Personal possessions

Archaeological excavation is slowly revealing the objects belonging to individuals onboard the Pandora. By collecting from the bow and the stern of the wreck, Museum archaeologists expect to find a wealth of information about the crew and what they took with them on their long ocean voyage.

The study of the objects the crew used in their day-to-day lives will complement the existing information we have about them from historical records, such as the Pandora's muster list and eyewitness accounts by some members of the crew.

Port bottle

During the 1996 expedition, an intact glass bottle with a cork stopper was excavated in the officers' quarters. This bottle contains a liquid believed to be wine or port. This type of bottle was manufactured in English glass factories between 1730 and 1850 and is known today as the English "wine" bottle. The glass is dark-green in colour. The port bottle represents three aspects of conservation: the bottle itself, its contents and the cork.

Name stamp

During the 1996 expedition, a lead name stamp was recovered from First Lieutenant John Larkan's cabin area. The stamp bears the name letters "Larkan", along with a maker's name-I. Moore, London. This stamp could have been a part of a personal desk set that Larkan used for private correspondence. Alternatively, he might have used the stamp to create labels for his large collection of artificial curiosities, also recovered from his cabin.

Fireplace

In 1984, a bulkhead fireplace was retrieved from the stern area of the wreck. Although archival information relating to this type of fireplace has not been found, it was probably specifically designed and manufactured for use in ships. It was most likely the personal property of Captain Edwards and was part of the furniture installed in the Great Cabin. Upon his return to England, Edwards listed over £500 worth of personal property lost with the ship. Among the description of items lost was cabin furniture.

Pocket watch

A silver pocket watch was excavated in 1983. Impressed into the case is the watchmaker's name, J & J Jackson, London, the number 9866 and a 1788 hallmark. The watch came up from the seabed encased in concretion and has since been restored by the Conservation Department at the Western Australian Maritime Museum. It has been attributed to the Pandora's surgeon, George Hamilton, as the watch was found in association with medical implements.

Spruce jars

The Pandora's logs record that, in addition to sauerkraut and essence of malt, 340 pots of essence of spruce were also taken onboard. Like sauerkraut, fresh fruit and malt essence, spruce essence was a source of vitamins. It was brewed to make spruce beer. Nearly 150 intact jars of a variety of colours and sizes have been recovered from the wreck so far. The use for these jars has not yet been determined, but it is thought that they are the pots referred to in the log.

Mug

During the 1986 expedition, a drinking mug was excavated in the officers' cabin area. The mug is made of red-bodied clay and coated in a clear lead glaze. There is also an underglaze decoration of two wavy lines in white pipeclay. The inner surface is covered in scratched lines indicative of stirring with a metal teaspoon. Many examples of crockery have been found in the wreck. These would have been used to contain hot drinks, such as tea and cocoa. This is a reflection of a custom that was becoming increasingly popular in late 18th century Britain.

Creamware

Several creamware plates have the letter C scratched on them. At first, this was seen as evidence of it belonging to Second Lieutenant Robert Corner, but it could also indicate crockery shared by all officers for their use in the Captain's cabin. Several plates from nearby areas have the letter "W". No listed officer had the initial "W", so perhaps these were another set of plates reserved for the officers' use in the wardroom. Captain Edwards also used similar ware for entertaining. An almost complete dinner service was retrieved from his storeroom during the 1997 expedition, among which is the soup tureen pictured here.

Saucer

In 1993, a blue and white painted saucer was found. The saucer features a hand-painted Chinoiserie (or imitation Chinese design) on the face. On the underside, it has a maker's mark-S. This indicates that it was manufactured by the Caughley Works in Shropshire. The central panel shows a teahouse on a lakeside and is typical of the Caughley works.