HMS John ~ 1652

The oldest shipwreck ever found along the North Carolina coast could be a 28-gun British naval vessel.

By Jeff Hampton

The Virginian-Pilot

© November 8, 2015

WANCHESE, N.C.

While there is no way to prove it, evidence indicates the wreck discovered seven years ago in the Corolla surf could be the HMS John, which foundered off the coast in 1652.

The identity of the wreck has been a mystery since it washed up in 2008. But now, after researching European shipbuilding techniques of the 1600s and wrecks near North Carolina for two years, maritime archaeologist Dan Brown thinks he's figured it out.

Brown narrowed it down to four possibilities: the Ketch, which wrecked in 1609; the Fogel Grip, which sank in 1639; the HMS John, which went down in 1652; and the HMS Swift. The HMS John best matched the time, the workmanship and the size, he said.

Unfortunately, not much is known about the HMS John. Brown learned it was a merchant ship converted into a relatively small navy battle vessel. More records could exist in England, he said.

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