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Edward Bonaventura: Rosehearty, North Sea

Warship (16th Century)

Site Name Edward Bonaventura: Rosehearty, North Sea

Classification Warship (16th Century)

Alternative Name(s) Bonaventure; Pitsligo Bay; Quarry Head; Kinnaird Head; Moray Firth

Canmore ID 101791

Site Number NJ96NW 8002

NGR NJ 936 675

NGR Description NJ c. 936 675

Datum WGS84 - Lat/Long

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/101791

Ordnance Survey licence number AC0000807262. All rights reserved.
Canmore Disclaimer. © Copyright and database right 2024.

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Administrative Areas

  • Council Aberdeenshire
  • Parish Pitsligo
  • Former Region Grampian
  • Former District Banff And Buchan
  • Former County Aberdeenshire

Archaeology Notes

NJ96NW 8002 c. 936 675

N57 41.9 W2 6.4

NLO: Kinnaird Head [name: NJ 998 676]

Rosehearty [name: NJ 931 678]

Quarry Head [name: NJ 905 660].

Formerly entered as NJ96NW 8297 at cited location NJ 9304 6917 (N57 42 W2 7).

Quality of fix = PA

Horizontal Datum = UND

Circumstances of Loss Details

-----------------------------

27 August 1970. The EDWARD BONAVENTURA lost near Pitsligo on her return from Russia.

Source; History of Shipwrecks, vol 1 p.42.

(Undated) information from Hydrographic Office.

(No classification or cargo specified: date of loss cited as 10 November 1556). Edward Bonaventure: this vessel was wrecked in Pitsligo Bay.

Registration: English. 160 tons burthern.

(Location of loss cited as N57 42.00 W2 6.00).

I G Whittaker 1998.

[Cited location only estimated: no remains identified to date]. Search by Mr S Liscoe on behalf of the Scottish Instiute of Maritime Studies.

Information from RCAHMS (RJCM), 28 July 2000.

NMRS, E/92572/NC.

(Location cited as Rosehearty Bay, Grampian, Scotland). The Edward Bonaventure formed part of the first English expedition to attempt to locate a North-East Passage route to the East for mercantile trade, shortening the voyage to the (East) Indies and avoiding hostile encounters with Spanish and Portugese vessels. The expedition sailed from England under the leadership of Richard Chanceleour [Chancellor] in 1553, but was abandoned when the vessels became separated in the extreme Arctic conditions. Both the Bona Esperanza and the Bona Confidentia were later found fast in pack ice with their crews frozen to death.

Chancelour sailed the Edward Bonaventure to Archangelsk, and gained an audience with the Russian tsar Ivan IV (the Terrible) in Moscow, obtaining a trade agreement for a return visit by four vessels, which sailed for London in 1556. Amongst the cargo carried by the Edward Bonaventure, there were many fine furs and exotic animals for Queen Mary Tudor of England. Also on board, was Osep Gregorovitch Napea, the first Russian ambassador to England.

On 10 November 1556, the Edward Bonaventure was attempting to ride out a Northerly gale in Pitsligo Bay when she was driven ashore. Chancelour and about a hundred others were drowned, but the ambassador was one of the few survivors. Flotsam from the vessel included much of the cargo and many of the presents intended for Mary Tudor. The ambassador reported that the local population stole these and other items of value from the wreck, complaining to the Scottish Crown. This proved politically embarrassing, causing Mary Queen of Scots to attempt to recover the stolen property. Royal Commissioners were sent to Pitsligo but recovered none of the ambassador’s belongings. The value of the cargo caused the Edward Bonaventure to develop the status of a ‘treasure wreck’.

Investigation was carried out by ADU from the Survey Vessel Scimitar in August 2000, within the area of the RAF Rosehearty Bay range. Sidescan sonar survey proved of little value on account of the presence of rock outcrops, but magnetometry revealed two significant and discrete anomalies at N57 41.042 W2 9.247 [NJ 9081 6600], immediately E of Quarry Head. These were at some distance from the current targets, and it was considered improbable that these were items of mislaid ordnance, but they may have been steel target floats which have become detached. A single dive (to a maximum depth of 9m) was carried out by J White on 2 August 2000; no obvious anomalies or archaeological material were noted on the flat sandy seabed.

Information from Archaeological Diving Unit, report no 00/21 dated November 2000.

MS/5451.

The location assigned to this record is essentially tentative. Pitsligo Bay is not noted as such on the 1995 edition of the OS 1:50,000 map, while both (Old) Pisligo and New Pisligo lie inland, at NJ c. 94 65 and NJ 88 55 respectively.

The vessel presumably stranded.

Information from RCAHMS (RJCM), 18 August 2008.

The correct form of the name of this vessel remains unverified. That cited by UKHO is accepted.

The location assigned to this record remains essentially arbitrary. The magnetometer anomalies that are noted and located by ADU are not accepted as indicating the location of loss.

Information from RCAHMS (RJCM), 11 December 2008.

Activities

Loss (10 November 1556)

(No classification or cargo specified: date of loss cited as 10 November 1556). Edward Bonaventure: this vessel was wrecked in Pitsligo Bay.

Registration: English. 160 tons burthern.

(Location of loss cited as N57 42.00 W2 6.00).

I G Whittaker 1998.

Side Scan Sonar Survey (2 August 2000)

Investigation was carried out by ADU from the Survey Vessel Scimitar in August 2000, within the area of the RAF Rosehearty Bay range. Sidescan sonar survey proved of little value on account of the presence of rock outcrops, but magnetometry revealed two significant and discrete anomalies at N57 41.042 W2 9.247 [NJ 9081 6600], immediately E of Quarry Head. These were at some distance from the current targets, and it was considered improbable that these were items of mislaid ordnance, but they may have been steel target floats which have become detached. A single dive (to a maximum depth of 9m) was carried out by J White on 2 August 2000; no obvious anomalies or archaeological material were noted on the flat sandy seabed.

Information from Archaeological Diving Unit, report no 00/21 dated November 2000.

Magnetometry (2 August 2000)

Investigation was carried out by ADU from the Survey Vessel Scimitar in August 2000, within the area of the RAF Rosehearty Bay range. Sidescan sonar survey proved of little value on account of the presence of rock outcrops, but magnetometry revealed two significant and discrete anomalies at N57 41.042 W2 9.247 [NJ 9081 6600], immediately E of Quarry Head. These were at some distance from the current targets, and it was considered improbable that these were items of mislaid ordnance, but they may have been steel target floats which have become detached. A single dive (to a maximum depth of 9m) was carried out by J White on 2 August 2000; no obvious anomalies or archaeological material were noted on the flat sandy seabed.

Information from Archaeological Diving Unit, report no 00/21 dated November 2000.

Note (28 July 2000)

[Cited location only estimated: no remains identified to date]. Search by Mr S Liscoe on behalf of the Scottish Instiute of Maritime Studies.

Information from RCAHMS (RJCM), 28 July 2000.

NMRS, E/92572/NC.

External Reference (November 2000)

(Location cited as Rosehearty Bay, Grampian, Scotland). The Edward Bonaventure formed part of the first English expedition to attempt to locate a North-East Passage route to the East for mercantile trade, shortening the voyage to the (East) Indies and avoiding hostile encounters with Spanish and Portugese vessels. The expedition sailed from England under the leadership of Richard Chanceleour [Chancellor] in 1553, but was abandoned when the vessels became separated in the extreme Arctic conditions. Both the Bona Esperanza and the Bona Confidentia were later found fast in pack ice with their crews frozen to death.

Chancelour sailed the Edward Bonaventure to Archangelsk, and gained an audience with the Russian tsar Ivan IV (the Terrible) in Moscow, obtaining a trade agreement for a return visit by four vessels, which sailed for London in 1556. Amongst the cargo carried by the Edward Bonaventure, there were many fine furs and exotic animals for Queen Mary Tudor of England. Also on board, was Osep Gregorovitch Napea, the first Russian ambassador to England.

On 10 November 1556, the Edward Bonaventure was attempting to ride out a Northerly gale in Pitsligo Bay when she was driven ashore. Chancelour and about a hundred others were drowned, but the ambassador was one of the few survivors. Flotsam from the vessel included much of the cargo and many of the presents intended for Mary Tudor. The ambassador reported that the local population stole these and other items of value from the wreck, complaining to the Scottish Crown. This proved politically embarrassing, causing Mary Queen of Scots to attempt to recover the stolen property. Royal Commissioners were sent to Pitsligo but recovered none of the ambassador’s belongings. The value of the cargo caused the Edward Bonaventure to develop the status of a ‘treasure wreck’.

Investigation was carried out by ADU from the Survey Vessel Scimitar in August 2000, within the area of the RAF Rosehearty Bay range. Sidescan sonar survey proved of little value on account of the presence of rock outcrops, but magnetometry revealed two significant and discrete anomalies at N57 41.042 W2 9.247 [NJ 9081 6600], immediately E of Quarry Head. These were at some distance from the current targets, and it was considered improbable that these were items of mislaid ordnance, but they may have been steel target floats which have become detached. A single dive (to a maximum depth of 9m) was carried out by J White on 2 August 2000; no obvious anomalies or archaeological material were noted on the flat sandy seabed.

Information from Archaeological Diving Unit, report no 00/21 dated November 2000.

MS/5451.

Note (18 August 2008)

The location assigned to this record is essentially tentative. Pitsligo Bay is not noted as such on the 1995 edition of the OS 1:50,000 map, while both (Old) Pisligo and New Pisligo lie inland, at NJ c. 94 65 and NJ 88 55 respectively.

The vessel presumably stranded.

Information from RCAHMS (RJCM), 18 August 2008.

Note (11 December 2008)

The correct form of the name of this vessel remains unverified. That cited by UKHO is accepted.

The location assigned to this record remains essentially arbitrary. The magnetometer anomalies that are noted and located by ADU are not accepted as indicating the location of loss.

Information from RCAHMS (RJCM), 11 December 2008.

Reference (2011)

Whittaker ID : 87

Name : EDWARD BONAVENTURE

Latitude : 574200

Longitude : 20630

Registration : ENGLISH

Tonnage : 160

Tonnage Code : B

Position : Position Approximate

Loss Day : 10

Loss Month : 11

Loss Year : 1556

Comment : Wrecked in Pitsligo Bay

Reference (19 April 2012)

UKHO Identifier : 002154

Feature Class : Wreck

State : DEAD

Classification : Unclassified

Position (Lat/long) : 57.70000,-2.11667

Horizontal Datum : ORDNANCE SURVEY OF GREAT BRITAIN (1936)

WGS84 Position (Lat/long) : 57.69974,-2.11832

WGS84 Origin : 3-D Cartesian Shift (BW)

Previous Position : 57.70000,-2.11667

Position Quality : Unreliable

Depth Quality : Depth unknown

Water Depth : 0

Vertical Datum : Lowest Astronomical Tide

Name : EDWARD BONAVENTURA

Type : SV

Tonnage : 120

Tonnage Type : Gross

Date Sunk : ??/??/1553

Contact Description : Entire wreck

Original Sensor : Reported Sinking

Original Detection Year : 1977

Original Source : Other

Circumstances of Loss : **LOST AT PITSLIGO ON RETURN FROM AN EXPEDITION TO THE NORTHERN SEAS OF RUSSIA. HER TWO SISTER SHIPS WERE LOST OFF LAPLAND. (HISTORY OF SHIPWRECKS).

Surveying Details : **POSN 574200N, 020700W FOR FILING ONLY. NCA.

Charting Comments : POSN FOR FILING ONLY

Date Last Amended : 06/10/2003

Date Position Last Amended : 06/10/2003

Evidence Of Loss

Quality of fix = PA

Horizontal Datum = UND

Circumstances of Loss Details

-----------------------------

27 August 1970. The EDWARD BONAVENTURA lost near Pitsligo on her return from Russia.

Source; History of Shipwrecks, vol 1 p.42.

(Undated) information from Hydrographic Office.

References

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