History of Association 1707

The Scilly naval disaster of 1707 was the loss of four warships of a Royal Navy fleet off the Isles of Scilly in severe weather on 22 October 1707 Old Style (2 November 1707 by the modern calendar). Between 1,400 and 2,000 sailors lost their lives aboard the wrecked vessels, making the incident one of the worst maritime disasters in British naval history.[2] The disaster has been attributed to a combination of factors, including the navigators' inability to accurately calculate their positions, errors in the available charts and pilot books, and inadequate compasses. The admiral of this fleet Sir Clodesley shovell had ten chests of personal wealth (in addition to several others) were rumored to be aboard. Canons & a few coins were raised in the 1960s, but in 1963 about 8,000 coins were found. These coins mostly British silver and gold but also many Spanish and Spanish American silver cobs, were sold at auction beginning in 1969 and into the early 1970s.