MARIGOLD and CHRISTOPHER

[aukepalmhof]

MARIGOLD or MARYGOLD a wooden barque rigged vessel built in Aldeburgh, Suffolk and transferred to Plymouth in 1576.
Tonnage 30 tons burthen, armed with 16 guns.
Crew ca. 29 men.
She took part in Francis Drake expedition of five ships, which left 13 December 1577 Plymouth, at that time the MARIGOLD was under command of Captain John Thomas.
It was given that the fleet of five ships were heading for the River Nile on a trading voyage, when reaching the Morocco port Mogador it was revealed that the ships were heading for the Pacific via the Strait of Magellan.
The fleet sailed via the Cabo Verde Islands to southern Brazil were a landfall was made on 05 April 1578. During the crossing some Spanish ships were taken under which the SANTA MARIA, which was renamed in MARY, she had a Portuguese pilot Nuño da Silva on board who knew the waters of the Pacific. Then the fleet headed south along the South American coast to Puerto San Julián, Patagonia where the fleet arrived on 15 June 1578, Drake decide to overwinter there.
Three small ships the SWAN, CHRISTOPHER and MARY were abandoned there and the crew divided over the other three ships.
17 August sails were set and the three vessels headed south for the Strait of Magellan, which she entered three days later. 6 September they had passed the Strait of Magellan. Then the small fleet ran out of luck when she were running in a heavy storm which the ships scattered, the MARIGOLD was lost in the storm with all hands.
(An old story gives that Captain Thomas of the MARIGOLD used the storm to get rid of Drake and deserted the fleet, if this is true is unknown but of the MARIGOLD noting was heard again.)

CHRISTOPHER a wooden pinnace of 15 tons burthen, with 1 gun under command of Captain Tom Moone was abandoned in Puerto San Juliá.

British Virgin Island 1997 40c sg979, scott876d.
Source: Various internet sites. The complete Encyclopedia of sailing ships by Batchelor & Chant.