Battle of Cornwall

Raid on Mount's Bay
Part of the Anglo-Spanish War (1585–1604)
The Spanish attack Penzance from the book British Battles on Land and Sea, by James Grant
Date 2 to 4 August 1595 Location Mount's Bay, Cornwall, England Result Spanish victory
Belligerents
Spain	England
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

The Raid on Mounts Bay also known as the Spanish attack on Mounts Bay was a Spanish raid on Cornwall, England, that took place between 2 to 4 August 1595 during the Anglo-Spanish war of 1585-1604. It was conducted by a Spanish naval squadron led by Carlos de Amésquita on patrol from Brittany, France. The Spanish made landfall in Mounts Bay then sacked and burned Newlyn, Mousehole, Penzance and Paul, beating a militia force under Francis Godolphin in the process.

In the wake of the defeat of the Spanish armada in 1588, King Philip II of Spain was reorganising his navy. He was intent on establishing advanced bases in western France from which his navy could constantly threaten England and Ireland. In 1593 Blavet had been established by the Spanish in Brittany and news of this caused concern in England.

Carlos de Amesquita commanded three companies of arquebusiers and four galleys (Nuestra Señora de Begoña, Salvador, Peregrina and Bazana) from the fleet under Pedro de Zubiaur. He sailed from Blavet, on 26 July with the aim of raiding a part of the English coastline. There were a number of reasons - one was to regain the treasure and cargo ships captured by the English off Pernambuco four months earlier. There were also rumours that Francis Drake was preparing a major expedition against Panama and Spanish action could delay or even defeat it. Another was to hold an English port or coastline which would then be used as a base for raids and act as a powerful bargaining tool future peace negotiations. Cornwall ever since the Prayer Book Rebellion in 1549 in the eyes of the Spanish believed that many of the Cornish would happily convert back to the Catholic faith.

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