Archaeologists have identified the sunken remains of the HMS Tyger, an 18th century British warship that sunk in 1742.
The wreck site was first discovered in 1994 and then survey by researchers from the Dry Tortugas National Park, the Submerged Resources Centre, and the Southeast Archaeological Centre.
Launched in 1647 at Woolwich, England, the HMS Tyger was a Fourth-Rate frigate and the third ship of the Royal Navy to bear the name.
By successive refitting’s she served for almost a century, participating in the Siege of Colchester during the English Civil War, the pursuit of Prince Rupert to the West Indies, and the First and Second Anglo–Dutch Wars.
In 1741, the HMS Tyger was ordered to Cuba under the command of Captain Edward Herbert. Her orders were to blockade Spanish ships heading to Mexico, Havana, Cuba and Vera Cruz.
While sailing the route from Havana to Vera Cruz, the ship was grounded on a reef, forcing the crew to abandon ship and make camp on Garden Key. According to the ship’s logbooks, the crew attempted to refloat the vessel, but it eventually succumbed to damage from the grounding and sank in shallow water.
The crew were marooned for 66 days on Garden Key, but would eventually use makeshift vessels made from salvaged pieces of the HMS Tyger and make a 700-mile escape through enemy waters to Port Royal, Jamaica.
A survey in 2021 found five cannons approximately 457 metres from a wreck site located off the coast of Garden Key. Based on the size of the cannons and the wreck location matching historical sources, researchers from the National Park Service have now identified the wreck to be the HMS Tyger.
“Archaeological finds are exciting, but connecting those finds to the historical record helps us tell the stories of the people that came before us and the events they experienced,” said Park Manager James Crutchfield. “This particular story is one of perseverance and survival. National parks help to protect these untold stories as they come to light.”
The wreckage of HMS Tyger and its associated artefacts are under the jurisdiction of the British Government as per international treaty, signifying their sovereign ownership.
Header Image Credit : Brett Seymour
Sources : National Park Service (NPS)
