Naval History

Watch: Piece of Navy history found in London's waters

An artist and London mudlark has shared details of her latest "extraordinary" find – which she believes belonged to a Royal Navy vessel from either the late 18th or early 19th Century.

Nicola White, who Forces News met a few years ago to discuss her military discoveries, says the item was used onboard HMS Merlin hundreds of years ago.

As a mudlark, she regularly searches along the banks of the River Thames for treasures of the past – which is where she discovered her most recent piece of military history.

Today's Thames find is one of my most exciting.A log slate belonging to the HMS Merlin (early 19th C).At the end of the day the data on the slate was put into the log book & the slate wiped clean (hence the saying).So literally going into Jan 2022 with a clean slate! #mudlarking pic.twitter.com/ldbEamU6Ul
— nicola white mudlark (@TideLineArt) January 5, 2022