Primary Sources:

'Whitehall, June 16. The Dutch Fleet having the tenth Instant in the evening made themselves masters of Sheerness, on the eleventh they advanced up the River of Medway, and though with much difficulty passed by several Vessels which had been sunk about Musselbank, which was the narrowest part of it, the better to put some stop to them in their passing; and with 22 sail came up towards the Chain . . . Part of the Enemies Fleet hath since this Action continued about Muscle-Bank, where on Friday were seen 24 sail, on Saturday only 14 . . . ' (4)

Secondary Sources:

In June 1667, during the Second Dutch War, the Dutch fleet under de Ruyter and de Witt(e) sailed into the rivers Thames and Medway to attack the English fleet laid up in their own harbours. On 10-JUN they attacked the fort at Sheerness, driving off the garrison and landing troops. They advanced up the Medway to the protective chain across the river at Upnor. The UNICORN was one of a number of fireships scuttled by the English in front of them in an attempt to block their passage. In the event, they caused the Dutch few problems and the upperworks were set on fire by them as they left. The remains were sold in OCT-1667. (1)

UNICORN, bought 1666, sunk to block the Medway 1667. Dimensions 64 feet long x 23 feet beam, 180 tons. (2)

UNICORN, sunk June 1667 at Chatham to block the entrance to the Dockyard. (3)

The CONSTANT JOHN, UNICORN, and JOHN AND SARAH, were the first ships sunk as blockships on the Mussel Bank on the morning of 11 June 1667. On the recommendation of Lord Brouncker and Peter Pett, they were followed by a second group, consisting of the BARBADOS MERCHANT, DOLPHIN, EDWARD AND EVE, HIND, and (GOOD) FORTUNE.

'This news, when it was brought back to Cornelis de Witt and van Ghent at Sheerness, did not deter them for one instant for resolving on an immediate attack on Chatham dockyard and the ships lying in the river near it. These were indeed a tempting prey, in a sketch made by John Evelyn on the hill above Gillingham, near the church, and which he sent to Pepys at the latter's request, [in which] the names and positions of the ships were recorded in detail. The sketch was entitled: A Scheme of the Posture of the Dutch Fleete and action at Sherenesse and Chatham 10th, 11th, and 12th of June 1667, taken upon the place by J.E. It showed the chain, with the UNITY moored on the Gillingham side, just below it and with the CHARLES V and MATTHIAS just above it. The MONMOUTH lay beyond them in Gillingham Reach, and then above her, stretching as far as Rochester Bridge, the ROYAL CHARLES, MARY [SANCTA MARIA], ROYAL OAK, LOYAL LONDON, ROYAL JAMES, CATHERINE, PRINCESS, OLD JAMES, GUIDEN RYTER [GELDERSE RUYTER] TRIUMPH, RAINBOW, UNICORN, HENRY, HELVERSON [HILVERSUM] and VANGUARD.'

The Dutch then burnt the upper works of the sunken vessels at the Mussel Bank as they withdrew. The DOLPHIN, CONSTANT JOHN, UNICORN, JOHN AND SARAH, and BARBADOS MERCHANT, were together valued at £4,100 in a survey of the financial loss represented by these ships, dated 17 August 1667, as probably 'utterly lost'.

The UNICORN does not appear in the lists of ships sold at auction on 22 September 1669 or valued in a letter to the Navy Board on 4 October 1669. Those wrecks which were not sold, were 'finally destroyed by firing explosive charges in them during the last three months of 1669.' (5)

Purchased: 1666 (1)(2)(3)
Armament: 6 guns (1)(2)(3)
Owner: Royal Navy (all sources)

Date of Loss Qualifier: Actual date of loss

<1> British Warship losses in the Age of Sail 1650-1859 (Monograph). SKE6713.

<2> Larn, Richard and Bridget, 1995, Shipwreck index of the British Isles, volume 2 : Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Sussex, Kent (Mainland), Kent (Downs), Goodwin Sands, Thames (Bibliographic reference). SKE31910.

<3> Lists of Men of War 1650-1700 Part 1: English Sips 1649-1702 (Monograph). SKE6710.

<4> Peter Higginbotham, 2000, The Workhouse (Website). SKE56079.

<5> Rogers P G, 1970, The Dutch in the Medway (Bibliographic reference). SKE56188.

<6> 1765-, London Gazette (Newspaper). SKE56185.