Review of The Last Voyage of the Gloucester Exhibition at Norwich Castle Museum and Art Gallery
- Jul 1, 2023
- 5 min read
On 6 May 1682, the ship, Gloucester, ran aground on sandbanks off the coast of Great Yarmouth in Norfolk. It carried James, duke of York, who became James II in 1685 after the death of his brother, Charles II. Last year, it was announced that the wreck had been found by brothers Julian and Lincoln Barnwell. I covered my thoughts on the press release and did a short post on the sinking of the ship, which can be viewed here and here.
Me and my family have been going to Great Yarmouth for our summer holidays for many years and so this exciting discovery was just fantastic, even more so considering that I am a bit of a Stuart era buff. It helps that James II’s first wife, Anne Hyde was also an ancestor of mine. As soon as it was announced that an exhibition on the fate of the ship was to be held at Norwich Castle, including the many interesting artefacts that have so far been found, I instantly knew I wanted to go. I was definitely not disappointed!
The first part of the exhibition tells the story behind the ship, the political implications of Charles II not having a legitimate heir, meaning his brother, James, a Catholic, was heir to the throne, and that at its sinking, the ship was around 30 years old. What life was like on board was also told very well, including using items such as the glass bottles on board that would have once been full of alcohol, some which of still have their contents. I feel this was told very well and gave the sense of the hubbub that would have been on board during the Gloucester’s final journey.
Some of the stories of the individuals involved, such as James, duke of York, John Churchill, first duke of Marlborough, and even the famous Samuel Pepys, was told particularly well as it showed their role in a way that was easy to follow for the visitor. This all made the visitor make their own decision as to who and what was responsible for the ship’s sinking. Personally, I came away feeling that James himself was to blame as social protocol meant that others couldn’t leave the ship before him and he stayed onboard believing the ship could be rescued, even though it took just an hour to sink. This is something I had thought already before visiting, but seeing more into the story and those involved made me feel this even more.
One of the most poignant parts of the exhibition was about those who lost their lives. A panel entitled ‘Victims of the Gloucester’ states that anywhere between 130-250 people lost their lives on 6 May 1682, but as there were no lists of either crew or passengers, the exact number will probably never be known. It also stated that there were some attempts at compensation to the widows and children of sixty-three men who were lost. However, many others didn’t have dependants, so this was unhelpful number at the time. Despite the issues in identifying those who were lost, I appreciated the attempts the exhibition made in listing some of them, as in a way, they represented all who were lost. My own ancestor, James Hyde, who was brother of the duke of York’s first wife, and also 2nd lieutenant onboard the Gloucester, was amongst those named. Nearly all of the duke’s servants died, including one of the royal dogs, meaning his deliberation about whether to leave felt even worse. The dog named Mumper was also named on the lists.
I particularly felt the saddest part was the story of Lady Margaret Hay, young widow of Robert Ker, 3rd earl of Roxburghe, who sent a manservant to Yarmouth to recover her husband’s body. The servant did his upmost to find his master. However, despite the help of local fisherman and visiting other local seaports, the body was never found. Margaret never remarried and outlived her husband by seventy years.
The next part of the exhibition focused on the discovery of the wreck itself and the archaeological artefacts that have been found. This really did make the visitor connect on an emotional level for the items displayed had been in two travel chests, both with items like clothes, shoes and book covers, which were personal and valuable items to their original owners. I heard many murmurings from the visitors around me saying how they couldn’t believe how things, such personal things, had survived so well, something that I agree with. The best of these was a petticoat which was once highly decorated but now only some of it’s floral pattern survives.
It was at this point that it was made clear just about the unique difficulties the underwater environment these items had come from posed for their continued conservation and preservation. For this, I commend all those who have worked with these discoveries, especially as it seems there is still much work for them to do. It is also hoped that as time goes on, more items will be able to be salvaged and everything can be made into some form of permanent exhibition. I really hope that this is the case for both of those things as it was obvious it was a very popular exhibition and that it would be good to have some sort of permanent reminder of the last journey of the Gloucester either in Yarmouth itself or somewhere else in Norfolk, such as Norwich.
There was even a little token part where you can vote for who you believe was responsible for the wrecking. I have already voiced my opinion that the duke of York was to blame, but there are many other options. It is also possible that it was a combination of all of these, but I did notice that the box for James had the most votes. This is a great addition, as is the wall to leave visitor feedback on the exhibition, as it feels as though there is some opportunity for visitor participation.
I would totally recommend this exhibition to anyone with an interest in history, even if you don’t know much about the Stuart period as it is a rather poignant one that tells the story of all of those involved, even the crew of whom little is known about. It will grab you and certainly play on your emotions as it connects you straight to the day that it sunk.
The Last Voyager of the Gloucester exhibition runs until 10 September 2023 at the Norwich Castle Museum and Art Gallery. Entry to the exhibition is included in the price for the museum, which are as follows:
Adult: £7.40
Family discount adult: £6.60 (available with a paid child ticket)
Concession*: £7
Child (age 4 -18): £6.30
Child under 4: Free
Twilight ticket (one hour before closing): £2.50
Please be aware though that a large part of the museum isn’t currently open due to work on upgrading the keep to a medieval museum, which is scheduled to reopen next year. Just another reason to go back in my eyes!
For more information on the Gloucester project itself, please visit the Gloucester 1682 Trust website here.
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