Wreck of ship carrying rare ‘ordinary’ crockery wins protection off Kent coast

Some of the ceramics discovered with the wreck of Josephine Willis, which sank on its way to New Zealand. Photograph: Stefan Panis/Historic England

The wreck of a mid-19th century sailing ship transporting British people to New Zealand and with a cargo of exceptionally rare ceramics onboard has been listed for protection 167 years after it sank off the Kent coast.

The Josephine Willis wooden packet boat, built in Limehouse and launched in 1854 by HH Willis & Co, foundered four miles (6.4km) south of Folkestone harbour following a collision with the steamer Mangerton on 3 February 1856, with the loss of 70 lives including Captain Edward Canney. The ship lies in two parts on the seabed, 23 metres deep.