Royal Merchant facts for kids
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|} The Merchant Royal was a large English merchant ship from the 1600s. It was a galleon, a type of sailing ship used for trade and sometimes war. The ship became famous because it sank with a huge treasure on board. This happened off Land's End in England on September 23, 1641, during bad weather.
The treasure on the Merchant Royal was incredibly valuable. It included at least 100,000 pounds of gold. This would be worth over US$1.5 billion today! There were also 400 bars of Mexican silver, worth another million dollars. Plus, nearly 500,000 pieces of eight (old Spanish coins) and other coins were on board. This makes it one of the most valuable shipwrecks ever.
Contents
| History | |
|---|---|
 England |
|
| Name | Merchant Royal |
| Owner | Captain Limbrey |
| Builder | Deptford Dockyard, London |
| Launched | 1627 |
| Fate | Sank, 23 September 1641 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Galleon |
| Tons burthen | 700 tons bm |
| Length | 157 ft (48 m) |
| Sail plan | Full-rigged ship |
| Crew | 57 |
| Armament | 32 × bronze cannon |
The Ship's Final Voyage
The Merchant Royal spent two years trading in Spanish colonies far away. These were in the Spanish West Indies, from 1637 to 1640. At this time, England and Spain were not fighting.
On its way home to London, the Merchant Royal and its sister-ship, the Dover Merchant, stopped in Cadiz, Spain. The Merchant Royal was already leaking a lot after its long journey.
While in Cadiz, a Spanish ship that was supposed to carry treasure caught fire. This treasure was meant to pay Spain's 30,000 soldiers in Flanders. Captain Limbrey of the Merchant Royal saw a chance to earn more money. He offered to carry the Spanish treasure to Antwerp on his way home.
Sinking of the Ship
After leaving Cadiz, the Merchant Royal's leaks got worse. Then, the pumps used to remove water from the ship broke down. With no way to stop the water, the ship sank. This happened off Land's End on September 23, 1641.
Sadly, eighteen men drowned when the ship went down. However, Captain Limbrey and 40 of his crew were lucky. They managed to get into boats and were rescued by the Dover Merchant. It is believed that the huge treasure was still on board the Merchant Royal when it sank.
Searching for the Lost Treasure
For many years, people have tried to find the Merchant Royal and its amazing treasure.
Modern Search Efforts
The Odyssey Marine Exploration company has spent several years looking for the wreck. So far, they have not found it.
In 2007, this company announced a big discovery called the Black Swan Project. They found about US$500 million worth of silver and gold coins from a shipwreck. At first, people thought it might be the Merchant Royal. However, the Odyssey team later believed the wreck was actually the Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes, a Spanish ship that sank in 1804.
The Odyssey team continued their search for the Merchant Royal on a 2009 TV show called Treasure Quest. But they were still unsuccessful.
Other Treasure Hunters
Other people are also looking for the Merchant Royal. Todd Stevens, a treasure hunter from the Isles of Scilly, often searches for the ship. Old records say the Merchant Royal sank about 10 leagues from Land's End. This is about 35 nautical miles, and that area includes the Isles of Scilly.
Recently, fishermen found an anchor off Land's End. The news wrongly reported that the Merchant Royal had been found. But Todd Stevens thinks that anchor is Dutch and too new to be from the Merchant Royal. The search for this incredible treasure ship continues!
