The US National Park Service has identified the remains of a British warship, HMS Tyger, which sank in 1742 when it ran aground on the reefs of the Dry Tortugas, now a national park in the Gulf of Mexico.
The story of HMS Tyger is tied to a peculiarly named conflict between Britain and Spain that took place between 1739 and 1748; the so-called War of Jenkins Ear (that is its name, I’m not making it up).
The conflict gained its name from events onboard a British brig, the Rebecca, when she was boarded by Spanish patrols in Cuba in April 1731. Apparently, the Spanish suspected the vessel of smuggling sugar, and, during a heated exchange, allegedly cut off the ear of Captain Robert Jenkins, who then decided to show it off (he had pickled it) back in Britain to stir up resentment.
Then, several years later, opposition politicians in Parliament referred to the incident to incite support for a war with Spain, and so the War of Jenkins Ear began.
The, during 1742, HMS Tyger was carrying out routine patrols around Dry Tortugas when it ran aground. There were approximately 300 members of the crew onboard at the time, all of whom became marooned on what is the island of Garden Key today – the second largest island in the Dry Tortugas.
According to a paper written by archaeologists Andrew Van Slyke and Joshua Marano, the latter of which led the team that discovered the Tyger, the crew was stranded there for 66 days, during which time they erected a small fortification on the island. This structure predated the establishment of Fort Jefferson, which now dominates the island, by 100 years.
Throughout their stay, the survivors had to battle the heat, mosquitoes, and thirst while attempting to escape. They built makeshift vessels from salvaged pieces of HMS Tyger’s wreckage and made attempts to get help while also seeking to locate Spanish vessels in the area. After a failed attempt on one Spanish ship, the surviving crew burned the remains of the Tyger so that the guns would not fall into the enemy hands.
Following this, they took their makeshift vessel on a journey of 700 miles (1,125 km) to Port Royal, Jamaica, all the while traveling through enemy waters.
Identifying the Tyger
It’s a story of survival and exploits worthy of legend – but for centuries, the location of what remained of HMS Tyger remained a mystery.
Then, in 1993, the remains of the shipwreck were located.
Using information collected from historical resources, archeologists from Dry Tortugas National Park, the Submerged Resource Centre, and the Southeast Archaeological Center surveyed the site in 2021. They found five cannons around 500 yards (457 meters) away from the main wreck site.
According to the margins of an old logbook, the crew of Tyger apparently “lightened her forward” after they initially ran aground. They then managed to refloat the vessel briefly before it sunk in shallow water.
An analysis of the guns showed they were British six and nine-pound cannons, which were thrown overboard when the vessel first ran aground. These facts helped the archeologists confirm that they were looking at the remains of the Tyger.
“Archeological finds are exciting, but connecting those finds to the historical record helps us tell the stories of the people that came before us and the events they experienced,” Park Manager James Crutchfield said in a statement. “This particular story is one of perseverance and survival. National parks help to protect these untold stories as they come to light.”
“This discovery highlights the importance of preservation in place as future generations of archeologists, armed with more advanced technologies and research tools, are able to reexamine sites and make new discoveries,” Marano added.
According to the terms of international treaty, HMS Tyger and its remaining artifacts are the sovereign property of the British Government. HMS Fowey, a similar vessel, was lost in what is now Biscayne National Park when it sank in 1748. The wreckage is now managed under a Memorandum of Agreement between the United States and the British Royal Navy.
Source Link: British Warship That Sank In Dry Tortugas In 1742 Has Now Been Identified
