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Samuel Pepys and the Strange Wrecking of the Gloucester: The Shipwreck that Shocked Restoration Britain by Nigel Pickford

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Samuel Pepys. His is a name well-known in naval and maritime circles. In 1682, he was forty-nine years old and wanted to reclaim his former power and prestige. He had been ousted as secretary of the admiralty, where he had worked for two decades, until being accused of “Piracy, Popery and Treachery” and briefly imprisoned in the Tower of London. (6) Three years had passed and he was still unemployed, but now his prospects were looking up. Among his influential acquaintances was James, Duke of York, and his older brother, King Charles II, was finally permitting James to return to London. Pepys was determined to be among the first to greet the prince and renew their friendship.

James had been named heir to the throne, but he and his wife, Mary of Modena, were neither Protestant nor popular with many people of the country. In fact, there were more than a few who wanted him dead. Now, that he was back home, James wanted his wife, who was pregnant and still residing in Scotland, to join him. One might assume he would travel by land, but James loved ships and sailing, and never missed an opportunity to enjoy his passion, one that he shared with Pepys. So, in May 1682, he and some of his party boarded the Gloucester. Although invited to sail with James, Pepys decided to board one of the other vessels that comprised the small flotilla heading north. This last-minute decision would later be described as one of divine providence.

The Gloucester had been built in 1654 as a third rate of 755 tons and with a crew of 210 men and 52 guns. But she was an old warship, had been in ordinary (meaning laid up rather than plying the oceans), and corruption was rife in the Royal Dockyards. Still, she and the vessels that would accompany her were made ready to sail. Soon after this flotilla set sail, observers could see that navigation skills left much to be desired. One ship became grounded on a sandbank. Two others got lost. Eventually, only five vessels remained with Gloucester. Then, at 5:30 in the morning, while sailing at around seven knots with a strong wind propelling her forward, Gloucester ran aground, the waves alternately lifting and dropping her onto a sandbank. Forty-five minutes later, she was gone and 200 people lost their lives.

Pickford recounts the events leading up to, during, and after the wrecking of the Gloucester based on historical records (such as letters, diaries, log books, wills, and charts) to recreate what happened and to relate how it affected those who were participants either on the voyage or in the aftermath. The primary focus is on Pepys and James, but many others’ stories unfold here, including those who often go unnamed, such as Thomas Smith, who had signed on as an able seaman to get out of debtor’s prison, leaving behind a wife who was blind and indigent; or Rowland Rowleson, who, two weeks before his departure, legally declared what should happen to his belongings should he die. The book includes two appendices (People On Board the Gloucester and Bounty Payments), eight pages of color illustrations, notes, a bibliography, and an index.

Perhaps more interesting than the groundwork and the wrecking itself is Pickford’s rendering of the aftermath of the wreck. He focuses not just on the facts, but also incorporates the rumors that popped up, such as the Fanatick Party’s avowal that the wreck had been a plot to kill James. Equally compelling is the fact that two court-martials were held on the same day and at the same place, but only the transcript of the second trial remains. And the court-martial for the Gloucester was anything but impartial, given that seven of the judges had commanded other vessels in the same flotilla and one had publicly argued with the defendant before the sinking. Pickford also ably demonstrates how media was manipulated even in the 17th century. Although he tends to jump back and forth in time throughout the narrative, Samuel Pepys and the Strange Wrecking of the Gloucester is an entertaining and enlightening glimpse into the past that reveals that, although centuries have passed, not much has changed.


(This review originally appeared at Pirates & Privateers: http://www.cindyvallar.com/adultpirat...)




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