Warwick Project, Bermuda
"The Warwick: results of the survey of an early 17th-century Virginia Company ship" by PIOTR BOJAKOWSKI and KATIE CUSTER BOJAKOWSKI. Post-Medieval Archaeology 45/1 (2011), 41–53
Investigators - Piotr Bojakowski and Katie Custer,
INA Research Associates
Location - Castle Harbour, Bermuda
Project Dates - 2008 to Present
Period - 1619
Historical Significance
On October 20th, 1619, en route to Jamestown, Virginia; the magazine ship belonging to Sir Robert Rich, the Earl of Warwick, and reportedly used to fight off the Spanish Armada in 1588, made a scheduled stop in Bermuda. After completing the first stretch of the voyage it had to re-provision, discharge some of the cargo and passengers, and load valuable products bound for England. Warwick’s arrival was as an important event for the islands. On that voyage, the ship was charged with delivering Captain Nathaniel Butler, the new Governor of the nascent colony. Being a protégé of the Earl of Warwick, who was one of the major shareholders of the Virginia Company, Butler was promptly elected by the Lords in England and became the fifth governor of Bermuda.1 Apart from delivering Butler, Warwick was to carry supplies and settlers to the struggling colony at Jamestown, and collect colonial products, mostly tobacco, from Bermuda and Virginia for return to England. At the end of November, as Warwick was preparing to depart for America, where the Jamestown settlers were no doubt eagerly awaiting the arrival of the ship and the supplies it carried, a hurricane struck. Although the crew had prepared the Warwick as the storm approached, all the moorings suddenly gave way and the ferocious wind drove the ship right into the rocky cliffs.2 Due to a combination of a powerful north-westerly, shallow reefs, and the sharp limestone rocks surrounding Castle Harbour nothing could be done to save it. Warwick’s hull, although sturdy, was no match against the elements; thus, its fate was sealed. 3
Based on Captain Butler’s account, the rough location of the wreck site in the King’s Anchorage in Castle Harbour has always been common knowledge in Bermuda (Figure 1). Immediately after the wind and waves subsided, a share of the cargo and other easily accessible or floating goods were absconded by the locals and Butler had to issue a proclamation to recall and confiscate everything that was taken from the wreck.4 The following year, in 1620, the governor made several official trips to the Warwick with men and divers recovering three canons and several barrels of beer. A year later, another salvage attempt yielded five more cannons, all of which were put to good use in the newly constructed Southampton Fort.5 Due to the robust construction of the ship and the fact that the canons had been securely lashed to the decks in preparation for the approaching hurricane, the ropes could not be loosed until the timbers rotted; hence, not all the ordnance was salvaged.6 With the loss of Warwick came not only the destruction of all the supplies and stores bound for the Jamestown colony, but also the chance to export the yearly crops of tobacco. Captain Butler was uncomfortably aware that the owner of the ship, the Earl of Warwick, and the Lords of the Company would be disappointed with this turn of events. The Governor’s career, but most of all the survival of the colony seemed for a short while to be in jeopardy.7
Warwick is not only a prime example of late 16th-century naval warships, but also of the early 17th-century ships that played a fundamental role in supplying the English settlements in North America. Thus, the historic significance of this ship is unquestionable. Based on our currently limited knowledge of 16th-century galleons, properly excavating and studying this wreck presents an unparalleled opportunity. What is even more significant for the success of this project is the fact that Warwick is located in a protected harbor in 15-30 feet of water. Extraordinarily, roughly 70 feet of the starboard side of the ship is still preserved from near the keel to an upper deck and has never been fully excavated, recorded, or analyzed.
The wreck site of Warwick (photo taken during the 2008 season by P. Bojakowski)
Figure 1. The Location of Warwick in Castle Harbour, Bermuda (image created by P. Bojakowski; modified after nautical chart 26342)