Transcript - Document 3

This document is the examination of James Machary regarding his enforced service with the Spanish Armada, dated 29 December 1588

(Catalogue reference: SP 63/139 no 25 f. 82)

1. The examinac[i]on of James Machary of the Crosse
2. w[i]t[h]in the Countie of Typperary, taken before the
3. right honorable the Lo[rd] Deputie the 29 day of
4. December 1588.
5. He saieth he was imprest at Lysbon in Spaine and put into a
6. Flemmyshe hulcke called St Ann of the burden of 400 and better
7. in which were 300 souldiors, and 150 mariners, and the rest of the
8. loading being victualls. After the fight in the narrowe Seas
9. she fell upon the Coast of Ireland in a haven called Erris St Donnell.
10. where at theire coming in they found a greate shipp called the Ratt
11. of 1000 tonn, or rather a good deale more, in which was Don Alonso
12. de Leva, and an Erle called Counte De Paris, and a brother of the
13. same Erle, also a gent[leman] named Don Thomaso de gran Bello a man
14. much favored w[i]t[h] the K[ing] of greate revennewe, and a naturall Spa[niard]
15. borne, w[i]th dyvers good Captens and other gallant gent[lemen]. there
16. was in this shipp of all sortes above 700.
17. After she perished, Don Alonso and all his companie were receaved
18. in to the hulcke of St Ann w[i]t[h] all the goodes they had in the shipp of
19. any valewe, as plate, apparell, monie, iewells, weapons, armo[u]r etc
20. leaving behinde them victuall, Ordinaunce, and much other stuffe
21. which the hulcke was not hable to carrie away: which don they
22. sett the shipp on fire, and made saile for Spaine, in which
23. course by a contrarie wynde they were dryven back upon mc
24. Swine ny does Countrie to a place called Longherris, where falling
25. to Anckor, there fell a greate storme which brake in sonder all theire
26. Cables, and strooke them upon grounde, whereby Don Alonso and
27. all his companie were enforced to goe on shoare taking all theire
28. goodes, and armor w[i]th them, and there by the shipp side incamped
29. them selves for the space of 8 or 9 daies.
30. Don Alonso before he came to Lande was hurte in the legge by the
31. Capestele of the shipp in such sorte as he was nether hable to goe
32. nor ride, nether duering the 9 daies of his incampinge, nor upon his
33. remove, but was carried from that place, to the place wherein the
34. Gallias (named Gerona lay), betwene 4 men, being 19 myles distaunce,
35. where likewise he and all his companie incamped 12 or 14 daies in
36. which tyme the Gallias was finished, and made readie for the
37. sea as well as she could be. He being advertised certenly from tyme
38. to tyme that the Lo[rd] Deputie was preparing him selfe to come against
39. them, put him selfe aboorde her, having for his pilott 3 Irishe men
40. and a Scott. There was in the Gallias of her own souldiors
41. (besides 300 slaves) 5 or 600 men.
42. He saieth that Don Alonso, for his stature was tawle and slender, of a
43. whitly complexion, of a flaxen and smothe heare, of behavior mylde
44. and temperate, of speeche good and deliberate, greatly reverencid
45. not only of his owne men, but generally of all the whole companie.
46. And thus being all shipped in the saide Gallias he saieth they
47. departed for Scotland, but what became of them this examin[an]t cannot
48. saie.