Scientists Crack Code Of 16th Century Brass Lock Recovered From Anne Francis Wreck Off South Wales

Scientists used advanced medical imaging technology to crack the four-letter combination of a 16th-century brass padlock that remained buried on a Welsh Beach for almost 400 years.

The lock belonged to Ann Francis, a commercial ship that was wrecked off the coast of South Wales in 1583 after it ran aground due to a powerful storm.

A joint effort between Cardiff University and Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales has successfully revealed the code that once safeguarded the ship captains’ priced possessions.

The code ANCE, might have meant something to the captain, experts suggest though it remains an enigma for everyone else.

The lock was used to secure the captain’s chest which carried fine textiles, Spanish silver and maritime correspondence papers or documents before the ship met a tragic ending in the Bristol Channel.

Conservators at the Museum partnered with Cardiff University’s School of Engineering to deploy micro-computed tomography, which is a scanning method applied for studying bones and biological tissues.

The high-resolution 3D scans of the lock allowed the researchers to find the code without damaging the relic.

Dr. David Williams, a research associate at Cardiff University’s Musculoskeletal Biomechanics Research Facility, said that by creating 3D images of the lock’s internal mechanism, he could see how the notches matched the letters and find the combination easily.

He added that the technology is used for studying tissues or bones and using it to investigate centuries old lock was the first for the team.

The Ann Francis was returning from a trading venture when a violent storm struck on December 28, 1583 and the powerful winds forced the ship off course, ultimately causing it to ground and break apart along the Margam Beach near Port Talbot.

Although many Elizabethan combination padlocks have been recovered at different sites across Britain, experts view this find as especially remarkable because it is tied to a verified shipwreck with a precise date.

It was found close to Spanish silver coins and brass weights used for testing currency.

Alastair Willis, Senior Curator for Numismatics and the Welsh Economy at Amgueddfa Cymru, said that while Elizabethan locks are known in Britain, this one is in exceptionally good condition and is part of a dated shipwreck, making it a unique find.

The lock is part of a much larger hoard of items found from the ship across two decades spanning from 1996 to 2017.

People can see the lock at the Swansea’s National Waterfront Museum, where it is showcased alongside an Elizabethan boatswain’s whistle and rare gold coins dating to the reign of Spain’s King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella.