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THE SPANIARDS RAID ON MOUSEHOLE IN THE

YEAR 1595

As reported in the state papers of the Reign of Elizabeth 1st of


England. Vol.CCLIII. Copies of which are in the Morrab Library.
Monday 9pm July 21. 1595

26. Thos. Lukie and Wm. Psakowe to Sir Fras.Godolphin: We hear


from Mr. Killigrew, that 60 sail are in our bay in the Manacles,
which have been turning off and on all day. We will give you
advertisement of any discovery of their pretence; we are keeping
sufficient ward. There were two pinnaces at the harbour’s mouth,
but they returned towards the said fleet.

Tuesday July 22. 1595 Falmouth


27. Thos. Lukie to Sir Frau. Godolphin: Upwards 20 sail were
about the harbour last night, and Rich. Pesres affirms there are
divers great ships and shallops amongst them. I have sent out a boat
to descry them, and when she returns will advertise you.

Wednesday July 23 1595. Plymouth


29. Sir Frau. Drake and Sir John Hawkins to Sir Robt. Cecil: We
have not written earlier, having nothing of importance to tell. We
are hastening our despatch, so to avoid charge. Now our men are
together; with gentlemen, soldiers, and mariners they are (two lines
missing at bottom of the page) honour and good liking only we wish
fair weather to labour in, and a fair wind to send us away in haste.

Wednesday July 23 1595. St Mawes Fort.


30. Hanibal Vyvyan to Sir Frau. Drake and Sir John Hawkins,
Generals of the fleet at Plymouth: I think you are informed of the
Spaniards landing this day in the western parts; they have burned
Penzance, Newlyn, Mousehole, Poole Church, and Church Town,
and other villages adjoining without resistance; I speak it to the
disgrace of those people. The only ships there are four galleys, but
there are 40 sail seen to seaward. There is great want of leaders; the
Spaniards’ conquest without resistance may give them greater
encouragement to land along the coast as well to the east as north. I
beg you, if your ships are not fit to fight, to send into these part.
some of their leaders who have commanded in war, as they are
greatly needed now, and will be more so if the Spaniards should
land. If you lack mariners, I think 100 could he procured in 10 hours
in Falmouth harbour.

Noted by Sir Fras. Drake and Sir John Hawkins that this letter
came to hand as the post was ready to take his horse, and that some
captains are getting ready to go westward. Endorsed (by Cecil),
“Hannibal Vyvyan, from the fort of Falmouth, to Sir Fras.
Godoiphin, advertising the burning of divers towns.”

Wednesday July 23. 1 o’clock On the Green beyond Penzance


31. Sir Frau. Godolphin and Thos. Chiverton to Sir Frau. Drake and
Sir John Hawkins, generals of the forces now at Plymouth
“Four galleys are at anchor before Mousehole, their men landed,
and the town and other houses in the country thereabouts are fired.
No more of the fleet are in sight; 50 or 60 were seen Monday
evening and yesterday, athwart of Falmouth. Pray consider what is
to be done both for safety and defence.
P.S About 200 men have assembled; we attend the coming of more,
so as to make head towards the enemy.

The English court had its spies abroad keeping an eye on the
Spaniards. One of these was Edmond Palmer who reported to the
Lord High Admiral.
July 23. / Aug. 2.
32. Edm. Palmer to the Lord High Admiral. I wrote you 18 July,
and intended to have waited upon you personally, but have since
altered my mind, and shall not leave until the departure of the
King’s ships to the Passage. Subiacoe came back from Bluett 28
July, having landed such monies and provisions as he carried, and
brought back some horses, pigs, &c., as also general Don Diego
Brochero, who was in the galleys there, and who landed in the
Passage Road, and went post to the Court at Madrid; when he
returns, he will go as general of six sail and four pinnaces, now in
the Passage, and bound for Lisbon to join those there.
Their pretences are to follow Sir Frau. Drake, who they understand
has gone to sea; when they are gone, the coast will he clear of men-
ofwar, till other ships of the King are built. ‘They go but weakly
provided, and have stayed 14 large merchantmen bound for Seville,
to keep them company till they arrive, at Lisbon, when those
there....... (again there are three lines missing from the bottom of the
page).
...........grief to them. Shatteo Martin was beheaded 20 July; his body
lay on the scaffold 24 hours, when it was buried; his head stands
most honourebly on one of the gates of the city where he should
have brought in the Spaniards, and the rest of his mates’ heads and
quarters in the like order; they used him royally, bareheaded, he
with the hangmen were in a cart, and a rope about his neck, and so
was carried through all the chief streets in the city, with 300 or 400
arquebusiers waiting on him. A great quantity of letters were found
in his house, from the Viceroy of Navarre and Don Juan d’Idiaques,
the Kings chief secretary, as from the Cardinal; some were in plain
writing and others in cipher, and he had burnt many. He and his
mates had laid their plots for betraying the city. He was the means
that brought me in disgrace with the Lord Treasurer and Mr. Vice
Chamberlain, although I have always served my Prince loyally.
There are more consorts of Shatteo Martin’s who are not yet taken,
and some have fled.
On 19 July, Joseph Jackson went to the frontiers of Spain, with
letters out of England to Rollestone, who met him on the French
shore, where they were both taken prisoners by a gentleman of the
country, but were set at liberty two or three days after. I understand
they both much depend on my Lord of Essex, by Mr. Bacon’s
means, but if his Lordship knew what knaves they are, he would not
trust them. Rollestone has spoken villainous words of Her Majesty.
He has a stipend out of England, which Jackson pays him. I have
never had anything, and am grieved to see strangers and traitors
made so much of, and receiving such large stipends; but a friend In
the Court is better than a pound in a man’s purse. I hope Her
Majesty’s favour; I intend to see her shortly, and will leave as soon
as the ships have left the Passage. The Prince of Ascole has not as
yet found his accusers, and in the end all will be nothing for Don
Pedro de Medeles and other nobles are in the dance. Nothing passes
in England but the Spaniards have intelligence of it, which is sent
by some Dutchmen in London to Middleburg, and thence to
Antwerp as merchants’ letters. All speed is used for despatching the
King’s ships lying in the Passage, as well as those at Lisbon.

Following the raid by the Spaniards they put on shore English


prisoners that they had taken on their voyage over.
Friday July 25 1595.

88. Examinations of Englishmen, taken by the Spaniards, and


landed in Mounts Bay, out of the four galleys of Bluett, before Sir
Fras. Godolphin and Thomas Saint Aubin, viz., -
Barnaby. Loe, of Ipswich, mariner. Was taken with his ship three
weeks since near Brittany, by Peter Seviore, and carried into Bluett.
Seviore’s fleet then consisted of seven ships, the admiral being a
galleon with 32 cast pieces. The vice-admiral was a ship of 140
tons, and carried 20 pieces pf brass ordnance; he had brought 500
soldiers, with a store of treasure for the soldiers’ pay, &n, from
Passage to Bluett, and then returned with his fleet, to be general of a
navy of 100 sail bound for Lisbon, but where else he knows not.
The shipping at Bluett consists of four galleys, whereof Charles de
Messe is general, and three or four other men-of-war, of 100 to 100
tons burden, which carry but small ordnance, but are full of soldiers
and mariners. Each of these galleys carries five pieces in its prow,
and 590 men, and for this voyage had 400 soldiers out of Don
John's regiment, besides 200 others; they can land 150 men at a time
with their eight pinnaces and gondells, and can row 10 leagues a
day, against a good gale of wind.
The intention in employing these galleys was to have gone to Scilly,
Guernsey, and Jersey, but the wind was contrary; they would have
stayed longer to do more spoil to this country, had they not stood in
fear of Sir Fras. Drake’s fleet. There is a good store of treasure in
the galleys, which was to be employed for pay, and for corrupting
of some, and they had 3,000 crowns from the town of Penmark, to
save them from spoil. In coming hither, they took a French bark,
laden by an Englishman, which they sunk to avoid Intelligence of
their coming. After they had burned Penzance and other villages,
they had mass the next day on the Western Hill by a friar, where
they vowed to build a friary when they had conquered England.
Their vice-admiral sprung a leak, and they were distressed for want
of water, and had a mind to venture to land for some, if the wind
had not come good for their departure; if it change so as to serve
them, they will assuredly bear for Scilly or for Guernsey or Jersey.
They have an Englishman, Capt. Burley of Weymouth, with them,
whom they esteem ; he sits next the captain. He said that if Her
Majesty was not at extraordinary charge in keeping good forces, the
King of Spain, who by his treasure is so strong, would land such a
power as should overcome the land; that those four galleys, with
two others, would be yearly sent to spoil the weak places of this
realm, and the isles adjoining, and that they might return again this
summer. The charge of. the new fortifications being built by
Fountenella, a Frenchman, at Doer Nenys, in Poldavy Bay, is
supported by the King of Spain, for these galleys bring the victuals
for the building thereof, and Fountenella has lately cruelly murdered
800 peasants of that country, alleging he will first so weaken them
that they shall not grow again too strong for him, and will
afterwards hang them by their purses. Also,

Examination of Robert Kettell, sailor, and bark master of Liverpool.


Has been compelled to serve in these galleys as pilot for 14 weeks,
so as to bring them into Scilly. They have four or five pinnaces at
Bluett, which they often send forth with Englishmen in them, to get
intelligence from England, and by this means have continual advice.
Care should be taken for the defence of Scilly; they have
determined to take Surlingham; they intended to have gone to St.
Ives and Padstow, and so further into the North Channel ; they have
wanted fresh water these two days, and would have adventured for
it had not the wind come northerly, and so allowed them to depart.
Thinks they will return shortly, and next year with a stronger fleet,
but they first intend to take Scilly.
With note by Sir F. Godolphin. These prisoners further confessed
that these galleys stopped an Irish bark, but only took one butt of
wine from her, which they paid for, and used the men very
favourably, so that it appears there is a mutual affection between
them and the Irish. I gather by the desire these Spaniards have to
Scilly, that if they can possess it, they will keep their galleys there
under the fort; from their present attempt I observe that the principal
want is two good pieces to beat them from the road, and a better
store of powder. bullets and match, with some skilfill and valiant
leaders, which will be needful in all places where the Spaniards may
do hurt in their landing.

July 25.
34. Copy of the exainination of Barnaby Loe. [1 3/4 pages .)

Sunday July 27 1595.


36. Examination of John Ashley of Dartmouth, merchant, before
Robert Martin, mayor. Came from Roscoe, 26 July. A French bark
arrived there reports 200 Spanish ships and galleys to be riding at
anchor at Ferrol, bound for England, where they intend landing
2,200 men; three other Spanish ships also arrived at Ferrol from
Ireland, and delivered munition, powder, shot &c. to the enemy;
they would all be ready to sail within 15 days.

Monday July 28 1595. Plymouth


41. Sir Thos. Baskerville ,to the Council. Notwithstanding the
enemy has retired, and their numbers were so small that there was
no occasion for assembling the forces of Devon and Cornwall in
camp’ yet I will not fail to follow your commands, in going thither
to see how the country is armed, to view the towns upon the sea
coasts, to see what number of able men they are furnished with to
resist the like attempts, and to advise them as to their better defence.
If any captain of judgment had been there to conduct the people,
with only 200 men, and had accosted the enemy in flank, the
country would have been saved from spoil and fire, and without any
loss; had they attempted it whilst the enemy followed the spoil in
the sacking of the towns, their disorder would have undoubtedly
overthrown them.

Tuesday July 29 1595. Plymouth:


42. Sir Fras. Drake to Lord Burghley. Thanks for your letter. Sir
Thos Gorges desires to come up, to inform Her Majesty and your
Lordship of the late accidents, and of our state in particular; we are
more forward than some have advertized. I beg full directions for
our proceedings; having at such great charge, we wish to make all
haste away. Sir John Hawkins sends remembrances and thanks.

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