Anson's Squadron 1741
Water colour
While Great Britain was fighting the War of Jenkins' Ear with Spain in 1740, Commodore George Anson led a squadron of eight ships on a mission to disrupt or capture the Pacific Ocean possessions of the Spanish Empire.
Centurion (60 guns and the flagship)
Gloucester (50 guns)
Severn (50 guns)
Pearl (40 guns)
Wager (24 guns)
Tryal (8 guns)
Plus, 2 merchant ships Anna and Industry to carry extra supplies.
Returning to Britain in 1744 by way of China and thus completing a circumnavigation of the globe. An account of the voyage was published in 1748 which was a great commercial success and is still esteemed as the story of a remarkable voyage extremely well told.
The Wager was more a freighter than a fighting ship, she carried substantial stores for the other ships and guns and ammunition for the soldiers to fight with on shore. David Cheap was her third captain since leaving England, but had been sick during much of the voyage and was below decks.
The story of Wager:-
The squadron rounded Cape Horn in terrible weather, which scattered the ships of the squadron. Wager became separated and then needed to make her rendezvous. Unfortunately, she turned north before she had sailed sufficiently far to the west, and in foul weather closed the coast of modern-day Chile.
On 13 May 1741 at 9:00am, sighted land to the west.
At 4:30am the next day the ship struck rocks repeatedly, broke her tiller, and although still afloat, was partially flooded.
Wager struck the coast of what would subsequently be known as Wager Island in position 47°40′43″S 75°02′57″W in Guayaneco Archipelago.
Friday 15 May, the ship bilged amidships, water flooded in below, and many of the drunken crew still on board drowned.
Those who survived the wreckage, once ashore, engaged in the famous "Wager Mutiny". In the Royal Navy of 1741, officers' commissions were valid only for the ship to which they had been appointed; thus the loss of the ship implied the loss of any official authority. Seamen ceased to be paid on the loss of their ship. After the wreck of Wager, these factors, combined with terrible conditions and murderous in-fighting between officers and men, caused discipline to break down. The party divided into two: 81 men under the gunner, John Bulkeley, took to small boats with the aim of returning to England via the East coast of South America, and 20 men, including Captain Cheap remained on Wager Island. After a series of disasters, over five years later, six of Bulkley's group and four of Captain Cheap's group returned to England. Wager had left England with 120 men on board.
Water colour
While Great Britain was fighting the War of Jenkins' Ear with Spain in 1740, Commodore George Anson led a squadron of eight ships on a mission to disrupt or capture the Pacific Ocean possessions of the Spanish Empire.
Centurion (60 guns and the flagship)
Gloucester (50 guns)
Severn (50 guns)
Pearl (40 guns)
Wager (24 guns)
Tryal (8 guns)
Plus, 2 merchant ships Anna and Industry to carry extra supplies.
Returning to Britain in 1744 by way of China and thus completing a circumnavigation of the globe. An account of the voyage was published in 1748 which was a great commercial success and is still esteemed as the story of a remarkable voyage extremely well told.
The Wager was more a freighter than a fighting ship, she carried substantial stores for the other ships and guns and ammunition for the soldiers to fight with on shore. David Cheap was her third captain since leaving England, but had been sick during much of the voyage and was below decks.
The story of Wager:-
The squadron rounded Cape Horn in terrible weather, which scattered the ships of the squadron. Wager became separated and then needed to make her rendezvous. Unfortunately, she turned north before she had sailed sufficiently far to the west, and in foul weather closed the coast of modern-day Chile.
On 13 May 1741 at 9:00am, sighted land to the west.
At 4:30am the next day the ship struck rocks repeatedly, broke her tiller, and although still afloat, was partially flooded.
Wager struck the coast of what would subsequently be known as Wager Island in position 47°40′43″S 75°02′57″W in Guayaneco Archipelago.
Friday 15 May, the ship bilged amidships, water flooded in below, and many of the drunken crew still on board drowned.
Those who survived the wreckage, once ashore, engaged in the famous "Wager Mutiny". In the Royal Navy of 1741, officers' commissions were valid only for the ship to which they had been appointed; thus the loss of the ship implied the loss of any official authority. Seamen ceased to be paid on the loss of their ship. After the wreck of Wager, these factors, combined with terrible conditions and murderous in-fighting between officers and men, caused discipline to break down. The party divided into two: 81 men under the gunner, John Bulkeley, took to small boats with the aim of returning to England via the East coast of South America, and 20 men, including Captain Cheap remained on Wager Island. After a series of disasters, over five years later, six of Bulkley's group and four of Captain Cheap's group returned to England. Wager had left England with 120 men on board.