Image: The newly discovered 360 year old cannon's cascabel from the 'London' wreck on the seabed (Steven Ellis)
To deter thieves, the 360-year-old cannon is being included in Historic England’s forensic marking programme
A bronze cannon from a protected shipwreck, the 17th century warship the London, has been revealed by chance on the seabed in the Thames Estuary.
The discovery was made by one of Historic England’s licensed divers after being hidden in thick clay and silt for nearly 360 years.
Steve Ellis, Licensee for the London wreck, who has been diving at the site for 14 years, believes very rare ‘ideal’ underwater conditions came together to reveal the cannon on the seabed.
The cannon is now being included in Historic England’s forensic marking programme, using the underwater protective marking technology to deter thieves. The Invisible marking is hoped to act as a deterrent to potential criminals because it makes the objects traceable.
The scheme is part of Historic England’s wider ‘Heritage Watch’ programme.
The forensic marking product was first trialled on several Protected Wreck sites around the English coastline during the summer of 2023, including the marking of several bronze cannon on the 17th century Dutch warship Klein Hollandia.
The newly discovered canons belonged to The London, which built at Chatham Historic Dockyard in Kent between 1654 and 1656.
The ship formed part of a convoy sent in 1660 to collect Charles II from the Netherlands and restore him to the throne.
Mark Harrison, Head of Heritage Crime at Historic England said: “Protective marking of this cannon will act as a clear deterrent to those looking to unlawfully lift and remove historic material from Protected Wreck Sites. The new markings will give police the ability to link the offender to the crime scene and implement criminal proceedings.”
Based on historical documents and modern records, it is estimated that around 41 of the 76 cannons that went down with the warship have been recovered.
