Summary Record

Date 16 October 2012

Event ID 930172

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Summary Record

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/930172

The Wrangels Palais was built in Holland in 1662 and worked as a Swedish merchantman before being put into the navy in 1669. In 1677, during the Scanian War, she was captured by the Danish fleet and on 23rd July 1687, whilst patrolling the North Sea in search of Turkish pirates, she struck rocks in dense fog. Of the 240 crew, at least 88 perished.

The remains of the wreck, identified by the date ‘1677’ stamped on her cannon, were located in 1990 during a search for new wreck sites led by Richard Price, and subsequently surveyed in 1991 and 1993 by members of Oxford University MARE and Strathclyde University Sub-Aqua Club.

The surveyors noted the absence of material commonly found on comparable wreck sites, such as ballast, anchors etc, and were only able to account for 33 of the ships compliment of 46 guns, leading them to suggest that the vessel may have split into more than one section.

Two cannons raised from the wreck were retained by Richard Price, the remainder and majority of finds recovered are held at Shetland Museum. RCAHMS holds a small number of photographs, manuscripts and drawings. The site was designated under the Protection of Wrecks Act in 1990.

Information from RCAHMS (HDS and GFG) 16 October 2012

Bound, M and Sharpe, T 1995