| Summary : 1639 wreck of Spanish warship, which is said to have been burnt near Dover two days after an action of the Eighty Years' War known as the Battle of the Downs (1582748). It is likely that she was attacked by the Dutch fireship recorded at 1329644. 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: 1179072, 1179083, 1179087, 1329675, 1329695, 1329736, 1329738, 1329750, 1329755, 1329758, 1329769, 1329772, 1329775, 1329800, 1329807, 1329812. For a Neapolitan ship fighting in the Armada, see 1587801. For the Portuguese flagship SANTA TERESA, destroyed in action, please see 1439232, and for the Dutch fireships expended against her, please see 1179089 and 1587863. 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 : A Spanish vessel said to have been burnt off Dover on 13 October 1639. (4)
The number of ships recorded as involved in some sort of wrecking event as a result of the battle varies from source to source, some of which also appear to have been recovered. The number is given in one source as 24 and 24 names are given in a list in (4), but these names, with a few exceptions, cannot be mapped directly onto the wreck events as described in the sources. Therefore, to avoid unduly inflating the numbers of ships lost, only those events recorded in English sources are here recorded:
Primary Sources:
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 the Hollanders being under sail made their way from the Downs westward, fighting as they passed. (1)
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 the Hollanders . . . we continued chasing and shooting at them until they were past the South Foreland . . . (2)
Oct 12 1639, Dover. Theophilus, Earl of Suffolk, to Sec. Windebank: I know that you hear all particulars from the Downs by Sir John Pennington, what ships are fired and what run aground, but of that which has happened towards the west may happily by this way come best to your knowledge, and these are the particulars which I have received from Nicholas Roberts, a sea captain . . . viz . . . it is further reported that 5 more of the Spaniards have blown up themselves, whereof it is thought the Admiral is one . . . it is verily believed . . . that the most part of the Spanish fleet, besides those aground in the Downs, are fired, taken, or blown up themselves. (3)
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.' (6)
Secondary Sources:
One contemporary source, referenced in, for example, 1329758, refers to 24 Spanish ships which had run ashore. 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 (4): 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. (5)
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 (4)
Owner: Spanish Navy [all sources]
Date of Loss Qualifier: Actual date of loss |