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List of shipwrecks in the 16th century

The list of shipwrecks in the 16th century includes ships sunk, wrecked or otherwise lost between (and including) the years 1501 to 1600.

1501–1510

1502

  • 11 July El Dorado: The Spanish carrack sank during a hurricane in the Mona Channel between Hispaniola and Puerto Rico with the loss of all on board. El Dorado was the flagship of a thirty-two strong fleet heading for Spain. Sources vary but at least another sixteen ships were also wrecked.
  • 11 July Santa Maria del Antigua: Part of the fleet led by Francisco de Bobadilla, the Spanish carrack sank during a hurricane off Santo Domingo.
  • 5 October Mîrî: Attacked by Captain Matoso on the orders of Vasco da Gama, the pilgrim ship was captured at Madayi, India and the cargo taken. The Muslim pilgrims travelling from Calicut, India to Mecca were locked in the hold, the ship set on fire and sunk by artillery taking several days to sink. The survivors were speared by Portuguese soldiers and an estimated three hundred people killed. The ship was a victim of the 4th Portuguese India Armada led by Vasco da Gama.
  • unknown date San Antón: The Spanish caravel ran aground on the (future) site of Port-au-Prince, Haiti while attempting to recover gold from the wreck of the Santa María de Gracia. The crew was picked up by the Santo Domingo.
  • unknown date Santa María de Gracia: The Spanish caravel sank near the coast of Hispaniola after the hull was weakened by shipworm.

1503

1505

1511–1520

1511

  • 20 April — São Pedro ( Portugal): While on a journey to India, with five other caravels under the command of Garcia de Noronha, the islets of Saint Peter and Saint Paul was accidentally discovered when the São Pedro sailed onto one of them. The crew was rescued by the Saint Paul, hence the name of the archipelago.

1512

  • 10 August — Cordelière (also known as Marie-la-Cordelière) ( Brittany): During the Battle of Saint-Mathieu, Admiral Portzmoguer fearing defeat blew up his own ship and one English ship, HMS Regent as well.
  • 10 August — HMS Regent (): Sank near Brest, France, during the Battle of Saint-Mathieu, after an explosion on the Breton ship Cordelière.

1514

  • 21 February (first report) — Unidentified (): Lost at Polkemyas (now known as Porth Kidney sands), near Lelant, St Ives Bay, Cornwall, in the manor of Lelant and Trevethowe. She was carrying a cargo of cloth (including scarlet).

1515

  • Unidentified vessel: Wrecked on Eastern Green, Penzance, while carrying a cargo of spices and textiles.
  • Unidentified vessel: Wrecked between Lelant Water and Porthroppter while on a voyage from Dublin with a cargo of "hydes and frys" (coarse woollen cloth).

1516

1517

  • Unidentified vessel: Wrecked at Porthcurno, Cornwall with a cargo of cloth and pewter.

1517 or 1518

  • Unidentified vessel: Wrecked near Carrack Loys, near Marckayowe (St Michael's Mount), Cornwall with a cargo of hogsheads of wine, which was divided between James Chynowythe, Richard Pendre and Sir John Arundell.

1518

1520

  • 22 May — Santiago (): The nau ran aground at the mouth of the river Santa Cruz, Argentina. She was one of five ships in Ferdinand Magellan's circumnavigation around the world. The wreck was discovered in 1985 by Daniel E Guillén. According to media reports, Guillén recovered a small part of the wreck's wood and had it analyzed as an authentic Spanish vessel, but he has refused to register and claim the discovery for fear that the government will mismanage the wreck. Prior to this discovery, the oldest shipwreck in the New World was the San Esteban (1554 shipwreck) found off the coast of Texas.
  • Unidentified vessel: A frigate was wrecked in Studland Bay, Dorset.

1521–1530

1521

1523

  • Nao (): The nao grounded on a shoal in the British Virgin Islands. The crew was rescued by another ship which ran aground on Anegada and later refloated.
  • ' (): The nao was wrecked in a storm at Ternate c.1523.

1525

1526

1527

  • 19 January — St Anthony or Santo António ( Portugal): The carrack foundered in Gunwalloe Bay, Cornwall, en route from Lisbon to Antwerp. She had a mixed cargo including copper and silver ingots, said to be worth an estimated £100 million in early 21st century values. One half of the crew was lost. The wreck was located in 1981 and a selection of her cargo can be seen in the Charlestown Shipwreck, Rescue and Heritage Centre, Charlestown. Also reported as Saint Andrew and sinking on 19 January 1526. The site is designated under the Protection of Wrecks Act 1973.

1531–1540

1531

  • Unidentified vessel Wrecked on the cliffs near "Innyall Chappell (Chapel Jane, Gurnard's Head), Cornwall with the loss of all on board. The vessel was carrying salt. Anchors, cables and timber was salvaged and shared 50/50 between the finders and Sir John Arundell, Master Lord of the Franchise.

1532

  • (First report) — Unidentified vessels: Harry Angwyne sworn at Court that he often saw wrecks of timbers cast on the land at Whitsonbay and other places around Land's End, Cornwall.
  • (First report) — Unidentified vessel: Lost at the Longships, off Land's End, Cornwall.
  • (First report) — Unidentified vessel: Barrel of tar washed up at Gwynver, Sennen, Cornwall and barrel of flower (flour) washed up in Whitson Bay in Gonhellye under Meen.

1533

  • Bom Jesus () — The ship was wrecked on the coast of Africa near the mouth of the Orange River while on a voyage from Lisbon to India.

1537

  • 30 November — Concepción (): The Carrack (nau) was wrecked at Ponta Loyola, estuary of the Gallegos River, Argentina while part of a two ship trading expedition. The crew were rescued by the Santa Maria .

1540

  • 23 January — Capitana (): The carrack (nau) was part of an expedition to the Pacific coast of South America when she was wrecked north-east of the Primera Angostura, within the Strait of Magellan. The crew was rescued by another of the expedition's ships.
  • January — Trinidad (): The sailing ship was seen at Cedros Island, Baja California before heading north and not seen again.

1541–1550

1542

1543

1544

1545

1550

1551–1560

1552

  • 8 June — São João ( Portugal): The galleon was wrecked during a storm near Port Edward, South Africa. Approximately 120 died in the wreck while the remaining 500 survivors had to march to the mouth of the Maputo River. Only twenty-five survived due to attacks from indigenous people, starvation and disease.
  • La Magdalena (): The nau was wrecked in the Azores.
  • Santiago (): The nau sank in the harbour at Angra, Terceira Island, Azores after unloading the cargo from Mexico.

1553

  • Six unnamed vessels (): The ships sank in the Gulf of Mexico off Padre Island.
  • October — Bona Confidentia, Bona Esperanza and Edward Bonaventure (all ): The ships became trapped in ice off the coast of what is now Canada. Their crews perished in January 1554.

1554

1555

1556

1557

  • 14 November — Abrigada ( Portugal): The patache sank at Queimada, Azores.

1558

  • 25 February — San Sebastian (): The carrack (nau) ran aground during a gale on the coast of Chile near Canal Trinidad.
  • Unidentified A ship carrying people from Dublin is said to have run aground off Rathlin Island, northern Ireland.

1559

  • 21 November — Nossa Senhora da Graça ( Portugal): The carrack (nau) foundered during a storm and sank between Mozambique and Cochin, India. The crew were rescued by the Aquia ( Portugal) and the captain died shortly after.

1561–1570

1564

1565

  • San Juan (): A Basque whaling ship sank at Red Bay, Labrador.
  • Unnamed sailing vessel foundered in Mount's Bay, Cornwall, possibly near Newlyn where an anchor was found. The year of loss is given as the 7th or 8th year of Elizabeth I reign (beginning 17 November 1565 to 1567).

1567

1568

  • Unnamed (): The ship was wrecked on the coast of the Netherlands with the loss of eighteen lives.

1570

  • ' (): The first ship to circumnavigate the globe (1519-1522), the carrack foundered on a voyage from Seville to the Antilles with the loss of all hands.

1571–1580

1573

  • (First report) John (): Wrecked on the Pole Sand at Exmouth, Devon with pilot John Parsons aboard. The Lympstone ship was heading for Exeter from Newfoundland with 70,000 salt fish (known as Newfoundland fish). The ship broke up and 18,000 fish were lost, to the value of £200 "... by his (the pilot) craft, fault, ignorance, rashness and negligence caused the ship to strike the sands and rocks of the sea".
  • 17 April — Unnamed ship (Habsburg Netherlands): The unknown sloop-of-war may have been one of the ships sunk during the Battle of Flushing.
  • April — (): During the Eighty Years' War a number of Spanish warships were lost in a battle with the Dutch fleet, when attempting to break a blockade on Middelburg.

1578

1579

  • 29 October — Iveglia (): The three-masted carrack ran aground on reefs near Porto Pidocchio. Iveglia, carrying artillery and textiles, was stopped from entering the harbour at Camogli, Genoa because of an infectious disease in the port; some of the ship's crew were saved.

1580

1581–1590

1583

  • 29 August — Delight (): Ran aground on Sable Island, approximately south-east of the closest point of mainland Nova Scotia. All the crew drowned bar sixteen men who spent seven days in a small boat before reaching Newfoundland. The ship was part of an expedition led by Humphrey Gilbert.
  • 9 September — Squirrel (): The frigate foundered near the Azores. She was previously part of the expedition led by Sir Humphrey Gilbert to Newfoundland.
  • October — Catalina (): The nau ran aground on the island of São Miguel at Vila Franca, Azores.

1584

  • 26 January — Louvois Blanc The barque was lost on the French coast opposite Île de Ré.
  • February — Trinidad (): The carrack (nau) was in poor condition and deliberately ran aground near Cape Virgenes, Argentina. Trinidad was one of a twenty-three strong expedition, led by Pedro Sarmiento de Gamboa, to colonise the Strait of Megellan. Items from the ship were used to equipe the colony of Nombre de Jesus, Argentina.

1585

1587

1588

July

  • 30 July — Bazana (): Part of the Spanish fleet sent to invade England, a storm in the Bay of Biscay sent four of the smaller galleons, including Bazana, to shelter in French ports. They returned to Spain after repairs. In one version Bazana ran aground on the shoal Esclaves, near Bayonne.
  • 30 or 31 July or 15 November — San Salvador (): Said to have been wrecked off Chesil Beach, Dorset in July, or sank in Studland Bay while en route to Portsmouth in November.

August

September

October

Unknown date

1589

1589 or 1590

  • Unknown date — Unidentified small galleon: Captured on the Spanish Main in the summer of 1589 by George Clifford, the Earl of Cumberland, and sent home as a "prize" the following winter. Under the command of Christopher Lister and with a cargo of looted silver, she was lost with all hands in a gale near Penzance, Cornwall.

1591–1600

1591

  • 2 April — Espiritu Sanctu (): The nau foundered in the Azores between the islands Terceira and Flores.
  • 9 July — Santa Cruz (): Out of India, the carrick was burnt by the English at Flores, one of the islands of the Azores.
  • 30 August — Assunción (): The galleon sank off Flores, in the Azores, during the Battle of Flores against an English privateer, Revenge.
  • 31 August — La Serena (): Sank in a storm following the Battle of Flores.
  • 31 August — Revenge (): Captured during the Battle of Flores, but later wrecked during a storm on the reefs of Serreta, Terceira, Azores. Both the Spanish crew and English prisoners lost their lives.
  • 30 September — San Medel y Celedón (): The carrack was wrecked during a storm near Formigas Islets, in the Azores.
  • 30 September — Vegoña (): Part of an expedition led by Sancho Pardo the nau sank during a storm near the Azores.
  • 30 September — Whiite Duyve (): Fifteen survived when the flute sank during a storm off Terceira Island, Azores.
  • September — Santa Maria del Puerto (): The nau sank in the Azores, south of Terceira.
  • Unknown Spanish galleon (): A galleon with a cargo of gold and silver is said to have sunk the Irish Sea off Ardglass.

1592

  • 2 October — Black (): The pinnace sank while under tow by Dainty near Cape Pilar, Chile. She was part of the five ship Thomas Cavendish expedition to China.
  • 15 October — St. Peter (): The ship was wrecked on the Goodwin Sands, Kent, England.
  • 17 December — Golden Lion (): The East Indiaman was wrecked on the Goodwin Sands.
  • 17 December — Red Lion (: The ship was wrecked on the Goodwin Sands.
  • unknown date — Makeshift (): pinnace-yacht, sank off Alderney Channel Islands. Artifacts from this wreck is featured in the Alderney Museum and is managed by the Alderney Maritime Trust.

1593

  • 24 March — Santo Alberto (): The carrack, out of Cochin, India, sank off the Cape of Good Hope during a storm.
  • 18 October Tobie (): Merchant ship out of London, ran aground near Cape Spartel.
  • unknown date — Nossa Senhora da Nazaré (): The carrack, out of Cochin, India, sprang a leak and was beached on the coast of Mozambique. The crew were rescued by Chagas.
  • unknown date — La Encarnación (): The carrick foundered off São Miguel Island, Azores.

1594

1595

  • 17 July — Santa Magharita (): The galleon was lost off Florida.
  • 2 August — John and two other ships (): Sank during a Spanish raid in Mount's Bay, Cornwall.
  • 7 September — Santa Ysabel (): The galleon was the flagship of a fleet of four ships, led by Álvaro de Mendaña de Neira, in an attempt to colonise the Solomon Islands. Santa Ysabel disappeared while passing the erupting island of Tinakula, part of the Santa Cruz Islands.
  • 23 November — Magdalena (): The frigate was lost during a battle against an English fleet attempting to capture San Juan de Puerto Rico.
  • November — San Agustin (): The Spanish Manila galleon under the command of Portuguese Sebastião Rodrigues Soromenho (Sebastián Rodríguez Cermeño in Spanish) was lost at Drakes Bay, California, when a storm blew in from the south and the ship dragged anchor. Most of the crew was on land constructing a small boat for coastal exploration. The crew successfully returned to Mexico in the small boat.
  • 19 December — San Felipe (): The galiot sank off the Philippines while returning to Spain from the Solomon Islands following a failed attempt to colonise those islands.
  • 19 December — Santa Catalina (): The frigate sank off the Philippines while returning to Spain from the Solomon Islands following a failed attempt to colonise those islands.

1596

  • 1 January — Chancellor: Ran aground off Cape Breton Island, Canada.
  • 19 October — San Felipe (): The Manila galleon was wrecked on Shikoku, Japan. Her crew survived.
  • November — San Pedro (): The cargo ship was wrecked near Bermuda while on a voyage from Cartagena to Cádiz, Spain.
  • 28 December — Anunciada (): The cargo ship ran aground near Cabo Toriñana, Spain.

1597

  • 11 January — Amsterdam (): The Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie (VOC) cargo ship was set on fire, in the Java Sea, near the island of Bawean.
  • February — San Bartolomé (): The Spanish Fleet of Indies galleon was lost on the Isles of Scilly. She was carrying lead ingots and fragments of bronze bells.
  • 17 November — São Francisco (): The carrack (nau) ran aground and was then burned by the English on the island of São Miguel, Azores.

1598

1600

See also

References