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Summary

Remains of wreck HMS Crocodile, British Sixth Rate Ship of the Line, which stranded and bilged off Prawle Point while homeward-bound to England from Bombay. Constructed of wood with copper sheathing and copper pins, she was a sailing vessel.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• Pastscape: 832162
• Tide Project: 21/09/2020

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• WRECK (XVIII - 1781 AD (Between) to 1784 AD (Between))

Full description

2001-2020, The Wreck Site Online Database (Website). SDV363841.

HMS Crocodile was a 24-gun frigate, wrecked in thick fog on Prawle Point, Devon, Uk (next to De Boot site) in 1784. The crew and passengers were saved.

Several iron guns are left. Recent finds include copper pins marked with the broad arrow of the Admiralty, copper sheathing, pan weights, musket balls, cannonballs and a sounding lead.

National Monuments Record, 2020, Pastscape (Website). SDV363416.

Remains of 1784 wreck of British Sixth Rate Ship of the Line, which stranded and bilged off Prawle Point while homeward-bound to England from Bombay. Constructed of wood with copper sheathing and copper pins, she was a sailing vessel.

HMS Crocodile, a 6th rate man o' war, ran ashore on the rocks at Prawle Point in thick fog. Having established that the ship had run aground and not hit another vessel, attempts were made to refloat her. Despite efforts to lighten the ship (ending with the removal of her masts) she began to take in water and was abandoned.

Returning to England from India, the Scilly Isles were sighted on the evening of 8th May, and a course was set to take her up Channel. The weather became increasingly hazy, and by nightfall there was a thick fog. Just before 3 o'clock in the morning she ran hard aground on the rocks near Prawle Point...The fog was so thick that when the captain arrived on deck he cursed the officer of the watch for colliding with another ship. 'Good God, Sir, despite all my precautions you have got foul of some vessel!' When it was confirmed that they were ashore, anchors were taken out astern by boat to attempt to pull her off, the booms were heaved overboard, and water casks emptied. Finally the masts were cut away. She would not budge and with 7ft of water in the hold and the tide ebbing, threatening to overturn her, she was abandoned...At his court-martial the Captain was criticised for failing to order the use of the lead when known to be in restricted waters in fog, and was warned for his future conduct

Large quantities of shot, barrel parts, buckles, buttons, compasses, sewing items, latches/handles, pistol flints, cannonballs, coins and various other bits and pieces recovered from this wreck, SW tip of Gull Rock, Prawle Point.

The wreckage is scattered from Prawle Point to the west past Gull Rock, where copper pins with an Admiralty broad-arrow mark and copper sheathing have been found, along with barbed nails and other artefacts. There is a bed of concreted cannonballs, possibly from this wreck, underlying part of the wreckage of the HEYE-P

Launched: 25-APR-1781
Builder: Portsmouth Dockyard
Where Built: Portsmouth
Armament: 24 guns (4)(6)(9); upper deck 22 x 9pdr, quarter-deck 2 x 6pdr
Commanding Officer: Captain John Williamson RN (
Crew: normal complement 160
Owner: Royal Navy [all sources]; wreck sold to Terry Crocker

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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