The Warwick: results of the survey of an early 17th-century Virginia Company ship

Abstract

The Warwick was wrecked during a hurricane in Castle Harbour, Bermuda, in 1619, whilst en route to Jamestown, Virginia. Operating as a magazine ship for the Virginia Company, the vessel was carrying supplies, settlers and colonial officials. The Warwick represents not only a suspected late 16th-century all-purpose warship, but also a merchantman that played a fundamental role in supplying the English colonies in North America at the beginning of the 17th century. Although only a small test area of the wreck was surveyed, the preserved starboard side of the vessel revealed significant structural features, shedding new light on the development of English shipbuilding.