NUESTRA SEÑORA DEL ROSARIO

[john sefton]

NUESTRA SEÑORA DEL ROSARIO

When, in 1587, Phillip II of Spain made plans to invade England in 1588, he needed a large fleet; one of these ships was the NUESTRA SEÑORA DEL ROSARIO, which was built in 1587 for the “Carrera de las Indias”, the trade between Spain and the Americas.

Built as a galleon at Ribadeo, Spain.
Tonnage: About 1,000 tons. Dim. Gun deck 135 ft 1 in. keel 108 ft 10 in.,
beam 42 ft, depth 19 ft.
Armed with 51 guns.
Crew 422.

Whilst being fitted out at Cadiz on 20th June 1587 she was seized, in the name of Phillip II, for use in the Spanish Armada.
17th November: She was designated as flagship of the Andalusian Squadron under the accomplished seaman Don Pedro de Valdés.

Thanks to his efforts, she became the most heavily armed ship in the Armada when she sailed from Lisbon on 9th May 1588.
Manned by 117 crew and 300 soldiers plus servants, priests and other supernumeraries.

She carried about 50,000 escudos, a third of this being earmarked for operations in England.

The Armada sailed from La Corunna on 22nd July 1588. Seven days later it was off Scilly Islands.

Fighting between the English and Spanish fleets began on 30th July.

Whilst trying to help other ships that had been badly damaged the NUESTRA SEÑORA DEL ROSARIO lost her foremast and bowsprit. However, the Spanish fleet pressed on leaving Valdés to fend for himself.

That night Sir Walter Raleigh approached in MARGARET AND JOHN but sailed off with the rest of the fleet.

The next day, Sir Francis Drake appeared, having left his comrades for the sake of a fat prize. Although the NUESTRA SEÑORA DEL ROSARIO was larger, more powerfully armed and manned than the REVENGE, rather that risk a fight with England’s most celebrated seaman, Valdés accepted Drake’s terms and surrendered.

As far as Queen Elizabeth’s government was concerned, the most valuable aspect of the capture was the money (about half may have been pocketed by Valdés, Drake, or both), followed by the gunpowder.

In 1589, the NUESTRA SEÑORA DEL ROSARIO sailed from Dartmouth to Chatham and then to Deptford. The crew, who had been taken prisoner, was freed on 24th November 1590.

It is not known if the NUESTRA SEÑORA DEL ROSARIO ever put to sea again, but it seems highly unlikely.

Marshall Is SG1087, St Vincent SG1137.

This revised article was written and submitted by Richard Hindle