Researchers in Canada hope to discover where the canoe was made and by which tribe
Tribal history"He fought many military campaigns and toured the area for his personal interest - discovering this canoe along the way.
"It's incredible to think its legacy has been resting in a barn in Cornwall all this time."
Wendy Fowler, a descendent of the Enys family, called the museum to request they look at the canoe lying in the estate's barn.
"The estate is very special to us and holds many secrets but I believe this is the most interesting to date," she said.
"The maritime museum is brilliantly ensuring and repatriating another element of our great family history and I'm most grateful that my great, great, great, great, great uncle's travels have led to such a major chapter of boating history being discovered in Cornwall."
Painting showing similar birch bark canoes Researchers in Canada hope to discover where the canoe was made and by which tribe
Capt George Hogg, archivist and museum trustee, said initially when the call came in from the estate, the museum had no idea of the importance of the find.
"We knew we had something special, but having worked with the British Museum on the artefacts and the Canadian Canoe Museum in Peterborough, Ontario, we now believe that this is one of the world's oldest birch bark canoes.
"This is a unique survival from the 18th Century."
The canoe will be repatriated in the autumn and the Canadian Canoe Museum will carry out further research on where the boat may have been built and by which tribe.
The canoe is expected to go on display at the National Maritime Museum in late January.
