Angel Gabriel (ship)
Encyclopedia
The Angel Gabriel was a 240 ton English
passenger galleon
. She was commissioned for Sir Walter Raleigh's last expedition to America in 1617. She sank in a storm off Pemaquid Point, near the newly established town of Bristol, Maine
, on August 15, 1635. The sinking occurred during the middle of the Great Migration
.
The ship was initially built as the Starre in 1615 and renamed the Jason by Sir Walter Raleigh for use in his second expedition to Guiana
(then under control of the Spanish) in 1617. Following Raleigh's return it was seized and became a merchant ship, renamed the Angel Gabriel.
A stout ship designed and built to cope with combat, even as a merchant ship the Angel Gabriel was involved in many further skirmishes between 1618 and 1635, including a notable engagement in 1627 off Cales
where it was boarded several times but was able to clear its decks each time and eventually beat off three Spanish
ships. This was possible because the defenders were able to retreat into the forecastle
and sterncastle which had reinforced bulkheads
fitted with gunports for small cannon
and shoulder weapons.
to Massachusetts
in a fleet of five ships, the Angel Gabriel joined the James
, the Elizabeth (Bess), the Mary and the Diligence. As they approached New England, an unusually powerful early season hurricane struck, known as the "Great Colonial Hurricane of 1635
", and the James and the Angel Gabriel were forced to ride it out just off the coast of modern-day Hampton, New Hampshire
. According to the ship's log and the journal of Increase Mather
, whose father Richard Mather
and family were on the James, the following was recorded;
They tried to stand down during the storm just outside the Isles of Shoals
, but the James lost all three anchors, as no canvas or rope would hold, but on Aug 13, 1635, torn to pieces, and not one death, all one hundred-plus passengers aboard the James managed to make it to Boston Harbor
two days later.
The Angel Gabriel was wrecked off the coast of Maine
, but the smaller, faster ships, the Mary, the Bess, and the Diligence outran the storm, and landed in Newfoundland on August 15, 1635.
A plaque commemorating the loss was dedicated August 8, 1965 at Pemaquid Point, Maine. Some of the passengers survived the sinking.
The above list of passengers is apocryphal. The only passengers proven to be onboard were the Cogswells and their servants. The captain of the ship is unknown, since Robert Andrews can be proven to have been in Ipswich in 1634.
Note from a descendant: I believe the above comment about the passenger list being apocryphal is incorrect. Besides genealogy records/letters, there are other sources on the web that provide more information about the passengers. Note from a second descendant: The passenger list given may be currently unverified, but is likely not completely apochryphal. The Cogswells, Beck & Haines are known from many Cogswell sources to have been on this ship. Present-day, ongoing genealogical & historical research is constantly expanding upon & correcting earlier work.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
passenger galleon
Galleon
A galleon was a large, multi-decked sailing ship used primarily by European states from the 16th to 18th centuries. Whether used for war or commerce, they were generally armed with the demi-culverin type of cannon.-Etymology:...
. She was commissioned for Sir Walter Raleigh's last expedition to America in 1617. She sank in a storm off Pemaquid Point, near the newly established town of Bristol, Maine
Bristol, Maine
Bristol is a town in Lincoln County, Maine, United States. The population was 2,644 at the 2000 census. A fishing and resort area, Bristol includes the villages of New Harbor, Pemaquid, Round Pond, Bristol Mills and Chamberlain. It includes the Pemaquid Archeological Site, a U.S. National...
, on August 15, 1635. The sinking occurred during the middle of the Great Migration
Winthrop Fleet
The Winthrop Fleet was a group of eleven sailing ships under the leadership of John Winthrop that carried approximately 700 Puritans plus livestock and provisions from England to New England over the summer of 1630.-Motivation:...
.
The ship was initially built as the Starre in 1615 and renamed the Jason by Sir Walter Raleigh for use in his second expedition to Guiana
Guiana
The Guiana Shield is one of the three cratons of the South American Plate. It is a 1.7 billion year old Precambrian geological formation in northeast South America that forms a portion of the northern coast. The higher elevations on the shield are called the Guiana Highlands, which is where the...
(then under control of the Spanish) in 1617. Following Raleigh's return it was seized and became a merchant ship, renamed the Angel Gabriel.
A stout ship designed and built to cope with combat, even as a merchant ship the Angel Gabriel was involved in many further skirmishes between 1618 and 1635, including a notable engagement in 1627 off Cales
Cales
Cales was an ancient city of Campania, in today's comune of Calvi Risorta in southern Italy, belonging originally to the Aurunci/Ausoni, on the Via Latina.The Romans captured it in 335 BC and established a colony with Latin rights of 2,500 citizens...
where it was boarded several times but was able to clear its decks each time and eventually beat off three Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
ships. This was possible because the defenders were able to retreat into the forecastle
Forecastle
Forecastle refers to the upper deck of a sailing ship forward of the foremast, or the forward part of a ship with the sailors' living quarters...
and sterncastle which had reinforced bulkheads
Bulkhead (partition)
A bulkhead is an upright wall within the hull of a ship or within the fuselage of an airplane. Other kinds of partition elements within a ship are decks and deckheads.-Etymology:...
fitted with gunports for small cannon
Cannon
A cannon is any piece of artillery that uses gunpowder or other usually explosive-based propellents to launch a projectile. Cannon vary in caliber, range, mobility, rate of fire, angle of fire, and firepower; different forms of cannon combine and balance these attributes in varying degrees,...
and shoulder weapons.
1635 voyage
From EnglandEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
to Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
in a fleet of five ships, the Angel Gabriel joined the James
James (ship)
The ship James made several trips during the early 17th century Great Migration out of England to the New World. It is unclear how many ships were named James during the Great Migration, as the name James was very popular in England during the reign of James I of England .-1621-1622 voyage:From...
, the Elizabeth (Bess), the Mary and the Diligence. As they approached New England, an unusually powerful early season hurricane struck, known as the "Great Colonial Hurricane of 1635
Great Colonial Hurricane of 1635
The Great Colonial Hurricane of 1635 was a severe hurricane that hit the Virginia Colony at Jamestown and the Massachusetts Bay Colony during August 1635.-Meteorological history:...
", and the James and the Angel Gabriel were forced to ride it out just off the coast of modern-day Hampton, New Hampshire
Hampton, New Hampshire
Hampton is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 14,976 at the 2010 census. Located beside the Atlantic Ocean, Hampton is home to Hampton Beach, a summer tourist destination....
. According to the ship's log and the journal of Increase Mather
Increase Mather
Increase Mather was a major figure in the early history of the Massachusetts Bay Colony and Province of Massachusetts Bay . He was a Puritan minister who was involved with the government of the colony, the administration of Harvard College, and most notoriously, the Salem witch trials...
, whose father Richard Mather
Richard Mather
Richard Mather , was a Puritan clergyman in colonial Boston, Massachusetts. He was father to Increase Mather and grandfather to Cotton Mather, both celebrated Boston divines.-Biography:...
and family were on the James, the following was recorded;
"At this moment,... their lives were given up for lost; but then, in an instant of time, God turned the wind about, which carried them from the rocks of death before their eyes. ...her (James) sails rent in sunder, and split in pieces, as if they had been rotten ragges..."
They tried to stand down during the storm just outside the Isles of Shoals
Isles of Shoals
The Isles of Shoals are a group of small islands and tidal ledges situated approximately off the east coast of the United States, straddling the border of the states of New Hampshire and Maine.- History :...
, but the James lost all three anchors, as no canvas or rope would hold, but on Aug 13, 1635, torn to pieces, and not one death, all one hundred-plus passengers aboard the James managed to make it to Boston Harbor
Boston Harbor
Boston Harbor is a natural harbor and estuary of Massachusetts Bay, and is located adjacent to the city of Boston, Massachusetts. It is home to the Port of Boston, a major shipping facility in the northeast.-History:...
two days later.
The Angel Gabriel was wrecked off the coast of Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
, but the smaller, faster ships, the Mary, the Bess, and the Diligence outran the storm, and landed in Newfoundland on August 15, 1635.
A plaque commemorating the loss was dedicated August 8, 1965 at Pemaquid Point, Maine. Some of the passengers survived the sinking.
Passengers on the last voyage
- Capt. Robert Andrews, Ship's Master, Ipswich, MassachusettsIpswich, MassachusettsIpswich is a coastal town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 12,987 at the 2000 census. Home to Willowdale State Forest and Sandy Point State Reservation, Ipswich includes the southern part of Plum Island...
- John Bailey, Sr., weaver from ChippenhamChippenhamChippenham may be:* Chippenham, Wiltshire* Chippenham * Chippenham, Cambridgeshire-See also:* Virginia State Route 150, also known as Chippenham Parkway, USA* Cippenham, Berkshire, UK...
, England to Newbury, MassachusettsNewbury, MassachusettsNewbury is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 6,666 at the 2010 census. Newbury includes the villages of Old Town , Plum Island and Byfield, home of The Governor's Academy , a private preparatory school.- History :Newbury Plantation was settled and incorporated... - John Bailey, Jr., b. 1613
- Johanna Bailey (possibly came on a later ship)
- Henry Beck
- Deacon John Burnham
- Thomas Burnham
- Robert Burnham
- Ralph Blaisdell of LancashireLancashireLancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, settled in York, MaineYork, MaineYork is a town in York County, Maine, United States at the southwest corner of the state. The population in the 2000 census was 12,854. Situated beside the Atlantic Ocean on the Gulf of Maine, York is a well-known summer resort. It is home to three 18-hole golf clubs, three sandy beaches, and... - Mrs. Elizabeth Blaisdell
- Henry Blaisdell
- William Furber, age 21, London, England, settled in Dover, New HampshireDover, New HampshireDover is a city in Strafford County, New Hampshire, in the United States of America. The population was 29,987 at the 2010 census, the largest in the New Hampshire Seacoast region...
- John Cogswell & Elizabeth Cogswell and eight of their children, Westbury LeighWestbury, WiltshireWestbury is a town and civil parish in the west of the English county of Wiltshire, most famous for the Westbury White Horse.-Name:The most likely origin of the West- in Westbury is simply that the town is near the western edge of the county of Wiltshire, the bounds of which have been much the same...
, WiltshireWiltshireWiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
, England, settled in Ipswich, Massachusetts - Samuel Haines, about age 24, apprentice to John Cogswell, settled in Greenland, New HampshireGreenland, New HampshireGreenland is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 3,549 at the 2010 census. It is drained by the Winnicut River and bounded on the northwest by Great Bay.- History :...
- William Hook
- Henry Simpson
- John Tuttle, about age 17, DevonDevonDevon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
shire, England, settled in Chebacco ParishChebacco ParishChebacco Parish was the southeastern-most part of the town of Ipswich, Massachusetts that later became the separate municipality of Essex. The name comes from Chebacco Lake, part of which is in the town of Essex....
and finally Dover, New HampshireDover, New HampshireDover is a city in Strafford County, New Hampshire, in the United States of America. The population was 29,987 at the 2010 census, the largest in the New Hampshire Seacoast region...
(known to locals as "Shipwreck John Tuttle")
The above list of passengers is apocryphal. The only passengers proven to be onboard were the Cogswells and their servants. The captain of the ship is unknown, since Robert Andrews can be proven to have been in Ipswich in 1634.
Note from a descendant: I believe the above comment about the passenger list being apocryphal is incorrect. Besides genealogy records/letters, there are other sources on the web that provide more information about the passengers. Note from a second descendant: The passenger list given may be currently unverified, but is likely not completely apochryphal. The Cogswells, Beck & Haines are known from many Cogswell sources to have been on this ship. Present-day, ongoing genealogical & historical research is constantly expanding upon & correcting earlier work.