In 1626–27, the Sparrow-Hawk began her final journey across the brutal winter waves of the Atlantic Ocean, departing from the southern coast of England with America as her destination. As cases of scurvy and whispers of mutiny arose, the hopes of those aboard the small vessel began to fade. Join historian and author Mark C. Wilkins as he reveals the Sparrow-Hawk’s secrets exposed by the tides over two hundred years later, in the only surviving remains of a 17th-century trans-Atlantic vessel. Click here for a 65-minute video of his November 12, 2022 presentation by the Alden House Historic Site.

(Above) Alden House Executive Director Desiree Mobed introduces author and historian Mark Wilkins who researched the history of the shipwreck and the circumstances surrounding it.

(Above) Wilkins begins by describing the efforts by the English to establish a colony in America.

(Above) Wilkins talks about what motivated many to colonize both Virginia and Massachusetts.

Earlier this year, an archaeological study confirmed that the remains are the oldest known shipwreck in Colonial English America…..and is in fact, the Sparrow-Hawk. This talk was sponsored by the Alden Kindred of America with funding from Mass Humanities and the Bridge Street Fund.