‘The Gloucester in the Caribbean, 1654 - 56’: a talk by Benjamin Redding

22-11-23 - 22-11-23,
7:30 PM - 9:00 PM

Admission: ££6 Adults, £4.50 Students/Museum Members

Location: Via Zoom

In 2007 the wreck of HMS Gloucester was found by divers off the coast of Norfolk, where it had sank in 1682 after having run aground on a sandbank, nearly taking the future King James II with it. Originally launched in 1654 as part of the Protectorate's navy, the Gloucester served in Cromwell's disastrous 'Western Design' in the Caribbean. Using the story of the ship, this talk casts new light on the experience of the men who served in this expedition - and some of the reasons why this colonial venture failed.

Benjamin Redding is Senior Research Associate on The Gloucester Project. He joined the School of History at the University of East Anglia in 2020. He has published essays and chapters on early modern naval history, several of which have explored the design, decoration, and iconography of warships. His recent book The English and French Navies, 1500-1650: Expansion, Organisation and State-Building was published by Boydell & Brewer in 2022. He is a Trustee of the British Commission for Maritime History and an elected member of the Council of the Naval Record Society.

This talk will be recorded and put on a private channel after the 'live talk' for ticket holders to view at their leisure if they miss the live talk or wish to view them again.

This talk is part of a four part lecture series; for season tickets please click here.

We are delighted to welcome over four successive Wednesdays:

Wednesday 8 November at 7.30pm - Professor Peter Gaunt on 'Cheshire's Oliver Cromwell? The Career of Sir William Brereton'

Wednesday 15 November at 7.30pm - Dr Ismini Pells on 'Military Medicine during the Civil Wars'

Wednesday 22 November at 7.30pm - Dr Benjamin Redding on 'The ship Gloucester in the Caribbean, 1654-56'

Wednesday 29 November at 7.30pm - Dr Hannah Jeans on 'Women's Lives and Writing during the Civil Wars'

Click on the titles for more information and individual bookings.

PLEASE NOTE: These talks will be held online via Zoom. Joining details will be sent 48 hours before the talk.

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