Spanish authorities seize anchor used by 19th century sunk British war ship HMS Serpent

Spain's Civil Guard recovered an anchor that could belong to the HMS Serpent, a Royal Navy ship sunk in 1890 off the Galician coast, after discovering it was being used as a decorative element on a house in Muxía, according to Spanish media reports.

The HMS Serpent was a British torpedo cruiser of nearly 2,000 tons that entered service in the Royal Navy in 1888. The vessel, under the command of Commander Harry L. Ross, sank on the night of November 10, 1890, in the midst of a strong storm, as reported by. On that day, the ship ran aground and was lost with almost all its crew, leading to the deaths of 172 of the 175 crew members.

The remains of the ship were scattered along the coast, and its crew members were buried in the now-called English Cemetery, near Cabo Vilán.

The Civil Guard, including specialists from Spain's Nature Protection Service (Seprona), is investigating a resident of Muxía for a presumed crime against historical heritage related to the anchor displayed at his home. The investigation began in June, following a complaint filed.

The recovery of the anchor was reported on by Levante-EMV, El Peridico, La Razon, La Vanguardia, El Mundo, and El Faro de Vigo.

To verify the facts, the Civil Guard requested a report from the Underwater Cultural Heritage Area for the North of the Spanish Federation of Underwater Activities (FEDAS), according to Levante-EMV. The report determined that the located anchor is of 'admiralty' type, a variety frequently used by the Royal Navy in the 19th century.

According to testimonies obtained, the anchor was extracted in the area of Cabo Vilán, in Camariñas, about 25 years ago when a fishing boat snagged it with its nets, reports La Razón. When trying to recover the anchor, near the surface, the gear broke and the anchor returned to the bottom. The captain noted the coordinates for a larger vessel to pick it up the next day.

The now-investigated person obtained the anchor and used it to decorate his home.

Along with the anchor that presumably belongs to the HMS Serpent shipwreck, agents have located two other anchors whose origin is also being investigated, according to El Mundo.

The anchors have been transferred and deposited in the Museo de Man, in Camelle (Camariñas), where they will be preserved while a more detailed analysis is carried out, reports El Faro de Vigo.

According to Law 5/2016, of May 4, on the Cultural Heritage of Galicia, the remains of shipwrecks prior to 1901 are considered protected cultural heritage. The legislation establishes that any object located and extracted without authorization must be confiscated and made available to the competent ministry in cultural heritage matters.

This article was written in collaboration with generative AI company Alchemiq