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| Brazen Brian |
We have searched for the remains of the Brazen but so far had no luck. Numerous artifacts reside in the Newhaven Museum, and I am aware of several divers who have discovered fragments, although I have never directly spoken with them.
There was a few chaps who had an old clinker built open boat that had a compressor on it back in the early 90's who were blowing sand and recovering a few bits and pieces.
I do have quite a bit of information and have spoken to a number of people, including a chap who has written a book which he has been trying to get published. He was friends with one of the divers who recovered quite a few artifacts and was himself interviewed by Kendal McDonald (Dive Sussex) He never gave the correct position to Kendal and gave him more misinformation than anything else!
No wonder we can't find it!!
From what I have found out there is no 'Wreck', but I never expected there to be one. The artifacts, If there is much left, are buried under sand. The divers would go down and just poke there arms into the soft silt and, one weekend you might pull something out and another weekend, you'd get nothing.
We put off making a film until we found something-anything! But, I doubt that is going to happen unless we invest in a magnetometer or someone tells us exactly where to be poking about. All these years later though, people are still very secretive.
We were lucky enough to get an interview with Brazen Brian who probably knows more about the Brazen than anyone else. In fact I'm certain he does!
We are still looking, but in the mean time, we did make a video and recorded an interview with Brazen Brian
Brazen Brian- our film
The lamentable tale of HMS Brazen
Below is information Cathryn and I had found and shared. At this point we hadn't met Brazen Brian!
29 January - 4 days later, stern post, 2 guns drifted on shore small part of side carried by tide beyond the eastern pier (so to Seaford Bay); and ‘the forepart remained near the rock on which she split’ (Sussex Advertiser, 3 Feb 1800, p. 3). Comment in Kentish Chronicle, 30 Jan 1800, that ‘what was washed up was salvaged’ but ‘much sank’.
30 January – 5 days later, Sproule has a list of stores salvaged to auction off.
31 Jan – 6 days later – discussing salvage; ‘the only road being under the cliffs’ – Sproule to Navy Board – weather poor: ‘part of the wreck is on shore’.
1 Feb – 7 days later, first burials – 27 bodies
1 Feb - 7 days later, bodies being picked up ‘near Newhaven’ (29 bodies buried).
4 Feb – 10 days later – salvage work, pulled copper from bottom (of the stern post? or is more of the stern showing?) He removed ‘all the copper from the bottom, bolts etc. and put them in the warehouse’…. buried 34 bodies total. Difficulty pulling up the wreck.
10 Feb - 18 days later, ‘the headmost part of the hull remains between the rocks, on which the ship struck, and is kept stationary by the weight of the guns.’ (Sussex Advertiser, 10 Feb 1800).
19 Feb - 25 days later, buried another…
24 Feb – 30 days later; Auction of stores and materials; Sproule mentions all sold except Ordnance stores – so that was salvaged, too. But still doing more salvage.
28 Feb – 24 days later; ‘I have great hopes we shall save much of the heavy stores when the weather & Tide will permit us to work which is only at low water Spring Tide.’
30 March – 64 days later: (9 weeks) - ‘the tide drove on shore the stern part of the wreck of the Brazen sloop, together with the bodies of three of the unfortunate crew…’ (Sussex Advertiser, 7 April 1800). (but the sternpost ashore much earlier?)
Bodies are still coming ashore, 6-17 April
W/c 12 May - ‘one of Brazen’s guns, her bow anchor, and several coils of new rope, were recovered from the remains of the wreck…through the skill and good management of Mr. Brown, of Newhaven, who had also tackled the ship’s grate’; but his vessel wasn’t big enough.(Sussex Advertiser, 19 May 1800).
Port Towns and Urban Cultures Research Group
