Site 5014 contains the remains of the Thomas Lawrence, a Danish schooner built in 1838. The Copenhagen based vessel sank in 1862 after a collision with the German steamer, Schwalbe. It was travelling to the Virgin Islands in the Caribbean at the time of the collision.
Divers discovered the wreck of the Thomas Lawrence in 1983 whilst freeing some fishing nets caught in the wreckage. They returned from the dive claiming to have found a 'treasure ship'. An excavation of the site in 1985 uncovered some interesting artefacts. One such item was a tombstone recording the death of a Danish mother and her child, dated to 1858. This memorial helped researchers to identify the vessel as the Thomas Lawrence.
The wreck is situated at the base of Hastings Shingle Bank, 7.8nm south of Hastings, East Sussex. It is 24.5m in length, 7m wide and is lying in approximately 43m of water. The vessel is heeled over to port. Geophysical results suggest that the vessel may be partially covered by a large sandwave located in the area.
Reports of the site in 1984 described the carvel-built hull as being sheathed in copper, with the remains of the rudder still attached at the stern. Damage to the mid-ship frames on the port side indicated where the Thomas Lawrence was fatally impacted. The most frequent cargo onboard the Thomas Lawrence was 50 wooden boxes containing flintlocks, dating to the 1820s. Other cargo included muskets, alcohol, cosmetic bottles, and window glass.
In August 2002, Wessex Archaeology surveyed the recorded position of the wreck site (given by the Hastings Shipwreck Centre) using sidescan sonar. Despite several runs over the location, no anomaly was detected. A dive survey was not carried out during this fieldwork season due to the lack of geophysical evidence for the wreck.
As a result of this, in April 2005 WA carried out a geophysical survey of a 2 x 2km area of the seabed thought to contain the Thomas Lawrence. This survey area was chosen in order to test geophysical techniques at different frequencies, range settings and line spacing, using the Thomas Lawrence as a fixed anomaly. The results were compared ascertaining the best option for identifying the wreck and also showed how the techniques could be best used, providing recommendations for future use.
The 2 x 2km area was surveyed using sidescan sonar, magnetometer, mutibeam and single beam sonar. The Thomas Lawrence was detected in the SE part of the survey area, although it was still difficult to determine because of the lack of a clear magnetic signature, due to the vessel's wooden construction. Surprisingly, the wreck was also not identified on the multibeam data either.
For more information about the Thomas Lawrence and the results of the geophysical survey, visit these Wessex Archaeology webpage's: 1, 2
Many of the artefacts recovered from the Thomas Lawrence wreck site are on display at the Shipwreck and Coastal Heritage Centre in Hastings.
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The wreck is situated at the base of Hastings Shingle Bank, 7.8nm south of Hastings, East Sussex. It is 24.5m in length, 7m wide and is lying in approximately 43m of water. The vessel is heeled over to port. Geophysical results suggest that the vessel may be partially covered by a large sandwave located in the area.
Reports of the site in 1984 described the carvel-built hull as being sheathed in copper, with the remains of the rudder still attached at the stern. Damage to the mid-ship frames on the port side indicated where the Thomas Lawrence was fatally impacted. The most frequent cargo onboard the Thomas Lawrence was 50 wooden boxes containing flintlocks, dating to the 1820s. Other cargo included muskets, alcohol, cosmetic bottles, and window glass.
In August 2002, Wessex Archaeology surveyed the recorded position of the wreck site (given by the Hastings Shipwreck Centre) using sidescan sonar. Despite several runs over the location, no anomaly was detected. A dive survey was not carried out during this fieldwork season due to the lack of geophysical evidence for the wreck.
As a result of this, in April 2005 WA carried out a geophysical survey of a 2 x 2km area of the seabed thought to contain the Thomas Lawrence. This survey area was chosen in order to test geophysical techniques at different frequencies, range settings and line spacing, using the Thomas Lawrence as a fixed anomaly. The results were compared ascertaining the best option for identifying the wreck and also showed how the techniques could be best used, providing recommendations for future use.
The 2 x 2km area was surveyed using sidescan sonar, magnetometer, mutibeam and single beam sonar. The Thomas Lawrence was detected in the SE part of the survey area, although it was still difficult to determine because of the lack of a clear magnetic signature, due to the vessel's wooden construction. Surprisingly, the wreck was also not identified on the multibeam data either.
For more information about the Thomas Lawrence and the results of the geophysical survey, visit these Wessex Archaeology webpage's: 1, 2
Many of the artefacts recovered from the Thomas Lawrence wreck site are on display at the Shipwreck and Coastal Heritage Centre in Hastings.
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