A Chain Pump Recovered from the Wreck of the Warship N orthumberland (1703)

Abstract

In 2008 the remains of a chain pump were recovered from the wreck of the third‐rate man‐of‐war Northumberland, which sank on the Goodwin Sands in the English Channel, during the Great Storm of November 1703. Chain pumps were vital equipment and integral to the safety of the ship. Historical evidence is mined for comparative material, and the recovery, conservation strategy, study and recording of this artefact using X‐ray and CT scanning are discussed. Information gleaned, hitherto absent from the historical and archaeological record, includes details of the pump's chain, hook and swivel, valves and roller.