| Summary : 1667 wreck of English Third Rate ship of the line which foundered near the chain at Upnor after colliding on 22 July with the wreck of the NORWAY MERCHANT (1433221), herself sunk as part of the chain to defend the Medway during the Dutch attack of 10-14 June. The HELVERSON or HELVERSTON was put forward as a ship of suitable size in raising the VANGUARD (1179295), also sunk during the Raid on the Medway, on 17 July, and was en route from Chatham to Sheerness to act as an accommodation hulk at the time of the collision. The next day, 23 July, there was an attack on the Hope in the River Thames (1584207).The HELVERSON was raised by January 1668. As the HILVERSUM, she had been hired by the Dutch into their navy in 1655, and participated in the Battle of Lowestoft (1584087), where she was taken as a prize. A former Dutch ship captured as a prize by the British. Constructed of wood, she was a sailing vessel, but the fact that she was being "taken" to Sheerness indicates that she may already have been hulked, and that therefore she no longer had masts or sails, and was being towed at the time of the collision. |
More information : July 17. Sir Wm. Coventry to the Navy Com[missione]rs.
'Asks them to provide Prince Rupert with a ship at Sheerness. Lord Brouncker proposes, instead of the DE RUYTER, which is employed to get up the VANGUARD, the HILVERSOME, which is of a good size. Should be sorry an accident should befall her if the enemy come.' [Adm. Paper.] (6)
July 23. 11am Chatham. John Conny to Williamson.
'The enemy have appeared, and are now at anchor. It was a providence they did not come directly into Sheerness, as there was only one gun mounted this morning, and not any powder nor shot; but 20 barrels and some shot have gone down, and hopes to have 12 or 14 guns mounted before night, by which time the soldiers may possibly be fitted with match and bullets, of which they are destitute. The HELVERSOME, a Dutch man-of-war of 64 guns, taken in the last war, being ordered to Sheerness to lodge men working at the fort, ran upon one of the fly-boats sunk at the chain for the security of the river, the stump of whose mainmast is gone through her bilge as high as her gun deck, which will inevitably be her loss. Is out of fear there of the enemy, except as to his landing at Gillingham, and coming on the back of the fortifications.' (7)
July 23. Chatham Dock. John Brooker and Wm. Rand, masters of attendance, to the Navy Com[missione]rs.
'Particulars of the running of the HELVERSOME upon the NORWAY MERCHANT fly-boat, sunk on the north side of Gillingham, by one Bashford of Stroud, a pilot taken because Stephen Gragsby, who took her to Chatham, had left her. The stump of the mast of the fly-boat ran through her bottom, and she sank upright. Capt. Anslow is gone down to the Prince to acquaint him of what has befallen.' [Adm. Paper.] (8)
Jan. 23. Chatham Dock. John Brooke and Wm. Rand to Col. Thos. Middleton, Navy surveyor.
'Have cleared the Medway above Upnor of wrecks, and at Gillingham, have got the HELVERSON out of the wreck on which she was sunk; expect 2 more flyboats to proceed with the works. Had 100 tons of empty casks sent to weigh the wrecks, but they are now unserviceable, and the cooper will not mend them till he knows how he shall be paid. The men want encouragement. Asks orders as to the GUELDER DE RUYTER and VANGUARD.' (9)
Secondary Sources:
Indexed as the HELVERSTON. Having survived the attack on Chatham, she was being taken to Sheerness to act as an accomodation hulk, when she ran into the submerged wreck of a scuttled merchant ship near the chain and sank. (1)
Name spelt as HELVERSTON. A Dutch prize taken into service with the Royal Navy. (2)
Indexed as the HELVERSTON. Sunk to block the Medway. (3)
Indexed as HELVERSON, ex. Dutch HILVERSUM; captured 1665, sunk July 1667 as a blockship in the Medway. (4)
The following describes the line of defence as depicted by the diarist John Evelyn:
'This news, when it was brought back to Cornelis de Witt and van Ghent at Sheerness, did not deter them for one instant for resolving on an immediate attack on Chatham dockyard and the ships lying in the river near it. These were indeed a tempting prey, in a sketch made by John Evelyn on the hill above Gillingham, near the church, and which he sent to Pepys at the latter's request, [in which] the names and positions of the ships were recorded in detail. The sketch was entitled: A Scheme of the Posture of the Dutch Fleete and action at Sherenesse and Chatham 10th, 11th, and 12th of June 1667, taken upon the place by J.E. It showed the chain, with the UNITY moored on the Gillingham side, just below it and with the CHARLES V and MATTHIAS just above it. The MONMOUTH lay beyond them in Gillingham Reach, and then above her, stretching as far as Rochester Bridge, the ROYAL CHARLES, MARY [SANCTA MARIA], ROYAL OAK, LOYAL LONDON, ROYAL JAMES, CATHERINE, PRINCESS, OLD JAMES, GUIDEN RYTER [GELDERSE RUYTER] TRIUMPH, RAINBOW, UNICORN, HENRY, HELVERSON [HILVERSUM] and VANGUARD.' (5)
Pepys as Clerk of the Acts wrote to James Norman, Clerk of the Survey of Chatham, for accounts of the material loss sustained, receiving a reply on 17 August 1667.
Norman estimated the value of the HELVERSON at £200 if she could be refloated and repaired, but if a total loss it would have been to the value of £1,200.
By January 1668 the wrecks above Upnor had been cleared and the HELVERSON raised. (10)
Prize: 1665 (1)(2)(3)(4)
Where built: Netherlands
Owner: Royal Navy (all sources)
Armament: 60 cannon (1)(2)(3)(4)
Date of Loss Qualifier: Actual date of loss |