Andrew Wood of Largo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Andrew Wood of Largo
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Sir Andrew with two ships 'The yellow Carvel' and 'The Flower' beat four of the English
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| Born | Scotland |
| Died | 1515 Scotland |
| Allegiance |  Kingdom of Scotland |
| Service/ |
 Royal Scots Navy |
| Years of service | 1488-1515 |
| Rank | Captain |
Sir Andrew Wood of Largo (died 1515) was a brave and famous Scottish sea captain. He started his career as a merchant, trading goods by sea from Leith. He became a key leader in the Scottish Navy. Eventually, he rose to become the top naval officer, known as the Lord High Admiral of Scotland. He was made a knight around 1495. Some people believe he helped King James III escape from rebels in 1488 by sailing him across the Firth of Forth.
Andrew Wood also helped rebuild Dunbar Castle in 1497. He is the main character in a historical novel called The Admiral by Nigel Tranter.
Contents
Sir Andrew Wood began his exciting naval career working for King James III (who ruled from 1460 to 1488). He became even more famous under King James IV (who ruled from 1488 to 1513).
Battles with English Ships
By 1489, Andrew Wood owned two powerful fighting ships: the Flower and the Yellow Carvel. These ships were very successful. They fought and captured five English ships near Dunbar.
The English were not happy about this. The next year, they sent a larger group of ships led by Stephen Bull. This English fleet attacked Wood's ships in the Firth of Forth. The battle was fierce and lasted for two days, only stopping at night. Crowds of people in Edinburgh watched the amazing fight from the shore.
Wood's Great Victory
Even though Sir Andrew Wood was outnumbered in ships and cannons, he fought bravely and won! He captured the English ships. After this important victory, King James IV made Wood a knight. The King also allowed Wood to make some of the captured English sailors work for him. These sailors later helped build a castle at Largo.
Captain of the Great Michael
Sir Andrew Wood was also the very first captain of King James IV's huge warship, the Great Michael. When it was built, the Great Michael was the largest ship in all of Christendom (the Christian world).
