Shipwreck of pirate king found?

Listen to this article A group of marine archaeologists intend to investigate a shipwreck near Scythia to determine if it belonged to the legendary pirate king. The researchers intend to search the designated area with great meticulousness, as local diver Todd Stevens claims it is the final resting place of the frigate John, armed with

ByTomasz Andrukajtis

Published: June 20, 2012 - 17:36

Updated: July 22, 2023 - 05:23

Listen to this article

A group of marine archaeologists intend to investigate a shipwreck near Scythia to determine if it belonged to the legendary pirate king. The researchers intend to search the designated area with great meticulousness, as local diver Todd Stevens claims it is the final resting place of the frigate John, armed with 44 guns!

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The ship, commanded by Captain John Mucknell, was the flagship of a pirate fleet that spread terror around the British Isles during the Civil War in the mid-17th century. The ship was sunk during a fierce battle with 3 other ships sent by Oliver Cromwell on a special mission to sink the “John”.

Maritime archaeologist Alison James, who is taking part in the search, said that if the results of the search confirm their guess, the frigate wreck is likely to become a new protected British location.

What makes the search even more interesting is that the “John” is a very early design, about which there is not much information. What is certain is that the ship, in the service of the Royalists, was sunk in 1645.

The whole project is only in its preliminary stages, but it may be that we are standing on the threshold of a major discovery.

Source: thisisdevon.co.uk

About author

Tomasz Andrukajtis

Editor-in-chief of the DIVERS24 portal and magazine. Responsible for obtaining, translating and developing content. He also supervises all publications. Achived his first diving certification – P1 CMAS, in 2000. Has a degree in journalism and social communication. In the diving industry since 2008.