| Summary : 1639 wreck of Spanish warship which is said to have stranded near Deal after being intercepted by the Dutch in an action of the Eighty Years' War known as the Battle of the Downs (1582748). The battle, which took place on 11 October 1639, according to the Julian Calendar, or 21 October 1639 according to the Gregorian Calendar, was observed by the English from the castles of Deal (468386), Dover (467778) and Walmer (468409). For other Spanish ships lost or potentially lost in this engagement, please see: 1179083, 1179087, 1329675, 1329695, 1329736, 1329738, 1329750, 1329755, 1329758, 1329769, 1329772, 1329775, 1329800, 1329807, 1329812, 1587795. For a Neapolitan ship fighting in the Armada, see 1587801. For the Dutch vessels expended in the action, please see: 1179089 and 1587863, expended against the Portuguese flagship SANTA TERESA (1439232), and 1329644, expended against the SANTIAGO (1587795). For six Lübeckers which appear to have been inadvertently caught up in the action, please see: 1179051, 1329509, 1329519, 1329521, 1329525 and 1329545. |
More information : One of a disputed number of Spanish vessels stranded in this incident, a number of which were subsequently recovered. As few names can be assigned with certainty, only those groups given particular attention in English sources are recorded, so as not to artificially inflate the number of ships lost:
Primary Sources:
Oct 11 1639, Dover 10am. Theophilus, Earl of Suffolk, to Sec. Windebank: At this instant the Spaniards and the Hollanders are in a bloody fight in the Downs. The Admiral of Holland began the fight . . . A few hours more will decide the particulars, and then you shall hear further from me. (1)
Oct 11 1639, Dover 3pm. Theophilus, Earl of Suffolk, to Sec. Windebank: Since my last letter I stayed at the Downs until such time as the Spaniards and Hollanders being under sail made their way from the Downs westward, fighting as they passed. There are some ships come on shore near the castles in the Downs . . . (2)
Oct 11 1639. Relation by Sir John Pennington, Admiral [and] . . . captains and masters of the fleet for the guard of the Narrow Seas, concerning the beginning of the fight in the Downs between the Spaniards and Hollanders . . . the fog was so thick that the ships could not see one another . . . seeing some Hollanders to the northward and eastward, we tacked and stood into the Downs again to prevent them from fetching [off] those Spanish ships which were run on shore, being to the number of 24 . . . who did all willingly run on shore, save some which were forced to avoid the fire-ships which burnt out by them . . . ' (3)
In 1639, a Spanish fleet carrying troops to Flanders was caught by a Dutch fleet in the Channel. After a running fight the Spanish took refuge in the Downs, where they were followed by Tromp, and where an English squadron was lying to enforce neutrality. Charles hoped to sell his protection to the highest bidder, but while he was intriguing, Tromp settled the matter by attacking and destroying the Spaniards. (4)
In the Admiralty Court of the Cinque Ports in 1639, there were numerous cases pertaining to goods taken out of ships of the King of Spain in the Downs. An entry in DEC-1639 refers to a claim by John Norman the elder, of Deal, for expenses for the burial of many Spaniards cast on shore near Deal. He was said to have buried one hundred and three score. (5)
Transcribed from the published text, which retains the 17th century Scots spelling:
'Thus they continowd till October eleventh, lying within pistoll shott of other . . . And then immediatly Van Trompe charged the Spaniardes with canon and fyre shippes, so furiouslye as made them all cutt ther cables; and being fifty-three in number, twenty-three ran on shore and stranded in the Downes, whereof three wer burnt, two suncke, and two perished on the shore. One of thes was the gallion admirall of Gallitia, Don Andrea de Castro . . . [The remainder of the] twenty-three [that wer stranded, being deserted by the Spaniard] wer manned by the English, to save them from the Dutche. The other thirty, under the command of Oquendo, and Lopus, a Portuguese, went to sea in order, till, overtackne by a great fogge or miste, Van Trompe took the advauntage, and gott betuixt the two admiralls and ther fleete, and fought till the day cleard, at what tyme the admirall of Portugall began to burne, being fired by two Hollander shippes of warre. Oquendo perceiving this, sailed for Dunkirke, with the admirall of Dunkirke and some few shippes mor; the rest takne, eleven sent prisoners to Holland, three perished upon the coast of Fraunce, one neer Dover, fyve suncke in the fight, and only ten escaped of the admiralls threttye saile . . . This short relatione I have, not only from the English wrytters, but lykewayes from eye witnesses, who wer at that tyme upon the Hollands fleete in the actione, as also from such as wer eye witnesses in Holland to ther prisoners coming ther.' (9)
Secondary Sources:
Source (3) refers to 24 Spanish ships which had run ashore, (9) to 23. A list of 24 names of ships from the Spanish fleet which had undergone some form of wrecking event on the English side of the Channel is given in source (7): most of which had been driven ashore, some of which had subsequently been recovered, and others lost by other means. This confusion is typical of vessels recorded as lost in action. However, except in a couple of cases, it is not possible to specifically identify them by name. The list is therefore quoted below without attribution. (8)
SAN ANTONIO, pinnace, driven ashore 11/21 October
SAN AGUSTIN, pinnace, driven ashore 11/21 October
SANTA TERESA, 60, Portugal, Don Lopes de Hoces, commander, destroyed in action 11/21 October
SAN AGUSTIN, Naples, Vice-Admiral, Driven ashore 11/21 October, sunk 3 or 4 days later
SANTA CATALINA, driven ashore 11/21 October
SAN BLAS, driven ashore 11/21 October
SAN JERONIMO, burnt in the Downs 11/21 October
SANTIAGO, burnt off Dover 13/23 October
SAN JUAN BAUTISTA, sunk 11/21 October
LOS ANGELES, driven ashore 11/21 October
SANTIAGO, Portugal, driven ashore 11/21 October
DELFIN DORADO, Naples, driven ashore 11/21 October
SAN ANTONIO, Naples, driven ashore 11/21 October
EL PINGUE (hired) sunk in the Downs 11/21 October
ORFEO, Naples, lost on the Goodwin Sands 11/21 October
SANTO TOMAS, driven ashore 11/21 October
SAN CARLOS, sunk 11/21 October
SANTO DOMINGO DE POLONIA, hired Polish ship, driven ashore 11/21 October
SAN PEDRO MARTIR, hired, driven ashore 11/21 October
FAMA, hired, driven ashore 11/21 October
SAN DANIEL, driven ashore 11/21 October
SAN JUAN EVANGELISTA, Hamburg, hired, driven ashore 11/21 October
SANTA AGNES, Naples, stranded but got off, 14/24 October
GRUNE, driven ashore 11/21 October (7)
Lives Lost: 160 (5)
Owner: Spanish Navy [all sources]
Date of Loss Qualifier: Actual date of loss |