The list of shipwrecks in the 16th century includes ships sunk, wrecked or otherwise lost between (and including) the years 1501 to 1600.
1501–1510
1502
11 July El Dorado: The Spanish carrack sank during a hurricane in the Mona Channel between Hispaniola and Puerto Rico with the loss of all on board. El Dorado was the flagship of a thirty-two strong fleet heading for Spain. Sources vary but at least another sixteen ships were also wrecked.[1]
5 October Mîrî: Attacked by Captain Matoso on the orders of Vasco da Gama, the pilgrim ship was captured at Madayi, India and the cargo taken. The Muslim pilgrims travelling from Calicut, India to Mecca were locked in the hold, the ship set on fire and sunk by artillery taking several days to sink. The survivors were speared by Portuguese soldiers and an estimated three hundred people killed. The ship was a victim of the 4th Portuguese India Armada led by Vasco da Gama.[3][4]
unknown date San Antón: The Spanish caravel ran aground on the (future) site of Port-au-Prince, Haiti while attempting to recover gold from the wreck of the Santa María de Gracia. The crew was picked up by the Santo Domingo.[5]
unknown date Santa María de Gracia: The Spanish caravel sank near the coast of Hispaniola after the hull was weakened by shipworm.[6]
20 April — São Pedro (Portugal): While on a journey to India, with five other caravels under the command of Garcia de Noronha, the islets of Saint Peter and Saint Paul was accidentally discovered when the São Pedro sailed onto one of them.[9] The crew was rescued by the Saint Paul, hence the name of the archipelago.
1512
Cordelière and Regent.
10 August — Cordelière (also known as Marie-la-Cordelière) (Brittany): During the Battle of Saint-Mathieu, Admiral Portzmoguer fearing defeat blew up his own ship and one English ship, HMS Regent as well.
21 February (first report) — Unidentified (Spain): Lost at Polkemyas (now known as Porth Kidney sands), near Lelant, St Ives Bay, Cornwall, in the manor of Lelant and Trevethowe. She was carrying a cargo of cloth (including scarlet).[11]
1515
Unidentified vessel: Wrecked on Eastern Green, Penzance, while carrying a cargo of spices and textiles.[11]
22 February (first report) — Seven ships and ″barks″: Lost between Lelant Water and St Ives, Cornwall, laden with iron cast goods, cloth and other wares.[11]
Unidentified vessel: Wrecked at Porthcurno, Cornwall with a cargo of cloth and pewter.[11]
1517 or 1518
Unidentified vessel: Wrecked near Carrack Loys, near Marckayowe (St Michael's Mount), Cornwall with a cargo of hogsheads of wine, which was divided between James Chynowythe, Richard Pendre and Sir John Arundell.[13]
Unidentified vessel: Wrecked in "Whitson Bay at the Lands End", Cornwall witnessed by John Davye. She was carrying wines and fruit and all on board were saved.[15]
1520
22 May — Santiago (Spain): The nau ran aground at the mouth of the river Santa Cruz, Argentina. She was one of five ships in Ferdinand Magellan'scircumnavigation around the world. The wreck was discovered in 1985 by Daniel E Guillén.[16] According to media reports, Guillén recovered a small part of the wreck's wood and had it analyzed as an authentic Spanish vessel, but he has refused to register and claim the discovery for fear that the government will mismanage the wreck.[17][18][19] Prior to this discovery, the oldest shipwreck in the New World was the San Esteban (1554 shipwreck) found off the coast of Texas.
14 January — Sancti Spiritus (Spain): The carrack was one of seven ships in the Loaisa expedition passing through the Strait of Magellan when she was wrecked on the coast west of Punta Dungenes. Her crew were rescued by the Anunciada.[24]
19 January — St Anthony or Santo António (Portugal): The carrack foundered in Gunwalloe Bay, Cornwall, en route from Lisbon to Antwerp. She had a mixed cargo including copper and silveringots, said to be worth an estimated £100 million in early 21st century values. One half of the crew was lost.[32] The wreck was located in 1981 and a selection of her cargo can be seen in the Charlestown Shipwreck, Rescue and Heritage Centre, Charlestown.[11] Also reported as Saint Andrew and sinking on 19 January 1526.[33] The site is designated under the Protection of Wrecks Act 1973.[34]
1531–1540
1531
Unidentified vessel Wrecked on the cliffs near "Innyall Chappell (Chapel Jane, Gurnard's Head), Cornwall with the loss of all on board. The vessel was carrying salt. Anchors, cables and timber was salvaged and shared 50/50 between the finders and Sir John Arundell, Master Lord of the Franchise.[35]
1532
(First report) — Unidentified vessels: Harry Angwyne sworn at Court that he often saw wrecks of timbers cast on the land at Whitsonbay and other places around Land's End, Cornwall.[15]
(First report) — Unidentified vessel: Lost at the Longships, off Land's End, Cornwall.[15]
(First report) — Unidentified vessel: Barrel of tar washed up at Gwynver, Sennen, Cornwall and barrel of flower (flour) washed up in Whitson Bay in Gonhellye under Meen.[15]
1533
October — Bona Confidentia, Bona Esperanza and Edward Bonaventure (all England): The ships became trapped in ice off the coast of what is now Canada. Their crews perished in January 1534.[36]
Bom Jesus (Portugal) — The ship was wrecked on the coast of Africa while on a voyage from Lisbon to India.[37]
1537
30 November — Concepción (Spain): The Carrack (nau) was wrecked at Ponta Loyola, estuary of the Gallegos River, Argentina while part of a two ship trading expedition. The crew were rescued by the Santa Maria .[38]
1540
23 January — Capitana (Spain): The carrack (nau) was part of an expedition to the Pacific coast of South America when she was wrecked north-east of the Primera Angostura, within the Strait of Magellan. The crew was rescued by another of the expedition's ships.[39]
unknown date — Grifo (Portugal): The cargo ship was wrecked in the bay of Angra, Terceira Island. Oldest known wreck on the island since colonisation.[43]
unknown date — San Juan (Spain): The nau foundered near the island of São Miguel, Azores.[44]
(first report) — Santa Maria de la Piedad (Spain): The sailing ship out of Hispaniola, was wrecked on Terceira Island, Azores. Some of the cargo was salvaged.[51]
1551–1560
1552
8 June — São João (Portugal): The galleon was wrecked during a storm near Port Edward, South Africa. Approximately 120 died in the wreck while the remaining 500 survivors had to march to the mouth of the Maputo River. Only twenty-five survived due to attacks from indigenous people, starvation and disease.[52]
La Magdalena (Spain): The nau was wrecked in the Azores.[53]
Santiago (Spain): The nau sank in the harbour at Angra, Terceira Island, Azores after unloading the cargo from Mexico.[54]
1554
24 April — São Bento (Portugal): The carrack ran aground in the mouth of the Msikaba River, midway between Port Edward and Port St. Johns on the Transkei coast of South Africa. The cargo included slaves and pepper, and up to 450 people lost their lives.[55]
Unidentified Spanish or Spanish-Netherlands vessel wrecked on the Bartholomew Ledge, Isles of Scilly. The oldest known wreck site in the Isles of Scilly, which is protected under the Protection of Wrecks Act 1973, and identified from silver two reale coins, six breech loading cannon and other artifacts.[63]
1556
18 June — Nossa Senhora da Ajuda (Portugal): The nau hit a shoal near Alagoas, Brazil. She was carrying the first bishop of Brazil from Salvador to Lisbon. All of the 103 (bar one) on-board survivors were massacred by natives while on the way to Maceió.[64]
21 November — Nossa Senhora da Graça (Portugal): The carrack (nau) foundered during a storm and sank between Mozambique and Cochin, India. The crew were rescued by the Aquia (Portugal and the captain died shortly after.[71]
San Juan (Spain): A Basque whaling ship sank at Red Bay, Labrador.
Unnamed sailing vessel foundered in Mount's Bay, Cornwall, possibly near Newlyn where an anchor was found. The year of loss is given as the 7th or 8th year of Elizabeth I reign (beginning 17 November 1565 to 1567).[73]
1567
La Concepción (Spain): Out of Havana, she ran aground on the island of São Miguel, in the Azores. Some of her cargo was salvaged.[74]
1568
Unnamed (Scotland): The ship was wrecked on the coast of the Netherlands with the loss of eighteen lives.[75]
1570
Victoria (Spain): The first ship to circumnavigate the globe (1519-1522), the carrack foundered on a voyage from Seville to the Antilles with the loss of all hands.
1571–1580
1573
(First report) John (England): Wrecked on the Pole Sand at Exmouth, Devon with pilot John Parsons aboard. The Lympstone ship was heading for Exeter from Newfoundland with 70,000 salt fish (known as Newfoundland fish). The ship broke up and 18,000 fish were lost, to the value of £200 "... by his (the pilot) craft, fault, ignorance, rashness and negligence caused the ship to strike the sands and rocks of the sea".[11]
April — (Spain): During the Eighty Years' War a number of Spanish warships were lost in a battle with the Dutch fleet, when attempting to break a blockade on Middelburg.[76]
the Emanuel of Bridgewater, sank on the western side of Smerwick harbour, Ireland with a cargo of rocks from the Countess of Sussex mine on Baffin Island. The ship was one of Martin Frobisher's fleet, and the cargo was believed to be gold ore.[78]
29 October — Iveglia (Spain): The three-masted carrack ran aground on reefs near Porto Pidocchio. Iveglia, carrying artillery and textiles, was stopped from entering the harbour at Camogli, Genoa because of an infectious disease in the port; some of the ship's crew were saved.[79]
29 August — HMS Delight (Royal Navy): Ran aground on Sable Island, approximately 175 km (109 mi) south-east of the closest point of mainland Nova Scotia. All the crew drowned bar sixteen men who spent seven days in a small boat before reaching Newfoundland. The ship was part of an expedition led by Humphrey Gilbert.[81]
9 September — HMS Squirrel (Royal Navy): The frigate foundered near the Azores. She was previously part of the expedition led by Sir Humphrey Gilbert to Newfoundland.[82][83]
26 January — Louvois Blanc The barque was lost on the French coast opposite Île de Ré.[85]
February — Trinidad (Spain): The carrack (nau) was in poor condition and deliberately ran aground near Cape Virgenes, Argentina. Trinidad was one of a twenty-three strong expedition, led by Pedro Sarmiento de Gamboa, to colonise the Strait of Megellan. Items from the ship were used to equipe the colony of Nombre de Jesus, Argentina.[86]
1585
19 August — Santiago (Portugal): Wrecked on the south-western part of Bassas da India, an atoll in the southern Mozambique Channel. An astrolabe was recovered along with jewels and silver coins when the wreck was discovered in 1977.[87]
30 July — Bazana (Spain): Part of the Spanish fleet sent to invade England, a storm in the Bay of Biscay sent four of the smaller galleons, including Bazana, to shelter in French ports. They returned to Spain after repairs. In one version Bazana ran aground on the shoal Esclaves, near Bayonne.[90]
7 August — Santa Maria Rata Encoronada (Spain): Part of the ten strong Squadron of Levant and part of the armada, the nau may have sunk after colliding with the Galeasse San Lorenzo off Erria, Ireland.[94] Alternatively she grounded and was set alight in late September 1588 in Blacksod Bay, Co Mayo, Ireland.
15 September — San Nicolás (Sveti Nikola) (Spain): Part of the ten strong Squadron of Levant, the carrack was wrecked during a storm off Toorglass, Ireland.[103]
20 September — Anunciada (Spain): Part of the ten strong Levant squadron of the armada, she was anchored in the mouth of the River Shannon at Scattery Roads and was burnt and abandoned by her crew who were rescued by other armada ships.[105]
25 September — Juliana (Spain): Part of the ten strong Squadron of Levant, the nau was lost near Spanish Point between Streedagh Point and Black Rock, Ireland.[114]
25 September — La Lavia (Spain): Part of the ten strong Levant squadron of the armada, she was grounded near Streedagh Strand, ten miles north of the town of Sligo and near to Spanish Point.[115]
25 September — San Juan Bautista (Spain): Part of the sixteen strong Castile squadron of the armada, she was lost at Streedagh Strand, Ireland, near Spanish Point.[116]
25 September — Santa Maria de Visión (de Biscione) (Spain): Part of the ten strong Levant squadron of the armada, the nau was lost at Streedagh Strand, Ireland.[117]
Unknown date — Unidentified small galleon: Captured on the Spanish Main in the summer of 1589 by George Clifford, the Earl of Cumberland, and sent home as a "prize" the following winter. Under the command of Christopher Lister and with a cargo of looted silver, she was lost with all hands in a gale near Penzance, Cornwall.[129]
1591–1600
1591
2 April — Espiritu Sanctu (Spain): The nau foundered in the Azores between the islands Terceira and Flores.[130]
9 July — Santa Cruz (Portugal): Out of India, the carrick was burnt by the English at Flores, one of the islands of the Azores.[131]
unknown date — Nossa Senhora da Nazaré (Portugal): The carrack, out of Cochin, India, sprang a leak and was beached on the coast of Mozambique. The crew were rescued by Chagas.[143]
23 November — Magdalena (Spain): The frigate was lost during a battle against an English fleet attempting to capture San Juan de Puerto Rico.[150]
November — San Agustin (Spain): The Spanish Manila galleon under the command of Portuguese Sebastião Rodrigues Soromenho (Sebastián Rodríguez Cermeño in Spanish) was lost at Drakes Bay, California, when a storm blew in from the south and the ship dragged anchor. Most of the crew was on land constructing a small boat for coastal exploration. The crew successfully returned to Mexico in the small boat.[151]
19 December — San Felipe (Spain): The galiot sank off the Philippines while returning to Spain from the Solomon Islands following a failed attempt to colonise those islands.[152]
19 December — Santa Catalina (Spain): The frigate sank off the Philippines while returning to Spain from the Solomon Islands following a failed attempt to colonise those islands.[153]
February — San Bartolomé (Spain): The Spanish Fleet of Indies galleon was lost on the Isles of Scilly. She was carrying lead ingots and fragments of bronze bells.[158]
17 November — São Francisco (Portugal): The carrack (nau) ran aground and was then burned by the English on the island of São Miguel, Azores.[159]
^Boddie, John Bennett (April 1934). "Boddie of Essex, England and Virginia". William and Mary College Quarterly Historical Magazine. 14 (2): 114–140. doi:10.2307/1915674. JSTOR1915674.
^Ødegaard, T (2001). Alonso de Olmos' etterlatte documenter: Om det spanske armadaskipet "Santiago" som forliste i Sunnhordland i året 1588. Fredrikstad: Kystforlaget. ISBN8299453313.
^宣祖實錄 宣祖三十一年 十一月二十四日 (The Annals of King Seonjo, 19 November 1598 in Lunar Calendar) "賊船一百隻捕捉, 二百隻燒破, 斬首五百級, 生擒一百八十餘名。 溺死者, 時未浮出, 故不知其數 (Our army captured 100 enemy ships, destroyed 200 ships, beheaded 500 enemy soldiars, and caught 180-plus soldiars alive. The number of drowned enemy soldiars is unknown, because they have still sunk)".
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