Advanced imaging reveals code to 400-year-old shipwreck lock

The Ann Francis, owned by Francis Shaxton of Kings Lynn, was lost at sea on December 28, 1583, after being caught in a severe storm while returning from Spain. Shaxton had transported grain to Spain and suffered a double loss with the ship and its payment.

The vessel wrecked off the coast of Margam beach in Wales. Metal detectorist Peter Hughes spent 21 years recovering a significant collection of artifacts from the site.

Among the finds was a brass combination lock, believed to have secured a small chest potentially containing valuable items. The lock was discovered near Spanish silver coins and coin weights.

Researchers from Amgueddfa Cymru and Cardiff University employed CT scanning to examine the lock’s inner workings without causing damage. This process revealed the combination – ANCE – allowing them to unlock the artifact.

“By creating a detailed 3D image of the internal mechanism, I could see how the notches lined up with the letters and identify the exact combination,” explained Dr. David Williams, a research associate at Cardiff University. “We normally use this technology to study bones, so investigating a 400-year-old padlock was certainly a first.”

Peter Hughes expressed astonishment at the lock’s condition upon discovery. “When I moved the ring dials of the combination they turned with ease after over 400 years beneath the sands and I was left in disbelief,” he stated.

The lock and other artifacts from the Ann Francis wreck are currently on display at the National Waterfront Museum in Swansea, and will remain there until September 2027.