds more common.
Extracted from HES website, read more here