| Summary : 1639 wreck of Spanish warship, one of two which stranded and were fired under Walmer Castle during the Battle of the Downs (1582748), an action of the Eighty Years' War between the Spanish and the Dutch which took place on 11 October 1639, according to the Julian Calendar, and 21 October 1639, according to the Gregorian. The English did not participate, but witnessed the battle from Deal (468386), Dover (467778) and Walmer (468409) Castles. For other Spanish ships lost or potentially lost in this action, please see: 1179072, 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 said to have been driven ashore after being inadvertently caught up in the action, please see: 1179051, 1329509, 1329519, 1329521, 1329525, and 1329545. |
More information : The first of two Spanish ships known to have been lost under Walmer Castle, part of a disputed number of Spanish vessels stranded in this battle, some of which may have been recovered. As few names can be assigned with certainty, only those groups or incidents given particular attention in English sources are recorded, so as not to artificially inflate the number of ships lost. In this case this record appears likely to be identifiable with one of the three burnt after stranding in the Downs in source (13):
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, and I saw two of the Spanish fleet fired close under Walmer Castle and those are all that have suffered by that way . . . There are many Spaniards come ashore, for whose accommodation I have given order. (2)
Oct 11 1639. Relation by Sir John Pennington, Admiral [and] . . . captains and masters of the fleet for guard of the Narrow Seas, concerning the beginning of the fight in the Downs between the Spaniards and Hollanders. The Spaniards lying berthed together in the best of the road, the Hollanders lying without them to the eastward and northward, and the King's ships to the southward, the wind being NW, the Hollanders were all of a sudden under sail . . . we heard some shot betwixt the fleets, but which began we could not certainly know by reason of the fog . . . Our ships being all loose, we had no time to advise long, being at that time the last quarter flood . . . The fog was so thick that the ships could not see one another, so that in an hour's time we heard few or no shots, neither were there very many shots in all. The weather clearing up a little, we could see that we had got the weather-gage of them. We stood in again with the Hollanders, and shot many guns from all our ships . . . We continued chasing and shooting at them until they were past the South Foreland . . . 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)
Oct 13 1639, Queen Street. Algernon, Earl of Northumberland, to Sir John Pennington: The report of the conflict between the Spaniards and the Hollanders is so various . . . that we know not what to give credit to. Capt. Hall saith, and likewise your relation, that there are 24 Spanish ships run on ground; others speak of but half that number; the captain likewise says that there were 4 or 5 ships burnt and sunk; but others . . . say there was no such thing. Wherefore, for resolution of those doubts, I would have you speedily to acquaint yourself with the very truth of those accidents . . . His Majesty, being informed that his own subjects in those parts have pillaged such Spanish ships as lie there abandoned, is much displeased at it, and commands . . . that you take the best care to protect them will all your power, not only from the Hollanders, but likewise from such as shall come from the shore to abuse them . . . Divers of the Spaniards that are come ashore at Deal desire to transport themselves for Dunkirk. (4)
Oct 19 1639, Dover. Theophilus, Earl of Suffolk, to Sec. Windebank: I must confess I do believe . . . that the Spaniards were very rudely used at their landing . . . In all these disorders none were more to blame than the sea-faring men, who came with their vessels and boats to commit these robberies. (5)
Oct 30 1639, Queen Street. Thomas Smith to Sir John Pennington . . . you might have avoided much trouble to yourself, my Lord, and me, had you at first acquainted his Lordship with the real state of the Spanish ships sunk. You wrote to my Lord of 24 ships sunk [sic] . . . (6)
Oct [31] 1639. List of Spanish ships run ashore, or sunk, or burnt in the engagement with the Holland fleet. They number 25 . . . [Endorsed by Sir John Pennington] (7)
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.' (13)
Secondary Sources:
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. (9)
On 21 [sic] October . . . Almost the whole Armada was burnt, run ashore, or captured. Some 7,000 men are known to have perished . . . Tromp, at one stroke, had ruined Spanish power in northern waters. (10)
Source (3) refers to 24 Spanish ships which had run ashore, (7) to 25, and (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 (12): 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. (11)
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 (12)
Owner: Spanish Navy [all sources]
Date of Loss Qualifier: Actual date of loss |