Australian National Maritime Museum releases Final Report on Endeavour/Lord Sandwich shipwreck
Related topics
Published
Background
Made famous for its circumnavigation of the globe under the command of James Cook between 1768 and 1771, HM Bark Endeavour was later renamed Lord Sandwich and sunk by British forces during the American War of Independence in 1778.
In February 2022 the Australian National Maritime Museum announced that, based on a preponderance of evidence, shipwreck site RI 2394 in Newport Harbor, Rhode Island was that of Lord Sandwich (ex-HM Bark Endeavour). At that time a Preliminary Report was published for review by the maritime archaeology community and the findings have since been presented at numerous archaeological conferences and symposia, both in Australia and overseas.
The museum has continued its research program up to the present and collected further evidence that updates the Preliminary Report while still supporting the 2022 announcement.
The Final Report
With the release of the Final Report the museum confirms and deepens our identification of shipwreck site RI 2394 as HM Bark Endeavour after 25 years of study. It includes our final archaeological site plans and comparisons between the shipwreck site and historical plans of Endeavour.
The report also includes collation of data related to numerous eighteenth-century shipwreck sites of British and American-built watercraft. This data reveals that British-built vessels are comprised almost exclusively of European oak and elm timber components, while their colonial American counterparts tend to be a polyglot of timbers native to North America.
Further, the scantlings (timber measurements) collected from these shipwreck sites demonstrate that larger timber sizes are reflective of larger vessel tonnages, and that RI 2394’s scantlings are comparable to those found on shipwreck sites of vessels of 350 tons or larger.
This collection of shipwreck data provides physical evidence that further reinforces historical knowledge of British and colonial American shipbuilding practices during the eighteenth century, as well as additional archaeological support of the museum’s findings.
The Final Report acknowledges the November 2024 report issued by the Rhode Island Maritime Archaeological Project (RIMAP) and we credit their fine historical analysis and detailed artefact recording. We acknowledge that RIMAP continues to accept that RI 2394 may be Endeavour, but they are not ruling out other candidate shipwreck sites.
It has been three years since we released the 2022 Preliminary Report. After numerous presentations at domestic and international archaeological forums, no substantive responses have refuted the identification of RI 2394 as HM Bark Endeavour.
The museum stands by our conclusions as announced in 2022 and the Final Report will be our definitive statement on the shipwreck site’s identity.
The museum acknowledges the USA Bicentennial Gift Fund, which has supported the fieldwork and generation of the Final Report.
Ms Daryl Karp AM, Director and CEO of the museum said, ‘This Final Report is the culmination of 25 years of detailed and meticulous archaeological study on this important vessel. It has involved underwater investigation in the US and extensive research in institutions across the globe. This Final Report marks our definitive statement on the project. We want to acknowledge the work of the museum’s archaeological team over the past 25 years, the work of Dr Kathy Abass in Rhode Island, the Rhode Island authorities, and the many subject specialists who have provided expert information and guidance over the years.’
Background of HM Bark Endeavour / Lord Sandwich
Originally launched in 1764 as Earl of Pembroke, in 1768 the vessel was renamed Endeavour by the British Royal Navy and prepared for a major scientific voyage to the Pacific. It was later sold to private owners and again renamed as Lord Sandwich. Under this name it was deliberately sunk in 1778 by British forces in Newport Harbor, during the American War of Independence.
The vessel is famous in Australia and New Zealand as James Cook’s Endeavour. Between 1768 and 1771, Endeavour voyaged to the South Pacific, primarily to record the Transit of Venus in Tahiti in 1769. Following completion of that astronomical mission, the bark sailed around the South Pacific searching for the Great Southern Land, charting the coast of New Zealand and the east coast of Australia (New Holland) in 1770.
Endeavour was then used by the Royal Navy as a transport to take supplies to the Falkland Islands. In 1775, it was found to be in poor condition and sold to a private owner, who renamed it Lord Sandwich. It carried goods to the Baltic before being hired by the British Admiralty to operate as troop transport. In 1776, Lord Sandwich took soldiers to fight against the American colonists who sought to break free from British control.
In early 1778, Lord Sandwich was moored in Newport Harbor and used as a prison hulk for American patriots who had been captured by the British. When a French fleet of warships sailed into Newport Harbor in support of American forces in August 1778, the British scuttled (deliberately sank) Lord Sandwich and four other vessels: Earl of Orford, Mayflower, Peggy and Yowart. These ships were sunk to create a blockade at the northern end of Newport’s Inner Harbor. This happened one year before Cook’s death in Hawaii while on his third Pacific voyage, and 10 years before the First Fleet arrived in New South Wales.