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Great Storm of 1901 - Editorial
Maritime Archaeology Project is runner-up in History Channel Competition
The Maritime Archaeological Project
Heroism during The Great Storm of 1901
The Great Storm of 1901
The Inga
On the Trail of Buried Treasure
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The Maritime Archaeological Project
Location: North Tyneside
Acting as a link between professional archaeologists and “amateurs” with an interest in maritime matters the Maritime Archaeological project was set up in January 2001. As the intention is to find and survey ship wrecks on the North East coast, the majority ( but not all ) of its 20 strong membership are divers.
It was decided as a first step to look into the ships which were lost in the Great Storm of November 1901 on the North East coast, and we were fortunate in obtaining funding from “ Tomorrow’s History” for this project. While the storm affected the whole of the east coast we limited ourselves to the region which we could practically investigate. Among the ships which we established were lost in our region we were particularly interested in two, the Quillota and the Inga. These were both large iron sailing ships and consequently there was likely to be wreckage remaining. Research in contemporary newspapers and archives, including the Tyne and Wear Archive and the Public Record Office in Kew told us where the ships had sunk, but in the North Sea visibility underwater is often such that the divers need to be within a few yards in order to see the wreckage. After several dives we were able to find part of the wreck of the Inga and then in one wonderful week we found the main part of the wreck of the Inga and the whole wreck of the Quillota.
MAP will contribute the information gained to the Sites and Monuments Record which in the case of both of these wrecks is held by the Tyne and Wear County Archaeologist. When the funded project is finished MAP will continue, and hopes to be involved in the investigation and recording of maritime archaeology for many years.
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