1591 - Harris, Michael - Declaration

From International Robin Hood Bibliography
Allusion
Date 1591
Author Harris, Michael
Title Declaration of Michael Harris of Blackwall
Mentions Little John of London [ship]

By Henrik Thiil Nielsen, 2014-08-11. Revised by Henrik Thiil Nielsen, 2021-01-07.

Allusion

Declaration of Michael Harris, of Blackwall, servant to Wm. Beckett, of Limehouse, delivered to Richard Gribble, Mayor of Dartmouth. Was taken, with other Englishmen, in June 1590, by two Spanish galleys, at Cape Browne by St. Domingo, carried to Carthagena and Nova Hispania, where he was commanded to serve in the Sancta Maria, laden with the King of Spain's treasure, and landed at the Havannah. The treasure was shipped at Nova Hispania, in 13 ships, all of which came to the Havannah save one, taken by the Little John of London, in which there were some chests of treasure. The King's treasure was in chests as big as two men could carry, and was landed at the Havannah last August, and put into the castle; assisted in carrying it there. Was divers times aboard the four frigates there; thinks them of 250 tons, with 14 pieces of brass ordnance. They intended to stay there until December or January, as very few men-of-war would then be on the seas to interrupt their passage. The principal men report that the English will seek to take the Havannah, and that if Sir Francis Drake does not take it, they do not fear all England. The Spaniards report that they have more friends in England than a bushel will hold of peppercorns.[1]

Source notes

Marginal note (editorial): "Dec. 13. Dartmouth." The above text is a calendar entry summarizing or paraphrasing the original record.

IRHB comments

Nova Hispania, New Spain, or Nueva España was the name of Spanish colonial Mexico and Spanish Central America until they gained independence in 1821.[2]

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