10 March 2024: Almost half way thru March, friends - though my mother did constantly admonish me to "not wish my life away" - I am looking forward to the onset of consistently warm sunny weather! This week, our mail was left for us, soggy from the rain, on the front door step, but at least it was delivered pretty much on time. Not so much for the folks in this post. Brings delayed delivery to a whole new level! From CBS NEWS:
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In 1807, a ship was seized by the British navy, the crew jailed and the cargo taken. Archivists just opened the packages.
The red sweater appears as if it was purchased yesterday – but it's been more than 200 years since the handmade gift has seen the light of day.
Archivists opened parcels from the Anne-Marie cargo ship, which was seized by the British Navy during the Second Battle of Copenhagen, Thursday at the National Archives in the United Kingdom. Along with the sweater, the archivists opened parcels containing fabric samples, stockings, silver coins and other items from the beleaguered ship.
But none were as unique as the surviving sweater, the archivists said, "This is a rare example of a parcel surviving in the Prize Papers, which often contain letters consigned to ships for delivery by sea," said Dr. Amanda Bevan of the National Archives.
The fine hand-knit sweater was shipped from the Faroe Islands by a carpenter named Niels C. Winther, a statement from the National Archives said. It was accompanied by a letter from Winther to the fiancé of Mr P Ladsen in Copenhagen saying, 'my wife sends her regards, thank you for the pudding rice. She sends your fiancé this sweater and hopes that it is not displeasing to her.' The letter was written in Danish.
Sarah Noble, the senior conservation manager for imaging at the National Archives in the United Kingdom, holds a 200-year-old sweater in a traditional Faroese knit which was found in a parcel among a stash of 19th-century letters, when opened for the first time at the National Archives in Kew, London. Jonathan Brady/PA Images via Getty Images
The cargo ship had sailed from the Faroe Islands through Denmark when it was targeted by the HMS Defence off the coast of Norway on Sept. 2, 1807, and both the cargo and the ship's mailbox were taken, the statement said. Archivists said they plan to digitize the letters and the packages' contents.
Various cargo from shipwrecks have been recently recovered. Last month, divers exploring the British HMS Erebus wreck off the coast of Canada discovered an array of "fascinating artifacts," including pistols, coins and an intact thermometer.
Last year, divers discovered a Dutch warship off the coast of southern England. The ship was carrying a cargo of marble tiles for use in building high-status homes.
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I wonder if the recipient of the sweater even knew someone thought enough of him/her to knit it! But a truly amazing find, nonetheless! Wonder what else was in there. We have written about the Erebus (Franklin's expedition ship) discovered in Canadian waters in the past, but perhaps the recent discoveries will precipitate further posts! Wait and see!
Until next time,
Fair Winds
Old Salt
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