Summary
Remains of an English East Indiaman which stranded in Trinity Bay, in the Goodwin Sands, during a gale in 1809. The Admiral Gardner was outward-bound from Blackwall to Madras carrying anchors, chains, guns, shot, iron bars and East India Company copper tokens for local currency.
History
The Admiral Gardner was a twelve year old 800 ton English East Indiaman. In January 1809 she was on passage from Blackwall to Madras with a cargo of anchors, chain, guns, shot and iron bar stock. She also carried forty-eight tons of East India Company (EIC) copper tokens that were to be used as currency for native workers. In company with the East Indiamen Britannia and Apollo, she was caught in the Downs by a violent gale and wrecked on the Goodwin Sands.
In 1976, EIC tokens appeared in sand dredged from the Goodwins for use as fill for construction work in Dover Harbour. The site and her cargo of coins were eventually located by divers investigating a fisherman's snag. The site was then subject to a number of parties claiming interest as it was thought to be the Britannia, lost at the same time but carrying silver EIC tokens. Salvage operations began in 1984 and recovered over 1 million tokens.
Details
Designation History:
Designation Order: (No 1), No 699, 1985
Made: 2nd May 1985
Laid before Parliament: 13th May 1985
Coming into force: 3rd June 1985
Protected area: 150 metres within 51 12.67 N 001 30.8 E
Revocation Order: No 1020, 1986
Made: 18th June 1986
Laid before Parliament: 27th June 1986
Coming into force: 18th July 1986
Designation Order: (No 3), No 2295, 1989
Made: 6th December 1989
Laid before Parliament: 13th December 1989
Coming into force: 3rd January 1990
Protected area: 150 metres within 51 12.00 N 001 30.56 E
Designation Order: No 2395, 2004
Made: 12th September 2004
Laid before Parliament: 14th September 2004
Coming into force: 5th October 2004
Protected area: 300 metres within 51 12.0305 N 001 30.4563 E
No part of the restricted area lies above the high-water mark of ordinary spring tides.
Documentary History:
Built at Limehouse in 1797, the Admiral Gardner was a 12-year old 800-ton English East Indiaman outward-bound from Blackwall for Madras with a cargo of anchors, chain, guns, shot and iron bar stock. She also carried 48 tons of East India Company (EIC) copper tokens that were to be used as currency for native workers. In company with the East Indiamen Britannia and Apollo, she was caught in the Downs by a violent gale and wrecked on the Goodwin Sands on the 25th January 1809. The loss was estimated at £200,000.'
A week later the cargo of the wreck - hundreds of thousands of coins minted for the East India Company as currency to be used in the colonies - was reported to be beyond salvage. An auction was held to sell off all that remained of the vessel; some rope, lead and iron, sailcloth and some food.
Archaeological History:
In 1976, the wreck was discovered during dredging operations when a large number of East India Company coins appeared in sand dredged from the Goodwins for use as fill as part of Dover Harbour.
The site was re-located in 1983 by a fisherman after snagging his nets and the site was subsequently salvaged. Over one million East India Company tokens are reported to have been recovered as well as an intact barrel of 28,000 coins which underwent conservation treatment at Portsmouth.
Following a paper presented on the site at the National Symposium of Nautical Archaeology held at Fort Bovisand in March 1985, concerns were raised over whether archaeological standards were being used. The site was therefore designated in 1985. However, it was discovered the site lay beyond UK waters (then set at 3nm) and de-designated in 1985. It was re-designated in 1989 following the extension of territorial waters to 12nm.
The site was exposed again in August 1993 and May 1995 when the Archaeological Diving Unit (ADU) observed (in 1995) coherent ship's structure fastened with copper alloy bolts, loose timbers, iron guns, anchors and an iron knee.
In June 1999, a magnetometer survey concluded that apart from the disturbance caused by previous salvage, operations the site appeared relatively stable and undisturbed. Ship's timbers were visible by ADU divers in one area and loose copper tokens seen, the exposed area of wreckage was 1m proud of the seabed on mobile sandy bottom. Sand waves up to a metre high were seen around the site and observed to be mobile during the tidal stream, indicating that the level of burial of the site could change constantly. By the 2003, the site was found to be completely buried.
