250-Year-Old Shipwreck Identified as HMS Hind Turned Whaler “Earl of Chatham” in Orkney

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In a remarkable archaeological breakthrough, a shipwreck exposed by coastal erosion on the Orkney Islands has been officially identified as the Earl of Chatham, formerly the Royal Navy frigate HMS Hind. The discovery links back over 250 years to battles, whaling expeditions, and a dramatic grounding in 1788.


From Royal Navy Warship to Arctic Whaler

Originally commissioned as a sixth-rate 24-gun ship, HMS Hind fought in the Siege of Louisbourg and the American Revolutionary War. After being sold in 1784, it was renamed Earl of Chatham and repurposed for whaling in the Arctic under Captain William Brown, returning with over 350 tons of whale oil.

In 1788, it ran aground near Sanday under a new captain, but all 56 crew members survived — a fact documented in the Aberdeen Journal.

Shipwreck Discovery and Identification

“It is thanks to our dedicated team of community researchers and the evidence they gathered that we were able to identify the Sanday Wreck with confidence.” — Ben Saunders, Wessex Archaeology

Storms in early 2024 revealed the wooden structure buried in tidal sands. Using dendrochronology, timber dating from 1748–1760 sourced from southern England confirmed the vessel’s origin. Local volunteers worked alongside Wessex Archaeology and institutions to match ship design and records.

Legacy and Preservation

The preserved timbers of the Earl of Chatham are now housed at the Sanday Heritage Center in a freshwater conservation tank, where visitors can learn about its story and Sanday’s long history of shipwrecks — once called “the cradle of shipwrecks in Scotland.”

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💬 Comments are welcome below. This article reflects historical and archaeological research available at the time of publication.

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