English ship Bonaventure (1567)
 A model of the Bonaventure, at St Mary's Church, Painswick a replacement of one damaged during the English Civil War
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 England | |
| Name | Bonaventure |
| Commissioned | purchased for Navy, 1567 |
| Fate | Unknown |
| Notes |
|
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Galleon |
| Tons burthen | 300 / 550 |
| Armament |
|
Bonaventure (also known as Elizabeth Bonaventure) was a 47-gun
Service history
The ship took part in the Great Expedition by privateer Francis Drake, which raided the Spanish New World in 1585 and 1586. As part of the Expedition, Bonaventure was present for Drake's assaults on Santo Domingo, Cartagena de Indias and San Augustin.
Attack on Cadiz (1587)
After the execution in February 1587 of
to prevent the joining together of the King of Spain's fleet out of their different ports. To keep victuals from them. To follow them in case they should come out towards England or Ireland. To cut off as many of them as he could, and prevent their landing. To set upon the West Indian ships as they came or went.[3]
She immediately changed her mind and issued less aggressive orders, but Drake had set sail from England on 12 April 1587 before receiving these orders, and thus acted upon the first.[3] Having heard that the ships were gathering in the harbour at Cádiz, Drake decided to hunt them there.[3] On his arrival seventeen days later, they discovered the inner and outer harbours full of the enemy vessels.[4] After a short discussion with his vice-admiral, Captain William Borough, Drake decided against waiting until the following morning, and led his fleet in.[5] A squadron of galleys commanded by Don Pedro de Acuña were in a state of readiness, and spread across the harbour while one of their number sailed to challenge Drake's oncoming fleet.[6] Before it could get close enough to hail the English, Bonaventure and possibly some of the other vessels close opened fire, sending cannonballs in the direction of the Spanish galleon.[6] Any one of the four Queen's vessels carried more firepower than all of Don Pedro's galleys combined, and the Spanish commander was forced to concentrate on delaying the English fleet to give the other Spanish vessels time to prepare.[7] In time, however, the resistance faded and Drake gained control of the bay.[8]
Over the next month, the fleet sailed up and down the Iberian coast between
Spanish Armada (1588)
The following year, Bonaventure, commanded by George Clifford, 3rd Earl of Cumberland,[10] was part of the English fleet to battle the Spanish Armada. During this battle, she carried 51.5 tons of ordnance, totalling over 8% of her maximum tonnage.[11] When surveyed on 25 September 1588, the only damage listed from the battle was to the sails, which were "shot full of holes".[12]
Later voyages
Bonaventure then set out on an early expedition that became a forerunner to the
Bonaventure survived the journey back and subsequently returned to England in 1594.[14] In 1626 she was apparently still in service under Royal Navy Captain John Chudleigh in an expedition under Montagu Bertie, 2nd Earl of Lindsey who was also the son of John Chidley who was one of Walter Raleigh's friends.[15]
In literature
This is this ship referred to in Letitia Elizabeth Landon's poem "The Sailor's Bride, or The Bonaventure" in Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book (1839).
References
- ^ a b Elton (1906), p. 81.
- ^ Mattingly (2005), p. 94.
- ^ a b c Elton (1906), p. 82.
- ^ Elton (1906), pp. 82–83.
- ^ Mattingly (2005), p. 95.
- ^ a b Mattingly (2005), p. 96.
- ^ Mattingly (2005), pp. 97–99.
- ^ Mattingly (2005), p. 101.
- ^ a b Kraus, Hans P. "The Cadiz Raid, 1587". Library of Congress. Retrieved 1 December 2009.
- ^ Martin, Parker (1999), p265.
- ^ Martin, Parker (1999), p37.
- ^ Martin, Parker (1999), p207.
- ^ Holmes, George C. V. (2010). Ancient and Modern Ships: Part 1. Wooden Sailing Ships. pp 99
- ^ Imperial Gazetteer of India vol. II 1908, p. 454[full citation needed]
- ^ "CHUDLEIGH, Sir John (c.1584-?1634), of Stretchleigh/Strashleigh, Ermington, Devon". History of Parliament Online. Retrieved 10 February 2023.
Bibliography
- Elton, Letitia MacColl. The Story of Sir Francis Drake (1906 ed.). London: T. C. & E. C. Jack.
- Martin, Colin; Parker, Geoffrey (1999). The Spanish Armada (1999 ed.). Mandolin. ISBN 1-901341-14-3.
- Mattingly, Garrett (2005). The Armada (2005 ed.). Mariner Books. ISBN 0-618-56591-4.
- Imperial Gazetteer of India vol. II (1908), The Indian Empire, Historical, Published under the authority of His Majesty's Secretary of State for India in Council, Oxford at the Clarendon Press. Pp. xxxv, 1 map, 573