From the NMR:

Remains of 1739 wreck of Dutch East Indiaman which foundered towards the north-eastern end of the Kellett Gut after grounding on the Goodwin Sands. At the time of loss she was bound from Amsterdam and the Texel to Jakarta with coin, bullion and a general cargo, including sheet copper, sabre blades and stone blocks, as well as passengers. Built in 1737 of wood, she was a sailing vessel. The wreck site is now designated under the Protection of Wrecks Act 1973.

A sport diver named Ken Welling found the remains of the ROOSWIJK off the south-east coast of England. The discovery was kept secret until 11-DEC-2005, when silver found aboard the wreck was handed over to the Netherlands Finance Minister, Joop Wijn, representing the Dutch Government as heirs to the Dutch East India Company, having taken the company over in 1798.

Underwater excavations carried out by Alex Hildred recovered more than 1,000 artefacts. As described by Alex Hildred:

"This discovery is unique as it has provided a near-complete assemblage of silver ingots cast only for a single voyage and would have been melted down to produce coinage if the vessel had not sunk. It has therefore provided us with an important archaeological resource rarely found."

Other items found among the cargo included sheet copper, sabre blades and blocks of masonry.

The floor timbers collapsed some time after the actual wreck and the contents of each deck fell on top of each other, reflecting the physical and social layers of shipboard life. The top layer therefore included items from the officers' dining room, including pewter dinner plates and a mustard pot, wine glasses, a copper cauldron, brass candlesticks and a box of eye glasses.

The silver bullion was also found in this area in 4lb bars, having been mined in Mexico, and sold on to the Amsterdam Chamber of the VOC, whose imprint is on the bars of silver, for use in the coinage of Batavia. (7)

The layer immediately underneath comprised the contents of the ship constable's cabin. As he was responsible for the maintenance of law and order on board, 50 muskets were found in the area.

Beneath this again was the vessel's "cartridge locker" containing bar and round shot, while three cannon and a gun port were located in an area thought to represent part of the gun deck. (7)

The ship had several thousand bars of silver on board, 36,000 silver coins, cannon, sabres, cooking gear and other objects.

She left on her second voyage to Batavia on 08-JAN-1740 under her captain, Daniel Ronzieres, with 200 to 250 men on board, of whom none survived, and the only clue as to her loss was the chest of letters found by English fishermen.

The quantity of silver and coins is considered typical of an East Indiaman.

The recovery operation was kept secret to deter illegal treasure-hunters.

The Dutch Finance Minster Joop Wijn received part of the silver on Sunday 11-DEC-2005 on board DE RUYTER in Plymouth. A quarter of the silver went to the Dutch state, the rest going to the salvors. The Dutch treasure is destined to go to historical museums.

Dutch archaeologists expressed regret that they had not been part of the salvage operation. (8)

Further news articles in Dutch with photographs of some of the silver bars embossed with the VOC logo, (10 -13), and photographs of the official handover (14). The vessel is described as a "retourschip", a specific type of Dutch East Indiaman which was designed to withstand the lengthy voyages of 18 months to three years typically undertaken en route to Batavia [Indonesia].

The Maritime Museum in Vlissingen will house objects recovered from this wreck and handed over to the Dutch. (15)

A musket stock; 2 musket side plates marked "VOC"; a musket trigger plate; two wooden chests and lids; 21 ebony knife handles; 2 concreted knives; a Mexican pillar dollar; 553 silver ingots marked "VOC"; a tobacco tin; a huntsman's sword hilt; a gilt sword hilt; a sword scabbard belt hook; part of a leather scabbard; a brass wine pot with a missing leg; a pistol stock; a cutlass handle; a cutlass scabbard; a copper alloy cauldron; and 3 stoneware vessels recovered from this wreck. (Droit 099/05) (16)

Wreck site said to be some 100m long, whereas the ROOSWIJK is thought to have been 140 feet or 42m long.

The site is centred around three main areas: the main salvage site, centred on 51 16.42470N 001 34.50396E; an eastern site centred on 51 16.44198N 001 34.5936E; and a northern site, centred on 51 16.47168N 001 34.50528E.

No coherent vessel structure was found, although individual structural remains were located, including framing, outer hull planking, a possible deck beam or wing transom (which appeared to have been recently exposed) and a deck fitting. A piece of pine hull sheathing was also found. Most of this material was buried or partially buried under concretion.

"Strip iron" bars were found in concretion in both the main site and the eastern site. A major area of concretion was also located on the eastern site, from which timber elements were partially visible, and it is thought that this may indicate an area where there is survival of substantial structural timber remains.

Yellow bricks were located on the northern site, possibly indicating brick ballast. (24)

During the salvage operation in 2005 six cannon were noted, and during the 2006 WA investigation, two cannon were recorded on the main salvage site, none being recorded in the other two sites. A vessel such as the ROOSWIJK would have had approximately 44 guns of varying sizes. (24)

Several non-VOC items recovered from the ROOSWIJK, all to be disposed of under MSA 1995. (Droit 007/06) (25) [Also listed in report, source (24), and this droit number quoted.]

The extent of the site and distribution of the wreck material has not been fully determined, but it appears that there are at least two main concentrations of 18th century wreck material, the so-called "East" and "West" sites, thought to represent the bow and stern of the wreck respectively. The disposition of these remains some 110m apart suggest that the vessel broke up during the wreck event, although the 2007 fieldwork suggests that the West site extends further towards the East site than had hitherto been realised. A further 18 artefacts found NE of the West site suggest that this is the case.

It is thought that over 10,000 finds may have been recovered in 2005, including over 9,000 coins, but this has not yet been verified.

Archaeological features observed in 2007 and not previously recorded included: at least five probable iron bars, together with a single cast iron, heavily concreted gun, lying in a shallow scour; a worked timber interpreted as an isolated fragment; dressed stone blocks, consistent with the granite blocks previously recorded; a number of unidentified ferrous concretions; and a possible yellow brick of the Dutch "Overjilsteen" type, consistent with previous, similar, finds between the two main sites. (26)

Wreck Environment:

Seabed consists of fine-grained, mobile, sand, in places composed of an aggregate of sand, gravel, and broken shell. Some small patches of stones were observed in areas of scouring around upstanding wreck material.

Small sand waves were recorded in all areas searched, separated by small hollows.

The vicinity of the site has been dived by Ken Welling for a number of years, and his observations on the sediment transportation patterns were as follows: there is a large sandbank nearby, with a "tail" pointing north periodically covering the site, but at times the site is completely uncovered, with wreck material, mostly large concretions, piles of iron bars, copper ingots, cut granite masonry blocks and yellow ballast bricks, being observed.

Little fauna is observable on the site, although there was some sessile marine faunal growth, mostly sponges, on exposed material.

The wreck lies close to the UKHO charted wreck, thought to be the SALINA [q.v.]. (23)

A low sandbank moves across the site on a regular basis. The site has been observed without the sand overburden on one occasion by Ken Welling, when it was seen to lie on chalk bedrock, consistent with the known geology of the area

Current Interpretation of Site:

It is thought that the area of the eastern site represents the initial impact site and the main salvage site the "final wreck site", with a debris field lying between the two.

The northern site is neither within the debris field between the main and eastern sites, nor adjacent to either. It is possible that the remains in this position were accidentally moved by fishing activity, i.e. being snagged, then dragged, to this location.

A pair of Frechen mugs, dated 1550 - 1600, were located within the site and represented an anomaly, possibly indicating that there is wreckage from more than one vessel on this site, although it could be that, owing to their robust nature and widespread use, they were still in use on a vessel such as the ROOSWIJK in 1739.

It is thought that there would have been little, if any, contemporary salvage of the guns, since the wreck was not located at the time, and recovery of the guns without a similar recovery of the silver does not seem plausible. The guns may still remain in situ but not visible; alternatively, there are a number of cannon sites scattered throughout the Goodwin Sands, and it is possible that one of these sites represents cannon from the ROOSWIJK heaved overboard to lighten the vessel and get her off on first grounding on the Goodwin Sands.

The vessel is indubitably a VOC ship; of the known VOC losses on the Goodwin Sands, the LOOSDRECHT and the MEERMOND would appear to have been lost too early, confirmed by coins of 1737 and 1738 date recorded as having been recovered (and later sold) from this site; the OSTA JUNIS / OOSTEREEM ran aground in 1783 but the vessel is thought to have been recovered. (23)


Wreck Event and Documentary Evidence:

The day following her departure from the Texel, the ROOSWIJK was wrecked on the Goodwin Sands with all hands and troops.

'A great many pieces of wreck and packets of letters, all directed to Batavia, have been taken up.' (1)(3)

Many pieces of wreckage were found floating in the Downs. (2)

ROOSWIJK lost on the Goodwin Sands on her departure from the Texel, 850 tons; date given as 09-JAN-1740. (4)(5)

ROOSWIJK built for the Amsterdam Chamber of the VOC at the Amsterdam yard; displacement 850 tons. Lost on the Goodwin Sands one day out from the Texel on her second voyage to the Indies, 09-JAN-1740; her previous voyage had been to Batavia (Jakarta). (6)

Source (6) updated in the light of the finding of the ROOSWIJK. (9)

'From Thursday's Post, 3rd Jan:

'Yesterday came Advice, that a Dutch Ship bound for Batavia, was lost on the Goodwin Sands, with all the Ship's Crew, being upwards of two hundred Men.' (17)

'The Dutch India Ship mentioned in our Thursday's Post, to be lost on the 30th of Last Month, proves to be the ROOSWYCK, Daniel Rousiers, for Batavia, and all the Crew perish'd.

'They write from Deal, that there are several Pieces of Wreck frequently taken up at that Place, and a great many Packets of Letters, all of them directed to Batavia.' (17)

'From the London Written Letter, Dec. 31.

'We had this morning an account from Deal of a Dutch East India Ship outward bound, being ashore on the Goodwin Sands; and this afternoon it was reported to be lost, and all her crew.' (18)

'From the Daily Advertiser, Dec. 31.

'The violent storm of wind, etc. which has held for two days past, has done considerable damage to shipping lying in the River [Thames]...' (18)

'Extrait des lettres de Londres du 5. du 8. du 12. et du 15. janvier.

'Le 9. il fit ici un vent d'Est très violent, qui continua le 10.' (19)

[The 9th there was a violent gale from the east, which continued the 10th - 30/31 Dec. English style.]

[This source also mentions another Dutch vessel which got on the Goodwin Sands, but was assisted off, so clearly other ships got into difficulties in that vicinity.]

'On fait monter a plus de 100 mille liv. st. le dommage causé par les dernières Tempêtes entre la Rivière de Medway et la Pont de Londres ; et l'on apprend qu'il a paru quantité de débris des Vaisseaux sur les Côtes depuis le Comté d'Essex jusqu'à Newcastle; qu'un Vaisseau Hollandois allant à Batavia, avoit peri sur les Bancs de Sable de Goodwin, et que tout son Equipage consistant en plus de 200. Hommes avoit été noyé. Le Vaisseau DRAGON, venant de la Jamaïque, richement chargé, perit hier près de Gravesend. Quatorze Vaisseaux, qui étoient à Yarmouth, ont été jettez à Terre entre cette Place et Leostoff, et s'y sont brisez.' (20)

[We compute over £100,000 sterling worth of damage caused by the late storms between the Medway and London Bridge; and we hear that quantities of wreckage has appeared on the coasts from Essex up to Newcastle; and that a Dutch ship, going to Batavia, was lost on the Goodwin Sandbanks, and all her crew, consisting of more than 200 men, were drowned. The DRAGON, a richly laden ship from Jamaica, was lost yesterday near Gravesend. 14 vessels at Yarmouth were driven on shore between that place and Lowestoft, and broken to pieces.]

'Suite des Nouvelles de Londres de 19. janvier

'Le Vaisseau Hollandois qui perit il y a quelques jours sur les Bancs de Sable de Goodwin, allant à Batavia, se nommoit le ROOSWYCK, et étoit commandé par le Capitaine Daniel Rousiers.' (21)

[The Dutch vessel lost some days ago on the Goodwin Sandbanks, on her passage to Batavia, was called the Rooswyck, and was commanded by Captain Daniel Rousiers.]

'From the Daily Advertiser, Jan. 7.

'By a letter from Burnham in Essex, dated the 3d instant, we hear, that the MARLBOROUGH sloop, having received orders on Christmas-Day to proceed to Yarmouth, was, on the 29th of December, in her passage by the late stormy weather and contrary winds, drove on shore from her anchors on the Whitaker Sand in the Swinn Channel, where she lay driving for three days and three nights before the crew could get on shore: one man perished by the severity of the weather, the rest are all blister'd and swell'd with the frost in such a manner that they are not able to move.' (22)

[It therefore appears from sources (18) to (22) inclusive that the vessel was caught up initially in an easterly storm which afflicted the eastern coast of England from north to south. This would have driven her directly onto the Goodwin Sands on her outward-bound passage from Amsterdam, and the "contrary winds" mentioned in source (21) would have caused her to shift on the sands. In turn this would have contributed to the ship breaking up rapidly, consistent with the wreckage and mail being all the clues left to her loss, together with the total loss of life. Doubtless, however, the severe cold also contributed to the total loss of the crew.]

The ROOSWIJK was lost in a "massive storm" in the English Channel in December 1739 with the loss of 250 crew and soldiers. With no survivors the only news of the wreck came from English fishermen who discovered a wooden chest full of letters, which identified the ship. (7)

NB: Source (2) expresses the date of loss as 1739, Old Style, as prior to 1752 the New Year fell on 25th March and thus the date of 09-JAN would have been given as 1739 in most English sources; this source also gives the name of the vessel as ROOSWYCK. Source (3) expresses the date of loss as 09-JAN-1740, New Style, as do the Dutch sources (4)(5) and (6), source (8), also Dutch, expressing the date as 08-JAN-1740 - Holland had already adopted New Style. However, New Style reckoning was 11 days ahead of Old Style as used in England. The date of loss therefore probably occurred circa 30-DEC-1739.

The destination is given in source (3) as Batavia.

Built: 1737 (3)(4)(6)(8)
Where Built: Amsterdam (3)(4)(6)(8)
Armament: 30 cannon (3)
Master: Daniel Rousiers (3)(17); Daniel Ronzieres (8)
Crew: 200 (3); upwards of 200 (17)
Crew Lost: 200 (3); upwards of 200 (17)
Lives Lost: 250 crew and soldiers (7)(8)
Owner: Dutch East India Company (VOC) (all sources); specifically the Amsterdam Chamber of the VOC (6)(7)(8)

Previously recorded as TR 45 NE 33:

The day following her departure from the Texel, the ROOSWIJK was wrecked on the Goodwin Sands with all hands and troops. `A great many pieces of wreck and packets of letters, all directed to Batavia have been taken up.' Year Built: 1737 Armament: 30 cannon Owner: Dutch East India Co. (V.O.C.) Master: Daniel Rousiers Crew: 200 Crew Lost: 200 Date of Loss Qualifier: A Additional sources cited in United Kingdom Shipwreck Index. Sh.Merc.15.01.1740(Mon)(R); Dutch Asiatic Shipping, Vol.2 p472-3 (1).

From the National Heritage List for England:

The remains of a Dutch East Indiaman which foundered towards the north-eastern end of the Kellet Gut, after grounding on the Goodwin Sands, in 1739. At the time of loss she was bound from Amsterdam and the Texel to Jakarta with coin, bullion and a general cargo, including sheet copper, sabre blades and stone blocks, as well as passengers.

The Rooswijk is a vessel of the Dutch East Company (VOC) built in 1737 which stranded on the Goodwin Sands in 1739 while en route from the Texel to the East Indies. The vessel is described as a 'retourschip', a specific type of Dutch East Indiaman which was designed to withstand the lengthy voyages of 18 months to three years typically undertaken en route to Batavia [Indonesia].

The site was found after several years of documentary research and following a magnetometer survey on the site.

Designation History: Designation Order: No 61, 2007 Made: 13th January 2007 Laid before Parliament: 17th January 2007 Coming into force: 9th February 2007 Protected area: 150 metres within 51 16.443 N 001 34.537 E

No part of the restricted area lies above the high-water mark of ordinary spring tides.

Documentary History: Built in 1737 in Amsterdam for the Amsterdam Chamber of the Dutch East India Company, the Rooswijk was lost on the Goodwin Sands one day out from the Texel on her second voyage to the Indies in January 1739. Her previous voyage had been to Batavia (Jakarta).

The day following her departure from the Texel, the Rooswijk is recorded as being wrecked with all hands and troops. 'A great many pieces of wreck and packets of letters, all directed to Batavia, have been taken up.' Many pieces of wreckage were found floating in the Downs. There were numerous newspaper reports on her loss, including the London Written Letter: 'We had this morning an account from Deal of a Dutch East India Ship outward bound, being ashore on the Goodwin Sands; and this afternoon it was reported to be lost, and all her crew.'

Contemporary newspapers record 'the violent storm of wind, etc. which has held for two days past, has done considerable damage to shipping lying in the River [Thames]...'

It therefore appears from sources that the vessel was caught up initially in an easterly storm which afflicted the eastern coast of England from north to south. This would have driven her directly onto the Goodwin Sands on her outward-bound passage from Amsterdam, and the "contrary winds" mentioned in some sources would have caused her to shift on the sands. In turn this would have contributed to the ship breaking up rapidly, consistent with the wreckage and mail being all the clues left to her loss, together with the total loss of life. Doubtless, however, the severe cold also contributed to the total loss of the crew.]

Prior to 1752, the New Year fell on 25th March. The date of loss therefore probably occurred circa 30 December 1739.

Archaeological History: A sport diver found the remains of the Rooswijk after extensive documentary research and magnetometer survey. The discovery was kept secret to enable the recovery of bullion. In December 2005, silver found aboard the wreck was handed over to the Netherlands Finance Minister, representing the Dutch Government as heirs to the Dutch East India Company, having taken the company over in 1798. Dutch archaeologists expressed regret that they had not been part of the salvage operation.

The seabed consists of fine-grained, mobile sand with broken shell. Some small patches of stones were observed in areas of scouring around upstanding wreck material. Small sand waves have been recorded in all areas searched, separated by small hollows.

The salvage of the Rooswijk prior to designation is believed to have recovered more than 1,000 artefacts including a musket stock; 2 musket side plates marked "VOC"; a musket trigger plate; two wooden chests and lids; 21 ebony knife handles; 2 concreted knives; a Mexican pillar dollar; 553 silver ingots marked "VOC"; a tobacco tin; a huntsman's sword hilt; a gilt sword hilt; a sword scabbard belt hook; part of a leather scabbard; a brass wine pot with a missing leg; a pistol stock; a cutlass handle; a cutlass scabbard; a copper alloy cauldron; and 3 stoneware vessels.

The floor timbers collapsed following the wreck and the contents of each deck fell on top of each other, reflecting the physical and social layers of shipboard life. The top layer therefore included items from the officers' dining room, including pewter dinner plates and a mustard pot, wine glasses, a copper cauldron, brass candlesticks and a box of eye glasses.

The silver bullion was also found in this area in 4lb bars, having been mined in Mexico, and sold on to the Amsterdam Chamber of the VOC, whose imprint is on the bars of silver, for use in the coinage of Batavia.

The layer immediately underneath comprised the contents of the ship constable's cabin. As he was responsible for the maintenance of law and order on board, 50 muskets were found in the area. Beneath this again was the vessel's 'cartridge locker' containing bar and round shot, while three cannon and a gun port were located in an area thought to represent part of the gun deck.

A pair of Frechen mugs, dated 1550 - 1600, was located within the site and represented an anomaly, possibly indicating that there is wreckage from more than one vessel on this site, although it could be that, owing to their robust nature and widespread use, they were still in use on a vessel such as the Rooswijk in 1739.

A series of dives were undertaken in 2007 by Wessex Archaeology. A number of artefacts were recorded on the sea bed, along with a large number of ships timbers. The recorded items included a cannon and elements of the cargo. (2)

The site was surveyed in 2008. This showed the site to consist of two concentrations of wreckage with a debris field between them. (3)

In 2022, dendrochronological analysis of four timber samples from Goodwin and Downs site 58 (GAD 58) was completed. 'It is possible that these timbers are part of a debris trail connected to the sinking of the designated wreck of the Rooswijk'. Unfortunately, the resultant combined series could not be conclusively dated despite extensive comparisons. (4).

<1> United Kingdom shipwreck index (Bibliographic reference). SKE6340.

<2> Wessex Archaeology, 2007, Rooswijk, Goodwin Sands: Designated Site Assessment: Archaeological Report (Unpublished document). SKE18059.

<3> Wessex Archaeology, 2009, South East of England Designated Wrecks: Marine Geophysical Surveys (Unpublished document). SKE18252.

<4> Historic England, 2022, Wreck Site GAD 58 Goodwin and Downs Kent Tree-ring Analysis of Oak Timbers (Unpublished document). SKE55283.