Maritime record TR 07 SW 1097 - Mary

Bought and expended 1667. (1)(4)

Engaged in the same action in the Thames Estuary over the period 23-JUL to 26-JUL against the Dutch fleet, as the GOLDEN HART (sic) fireship. Two days after the action of 23-JUL, Sir Joseph Jordan took a force of fireships towards the Dutch vessels still anchored off the Isle of Sheppey. This action was indecisive in that several of the fireships failed to get into action, whilst others were set on fire and abandoned by their crews far too early, resulting in several captains being court-martialled for misconduct in battle. The MARY fireship, a purchased vessel of 1667, was one of the ships expended, but with what degree of success is unknown. (3)

Source (2) states that the date the vessel was expended, and by implication the action in which she was involved, is uncertain; the vessel could therefore have been expended off Tilbury on 23-JUL or Sheppey on 26-JUL. Source (3) attributes the position of loss to the action off Sheppey, and appears to transpose the departure and destination.

Acquired: 1667 (1)(2)(3)(4)
Armament: 4 cannon (1)(2)(3)(4)
Master: Captain John Swayne RN (2)(3)
Owner: Royal Navy (1)(2)(3)

Date of Loss Qualifier: Actual date of loss

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

<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> J J Colledge, 1989, Ships of the Royal Navy, volume 1 (Bibliographic reference). SKE6390.

<4> Calendar of State Papers Domestic (Bibliographic reference). SKE6354.