More information : Wrack the 36th Hen. 8th (forgotten to be put before).
'Two Norman ships coming from the Newfoundland loaden with Fish by force of weather were put in St. Ives Bay and there went to anchor and after by the tempest many of their men were drowned by ventring to the shore there was 18 men drowned upon one raft. It was war time between England and France : The French men that lived did forsake their ships and had passport and went their ways then after the weather was fair and the townsmen of Saint Ives with their boats went aboard the shipps and brought them within the key of St. Ives, then came the most part of the Gentlemen there about as Mr. Godolphin Sentaben Reskymer Mylyton Nevyan Trewynard and many others more which took the fish of both ships with the towns mens aid and put the same in cellars : yet before the unshipping of all the fish Harry Bree then being Bayliff to Sir John Arundell of his liberty and the said Penheleg then being with them went aboard the ships and arrested both ships with the fish that remained in them and so continued a week or more aboard the ships, in the end by force we were put out by the towns men and others. Sir John Arundell that time lay at Mr. Roskarrock to sogen, then we both went thither and shewed unto him how we were used at St. Ives : he forthwith sent his Precept to St. Ives to have Thomas Jenkyn and John Stephen by cause they were rulers of the town to come before him: and when they came he sent them both to Launston Goal [sic] and there they remained a month: and within a little while after he sent out of Padstowe 3 barcks under the governance of Thomas Trevethan Gentleman his servant and one Jago with others that were his servants and friends and by land he sent them presently one hundred of his servants gentlemen and yeoman [sic] with other his friends well appointed having commission from King Harry the 8th to be his warrant therein : and so those barks of Padstowe and those hundred men aforesaid which came by land met at St. Ives in one day and there the Bailiffe of Sir John Arundell Harry Bree required the deliverance of the ships and all the fish which was denyed the delivery thereof by one Thomas Godolphin second son to Sir William Godolphin and upon the denyal thereof the doors of all the sellars wherein the fish was were presently broken up and the fish loaden in the 3 barks aforesaid and so carried to Padstow to the use of Sir John Arundell Lord of the Franchise and the rest of the fish Sir John Arundell gave to his servants and friends and the less ship which was 50 tons he gave to the towns men of Saint Ives and the bigger ship which was 400 tons I the said John Penheleg by commission from my yet notwithstanding there was a Court of the Franchises proclaimed to be at the Vicarage of Lelant touching the matter in controversie: and thither came Robert Vevyan Head Steward of the Court and Justice of the Peace Mr. Bear, Mr. Borlas both Justices of the Peace Mr. Harrye Sargeant Sir John Arundell's counsellors and one Mr. Swynton for my Lady Mount Joy and the gentlemen and the towns men of Saint Ives had their councell there likewise. So the titles of every side were opened by their councellors and in the end it was found that Sir John Arundell had most right unto those ships and the goods and so he had the same quietly and so all other wracks sythence as Lord of the Franchise.
By me John Penheleg and Harry Otys Richard Rosswall which were sworn before Robert Trenckrek Head Steward that this above written is true.' (1)
Date of Loss Qualifier: Approximate Date of Loss.
Burden: 400 tons (1)
Men lost: At least 18 men drowned on a raft whilst abandoning ship. The French survivors were allowed to return to France under passport. (1)
N.B. The comment 'forgotten to be put before' at the beginning of source (1) may have been written by John Penheleg or the later copyist. (1)
N.B. 400 tons was probably miscopied for 100 tons. 400 tons would have been a very large ship at this time, and fishing vessels would not usually be that size. (1)
N.B. Source (1) gives the year of the wreck as the 36th year of Henry VIII's reign. This would have begun on the 21st of April 1545. (2)
N.B. Source (1) implies that both vessels were salvaged, 'after the weather was fair and the townsmen of Saint Ives with their boats went aboard the shipps and brought them within the key of St. Ives', although it is not certain whether this statement refers to the ships themselves or survivors still aboard. (2)
N.B. This vessel and her smaller consort were clearly involved in the Newfoundland fishery, sailing across the Atlantic from Normandy to catch cod on the Grand Banks. This practice continued until 1904. (2)
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