Raid on Mount's Bay facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Raid on Mount's Bay |
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| Part of the Anglo-Spanish War (1585–1604) | |||||||
 The Spanish attack Penzance from the book British Battles on Land and Sea, by James Grant |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Spain |
 England |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Carlos de Amésquita | Francis Godolphin | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 4 galleys 400 soldiers |
500 militia | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| None | 4 settlements razed 3 ships sunk 4 killed |
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The Raid on Mount's Bay, also known as the Spanish attack on Mount's Bay, was a surprise attack by Spanish ships on Cornwall, England. This event happened between August 2 and 4, 1595. It was part of the Anglo-Spanish War (1585–1604), a long conflict between England and Spain.
A Spanish naval group, led by Carlos de Amésquita, sailed from Brittany, France. They landed in Mount's Bay and then attacked and burned the towns of Newlyn, Mousehole, Penzance, and Paul. They also defeated a local volunteer army, called a militia, led by Francis Godolphin.
Contents
Why the Raid Happened
After England defeated the Spanish Armada in 1588, Philip II of Spain made his navy stronger. He wanted to set up naval bases in western France. These bases would allow his ships to constantly threaten England and Ireland. In 1593, the Spanish built a base at Blavet in Brittany, which worried England.
Carlos de Amésquita commanded four large ships called galleys and 400 soldiers armed with early guns called arquebuses. He sailed from Blavet on July 26, planning to attack the English coast.
There were a few reasons for this raid:
- The Spanish wanted to get back treasure and cargo ships that the English had captured earlier that year.
- There were rumors that Francis Drake was planning a big trip against Panama. The Spanish hoped this attack would delay or stop him.
- Spain also wanted to capture an English port or coastline. This could be used as a base for future raids or as a way to gain an advantage in peace talks.
- Some Spanish leaders hoped that people in Cornwall, who had been involved in a rebellion in 1549, might help them.
Before reaching Mount's Bay, the Spanish ships stopped at Penmarch. There, they sank a French ship that had an English crew and was carrying goods to England.
The Attack on Cornwall
Mousehole Attacked
On August 2, Amésquita's 400 soldiers sailed into Mount's Bay. An English Catholic named Richard Burley helped guide them to a rocky beach near Mousehole's harbor. A group of Spanish soldiers climbed a hill to see the area better. Meanwhile, the Spanish galleys fired cannons at the town. Mousehole had no defenses. Many houses were burned, and three men were killed. One local, Jenkyn Keigwin, died trying to defend his house, which was the only one not damaged.
Paul and Newlyn Burned
Another group of Spanish soldiers went inland to the village of Paul, about half a mile away. The village was also defenseless. The Spanish quickly attacked and burned it. Even the church, St Pol de Léon, was set on fire. Four people were killed, and some were taken prisoner. After the attack, the Spanish marched back to their ships.
The next day, the galleys moved from Mousehole into Mount's Bay. They could see Penzance and Newlyn. They stayed far from St Michaels Mount because its defenders had very little gunpowder. Newlyn was attacked next. Again, there was no resistance, and the village was burned.
Penzance Under Fire
Battle on the Beach
The Spanish then moved towards Penzance, with their galleys close to the shore. By this time, about 500 local militia members had gathered. They were led by Francis Godolphin, a local leader. The militia decided to fight the Spanish as they landed on the wide beach.
However, the Spanish kept their fighting formation. A group of Spanish soldiers moved around the militia, attacking them from the side. The Spanish ships also fired cannons at the militia. The militia panicked, dropped their weapons, and ran away. Only Godolphin and twelve of his soldiers stayed to fight. About 100 other men, scattered by the Spanish cannons, ran to Marazion for safety.
Town Sacked
Penzance was also bombarded by the Spanish galleys. About 400 houses were destroyed, and three ships "filled with wine and other goods" were sunk. Godolphin tried to get his men to fight again, but they fled. The Spanish then entered Penzance without any more fighting. They looted the town, but St Mary's church was saved. Richard Burley, who guided the Spanish, asked for it to be spared, saying that Catholic services used to be held there.
At the end of the raid, a Catholic religious service was held by Brother Domingo Martinez in an open field outside Penzance. The Spanish commander promised to build a Catholic church there within two years, once England was conquered. Amésquita saw more Cornish militia gathering near Marazion and St Michael's Mount. Bullets and arrows were fired, which kept the Spanish away from the shore and stopped them from attacking there.
In two days, the Spanish had taken what they needed. They had burned Penzance, Mousehole, Paul, and Newlyn. On August 4, Amésquita released all his prisoners and the Spanish ships sailed away without being bothered.
After the Raid
Sir Nicholas Clifford arrived with more English soldiers, but it was too late to fight the Spanish. Clifford was very angry with the local people, blaming them for leaving Godolphin to fight alone. Mousehole, unlike Penzance and Newlyn, never fully recovered from the attack.
On August 5, Amésquita's ships met a Dutch group of 46 ships. The Spanish sank two Dutch ships and damaged others, but lost 20 of their own men. The remaining Dutch ships sailed away. Amésquita then stopped at Penmarch for repairs and returned to Port Louis on August 10.
This raid greatly worried Queen Elizabeth I and Lord Burghley. They made sure England's defenses were improved. This was the only time during the entire war that the Spanish successfully landed a major attack force in England.
The next year, a smaller Spanish raid happened at Cawsand. The Spanish set fire to some buildings but were scared away by a single man firing a shot. In the autumn of 1597, the Spanish tried another large fleet against Cornwall. They hoped that English Catholics would rebel and join them. However, a storm in the English Channel stopped this plan.
In Stories
The raid is described in detail in the historical novel The Grove of Eagles by Winston Graham. The main character of the book arrives in the area when he hears about the Spanish raid. He is worried about a woman he loves, Sue, who married the Vicar of Paul and is directly in the path of the Spanish. Graham follows the historical facts of the raid closely, only changing small details to include his fictional characters.
See also
In Spanish: Batalla de Cornualles para niños
