Marine experts find likely remains of 18th-century treasure ship that was lost for centuries

Underwater archaeologists may have discovered a long-lost 18th-century treasure ship that vanished over two centuries ago.

Marine expert Edmond O’Byrne told Pen News that his team found what is believed to be the Recovery, a British ship that was lost off the coast of Wexford, Ireland, in 1787. (See the video at the top of this article.) 

The ship carried various treasures, and its cargo included a large quantity of marble and bronze. James Caulfeild, 1st Earl of Charlemont, collected the valuable materials during a tour of Europe.

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The ship also carried rare art and natural curiosities owned by John La Touche, one of the wealthiest Irish bankers of his time.

But the ship met its end when it sank 85 miles south of Dublin, its intended destination. The vessel had recently stopped in London after beginning its journey in Italy.

Underwater archaeologists may have found the Recovery, an 18th-century treasure ship lost off Wexford, Ireland. (Getty Images; Brian and Kevin Martin via Pen News)

Six people died in the wreck, including the ship's captain and two of his sons. 

The ship was largely forgotten about before researchers caught wind of its likely remains.

During a recent interview with Pen News, O’Byrne said that, one day, his side-scan sonar "picked up an unusual object on the seabed."

"The ship was at the mercy of the sea."

He told the agency, "At first I thought it was a torpedo, because the image would be slightly distorted on the side-scan sonar."

But the shipwreck revealed its age when his crew spotted a copper sheath on the vessel. In the 18th century, copper was used by the Royal Navy to protect wooden ships from barnacles and shipworms.

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"When we went [underwater], it turned out to be a 20-foot-long rudder covered in copper sheet," O'Byrne recalled. "Now that really identified her."

He added, "In 1773, when she was built in Chester, the Recovery was one of about 200 ships out of the British merchant fleet of about 10,000 that had their hulls covered in copper sheathing."

Marine archaeologists also uncovered an 18th-century anchor at the wreckage site. (Brian and Kevin Martin via Pen News)

"Any wrecks that we have a record of weren't copper sheathed."

Using a drone, researchers also spotted a piece of timber coming out of a sandbank, which O'Byrne said was "definitely from a ship."

"It could have been any bit of timber but when I told the pilot to drive closer, I could see that there was a timber nail hole in that plank," he said. 

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"I told one of the boys to go down and take that up, and when he did, there was a two-foot by one-foot copper sheath nailed to the timber."

The team also uncovered an anchor, timber fittings and artifacts including a teapot and inkwells.

Some of the findings offer a glimpse into how the ship went down: For example, the rudder was found around 800 feet away from the shipwreck.

Experts believe the ship carried valuable cargo that may still be in good condition. (Brian and Kevin Martin via Pen News)

"We reckon when she came around Carnsore Point, she came into shallower water, and pulled the rudder and part of the stern off," O’Byrne described.

"And then the ship was at the mercy of the sea."

The rudder was also covered in copper. It may be the only 18th-century copper-covered rudder that's ever been found.

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"We’ve searched and, so far, nobody can tell us that there is a copper-covered rudder in existence from that time anywhere," O'Byrne added.

"It could be the only one of its time."

The true value of the cargo is unknown, though La Touche's possessions have fetched vast sums of money in the past. One sculpture that he commissioned sold for £520,000 in 1997, which equals roughly $1 million U.S. dollars today.

Marine expert Edmond O’Byrne's team discovered the likely remains of a ship called the Recovery — which also included a teapot. (Brian and Kevin Martin via Pen News)

O'Byrne also believes that, with the shipwreck sitting 65 feet below the service, the cargo may still be in good condition.

"If they had to journey some distance on land to get to the port and then be loaded and then unloaded, they would have to be packed very, very well," he observed. 

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"So there is a chance that something would survive."

For now, the ship is going to remain undisturbed while O'Byrne's team monitors it to see if any shifting sands reveal its treasures.

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Recovered shipwrecks are of great interest to marine historians. Earlier this year, a centuries-old ship was found beneath a former fish market in Spain.

Last month, the Wisconsin Historical Society announced the discovery of a 19th-century tugboat in Lake Michigan.