More information : 29th October 1544. The Navy. [A list of ships with their estimated burden, their armament, and in many cases the number of their mariners.]
"Holkys appointed for the Kinges Ma[jes]tie liinge at the Blacke Wall" viz. The LYON, of Lubycke, 500 tons. The GRETE XOFER, of Breme, 500 tons. One other hulke, not knowing her name...
2. A list of ships with the names of their captains and numbers of their crews [as in 4 below]...CHRISTOPHER of Breme (name struck through, but with the word 'stet' in the margin...
4. Another copy of the preceding list with some additional ships and corrections in the numbers of men. The names of the captains are also added, viz: - The GREAT CHRISTOPHER of Breme, 500 tons, 300 men, Robert Stroude...
5. A list of foreign ships, viz...The GREAT XOFER of Breme... (1)
November 1544. Sir Thomas Seymour to the Council...Word is just brought that Mr Strowd and all the men in the CRESTOVER of Breme, save 12, were lost on the Wight on Saturday night last... (2)
13 November 1544. Sir Thomas Seymour and others to the Council. Perceives by their letters of the 10th inst. that he is thought negligent of the King's pleasure...As to the first point, the wafting of the victuallers: - Lay in Orwell Wanes [sic], aboard the PETER, 6 days, "and never came a-land". On the 6th day made sail, and came, on the 7th, at night, to Dover, where he asked Lord Sent Jonne if the victuallers were ready to go to Bolen [Boulogne]; who answered that he had sent a great deal, "so that they were already victualled for iij months"...And [so I departed from] Dover Road, whether I would or not, because the wind was easterly [and] the ebb at hand; and so made over to Bolen Rode, but the wind and the tide cast us so far to the west that night that it was, the next day, ij of the clock at afternoon ere we could get Bolen Road". There I called all the captains and masters together and declared the Council's intentions...It was considered best, as none of the ships had past three days' victuals, save 10 that came from Harwyche, to scour the French coast along to Senne Hede [sic], and there Mr Carre, with those appointed to keep the Narrow Seas, "should cross over to the Camber, if he might not recover Dover or Bolen Road". That night the wind veered to NE so extreme that we were fain to forsake Bolen Road and go westward under sail, until half an hour before day, when the wind rose so high, that such as were "not fast aboard the shore, was fain to go run, of which I was one, the MENON, the SALAMANDER, with 5 other sail. And it was as much as we could do for our lives to get sight of the Eylle of Wight before night, and it was an hour within night or I could get in. Three hulks that came after me could not get sight thereof till they were in a bay on the east side of the Isle, of which Mr Strowd, Bramston, and Battersebe of the GUARD (God rest their souls) was in one of them, which hulk brake all her anchors and cables and she brake all to pieces on the shore, and but 41 of 300 saved alive. The other two rode out the storm, which lasted all that night and the next day". (3)
She was carrying ordnance purchased in Dantzig which appears to have included "Six half slynges, every [one] of them with 2 chambers" and "iij iron shot, bought in Danske". (4)
15 Nov. 1544.
617. Sir T. Seymour to the Council.
Has received their letters of the 13th present.
2. iv. Ships to be discharged and some amended, as follows...CHRISTOPHER of Breme (lost in Wight), 300... (5)
The 'hulk' given as the vessel type is a medieval form of cargo vessel, developed from the cog, rather than a broken-up vessel without power (the later meaning). (6)
CHRISTOPHER, ex. Bremen, bought 1545, sold 1555. (6)
The master of the LYON of Lubeck appears to have died in the wreck of the GREAT CHRISTOPHER. [See SX 85 SE 168]
Master: Robert Stroude (1); Strowd (2)(3); ex. William Hoveken [see SX 85 SE 168]
Crew: 300 (3)(5)
Crew Lost: 288 (2) 259 (3)
Date of Loss Qualifier: Actual Date of Loss |