| Summary : 1345 or earlier wreck of Spanish cog which was broken up at Dartmouth in an act of piracy, having put in on her passage from Flanders to Majorca. Laden with goods, she was a sailing vessel. This vessel may be identifiable with another wreck broken up in similar circumstances at Dartmouth in 1343 [see SX 85 SE 191], since medieval wrecks frequently involved protracted litigation over a number of years, but the description of that vessel is somewhat different, and this may be no more than a coincidence. |
More information : '1345. Jan. 12. Westminster. Commission of oyer and terminer to Huge de Courteneye, earl of Devon, John de Chivereston, Richard de Brankescoumbe, and Geoffrey Gilberd, in the county of Devon, on complaint by John Joly, citizen of Majorca, that whereas he with a cog of two decks (quadam cocha baronesia duarum coopertarum) called ST JOHN THE EVANGELIST, of which cog one quarter was his property, laden with divers goods and merchandise, in coming from Flanders to the said city of Majorca, put in at the port of Dertemuth, some men of Dertemuth and elsewhere by force and arms broke the cog, carried away his goods and merchandise and had their will of them, and inflicted other enormities on him, to his damage of 1,000l., for which the king's kinsman, Peter, king of Aragon, by letters patent to the king has requested justice on behalf of the said John, his subject and vassal.' (1)
NB: The name of the vessel has also been indexed in the modern Spanish version of SAN JUAN EL EVANGELISTA to aid retrievability.
This vessel may also be identifiable with the "tarrit" broken up at Dartmouth, in a report of some two years earlier [see SX 85 SE 191]. This is plausible in view of the sometimes protracted litigation over medieval wrecks, and also in view of the fact that the word "tarrit" appears in the records to have a Spanish connection.
However, this may be no more than coincidence, another not infrequent occurrence, particularly given the general suspicion of foreign merchants and regular accounts of plunder and piracy perpetrated upon these merchants which appear in source (1). Also, the word "tarrit" is used as the name, or part of the name, of the vessel in one of the commissions relating to the 1343 wreck, which follows contemporary practice and may indicate that this is a separate vessel. Because of this inconclusive evidence, two separate, but linked, records have therefore been created. (2)
Owner: of ship, John Joly, Majorca, one quarter-share (1)
Owner: of cargo, John Joly, Majorca (1)
Date of Loss Qualifier: Reporting date of loss |