The Earl of Abergavenny (continued)

At 11pm that night the Earl of Abergavenny sank in shallow water in Weymouth Bay, less than 2 miles from land. At daybreak its masts could be seen by people on Weymouth seafront. It is estimated that between 234 and 261 people drowned, including the captain, John Wordsworth, whose body was washed up on the beach.

The seriousness of the shipwreck resulted in the launch of the first life boat in Weymouth in 1805.

A salvage expert, Mr Braithwaite, was employed to dive and recover as much of the ship's cargo as he could. He used a diving bell and gunpowder to expose the ship's treasures.

In 1806 a Mrs Bennett became a celebrity when she went down to the ship in the diving bell, providing the local press with an opportunity to call her the "diving belle".

The lead cloth seal and many other items were brought to the surface by a diving team led by Ed Cumming.  The team has meticulously recorded the site and researched the story - see their web site www.weymouthdiving.co.uk.  You may see objects from the ship at the Deep Sea Diving Museum and at Weymouth Museum.

Fragments of the ship and its contents lie on the soft, silty seabed of Weymouth Bay, some 15 metres deep.  Chart reference: 50 36. 15; 02 24.95W.

To see objects from the Earl of Abergavenny click here.

To find out more about the East India Company and its ships click here.