Silver Plate Linked to 1707 Isles of Scilly Shipwreck to Be Auctioned

A silver plate once belonging to Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell, who perished in one of Britain’s worst naval disasters off the Isles of Scilly in 1707, is set to go under the hammer later this month.

A Link to a Maritime Tragedy

The Queen Anne silver plate, engraved with Sir Cloudesley’s coat of arms, was recovered from the wreck site of HMS Association around fifty years ago. It will be auctioned by Richard Winterton Auctioneers at The Lichfield Auction Centre in Staffordshire on Monday, 27th October.

Discovered by a Birmingham diver in the 1970s, the 24cm diameter plate weighs 513.8 grams and bears hallmarks for Anthony Nelme, London 1703, with the Britannia standard. It is expected to fetch between £600 and £800. A facsimile of the Receiver of Wreck’s letter granting legal title to the item under the Merchant Shipping Act 1995 is included with the lot.

The 1707 Isles of Scilly Disaster

Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell was one of 1,342 people killed when HMS Association and three other Royal Navy ships struck rocks off the Isles of Scilly on 22nd October 1707.

HMS Association, launched in 1697 at Portsmouth, served as Sir Cloudesley’s flagship during the War of the Spanish Succession. The fleet was returning from Gibraltar when navigational errors led them into the treacherous waters west of Scilly.

At the time, sailors relied on ‘dead reckoning’ – estimating a ship’s position based on speed and direction – as there was no accurate way to measure longitude at sea. Strong currents, high winds, and poor weather contributed to the disaster.

Within minutes, HMS Association, Eagle, and Romney sank. Only one person reportedly survived from the Romney. A fourth vessel, Firebrand, struck rocks but was briefly lifted clear before later foundering in Smith Sound.

Some reports suggest as many as 2,000 lives were lost, though later records put the total at 1,342.

A Rare Piece of History

“The plate bears the admiral’s armorial on the rim and, although tarnished, dented and distorted, is in relatively good condition considering it spent more than 250 years beneath the waves,” said Philip Bridge from Richard Winterton Auctioneers.

“The hallmarks on the underside are remarkably clear, suggesting that it was submerged that side down. Perhaps it was from this very plate the admiral was served what turned out to be his last meal before disaster struck.”

Sir Cloudesley’s body was later found washed ashore at Porth Hellick on St Mary’s, alongside his greyhound Mumper. His stepsons Sir John Narborough and James Narborough, along with Henry Trelawney and Edmund Loades, were also among those lost.

The Aftermath and Lasting Legacy

The loss of Sir Cloudesley and his fleet shocked the nation. Queen Anne ordered his body to be reinterred at Westminster Abbey, where he became a symbol of both heroism and tragedy.

The disaster ultimately led to the Longitude Act of 1714, which offered rewards for solving the problem of determining a ship’s longitude at sea. The challenge was finally met in 1759 when John Harrison developed his marine chronometer, a breakthrough that transformed navigation.

“The tragic loss was a huge story at the time and sparked all kinds of folklore, such as one gruesome – and apocryphal tale – that a local woman discovered Sir Cloudesley barely alive onshore and cut off his fingers to steal his rings,” added Mr Bridge.

“Another story goes that on the journey in, one of the sailors on the Association knew the area and tried to warn his shipmates about the rocks. But he was judged to be spreading dissent amongst the ranks and was strung up from the yard arm. Within an hour the ship had hit the rocks and was sinking fast – with that unfortunate sailor still hanging from the gallows. Regardless of these bloodthirsty tales, the story remains one of catastrophic loss underlining the perils of seafaring in the 18th century.”

Auction Details

The plate will be sold during the Antique & Home Sale on Monday, 27th October, starting at 9am at The Lichfield Auction Centre, Wood End Lane, Fradley Park, WS13 8NF.

Public viewing takes place on Friday, 24th October, between 10am and 4pm.
The online catalogue will be available a week before the auction at www.richardwinterton.co.uk/auctions/auction-calendar.

For valuations or enquiries, email office@richardwinterton.co.uk or call 01543 251081.