Primary Sources:

Prior History:

May 14. Chatham. Com[missione]r Peter Pett to the Navy Com[missione]rs.

Can say nothing as to any acquittance given to prize officers for receipt of goods from prize ships, nor of the sum each vessel has been valued at, except the SANTA MARIA and the FORTUNE dogger boat, for both of which he gave a receipt. Has never been ordered to appraise them, nor to give receipts, but will send a valuation of the vessels and their furniture and goods on guess, if desired. [Adm. Paper.] (5)

Wreck Event:

'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 GOOD FORTUNE was one of a number of ships scuttled by the English in front of them in an attempt tp block their passage. In the event, they caused the Dutch few problems and the upper works were set on fire by them as they left. The remains were sold in OCT-1667. (1)

Vessel had been a prize. (1)

GOOD FORTUNE dogger, prize acquired 1665, sunk to block Medway 1667. (2)

After sinking the CONSTANT JOHN, JOHN AND SARAH, and UNICORN on the morning of 11 June 1667, further ships were scuttled in the same location on the Mussel Bank as reinforcements, on the recommendations of Lord Brouncker and Peter Pett, despite the misgivings of Edward Gregory, Clerk of the Check at Chatham, who called it 'an unadvised piece of worke'. They were the BARBADOS MERCHANT, DOLPHIN, EDWARD AND EVE, HIND and FORTUNE.

As the Dutch withdrew from the Medway, they set fire to the upper works of the sunken ships at the Mussel Bank. In August 1667 the Clerk of the Survey at Chatham wrote to Pepys, detailing the financial losses of the action: he believed the HIND, EDWARD AND EVE, and FORTUNE, to be recoverable, and the cost of repairs £500.

On 22 September 1669 the wreck of the FORTUNE was bought for £22 by Richard Boys of London, who broke her up in 1670; the official value of the 'dogger (FORTUNE) at the Mussel Bank' as presented to the Navy Board on 4 October 1669 was £10. (3)

NB: The vessel type of dogger and the date she was captured as a prize, during the year the Second Anglo-Dutch War broke out, would appear to indicate that the GOOD FORTUNE had originally been Dutch.

Not to be confused with the FORTUNE flyboat, also originally a Dutch prize, similarly sunk in this action.

Where Built: Netherlands?
Captured: 1665 (1)(2)
Armament: 6 guns (1)(2)
Construction: 2 masts (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.