Watts' West Indies and Virginia expedition

Part of the Anglo–Spanish War

Map of the Caribbean in 1594 by Theodor de Bry - the expedition took place in Cuba, Jamaica & Hispaniola

Date

4 June - 18 July 1590

Location

Between Hispaniola, Santiago colony (present day Jamaica) & Cuba

Result

English victory

Expedition success

Belligerents

Spain

England

Commanders and leaders

Rodrigo de Rada
Vicente González

Christopher Newport
Abraham Cocke

Strength

17 ships

6 Ships
400 men

Casualties and losses

1 galleon captured
1 galleon sunk,
4 ships captured,
3 ships run aground

60 casualties

English victory

Watts' West Indies and Virginia expedition also known as the Action of Cape Tiburon was an English expedition to the Spanish Main during the Anglo–Spanish War. The expedition began on 10 May and ended by 18 July 1590 and was commanded by Abraham Cocke and Christopher Newport. This was financed by the highly renowned London merchant John Watts. The English ships intercepted and dispersed Spanish convoys capturing, sinking and grounding a large number of ships off the Spanish colonies of Hispaniola, Cuba and Jamaica. Despite losing an arm Newport was victorious and captured a good haul of booty. A breakaway expedition from this discovered that the Roanoke colony was completely deserted and which gave the name The Lost Colony.

By the end of 1589 the immediate threat of a Spanish invasion of England had been abated. Attempts were now made by privateering expeditions or to raid the Spanish Main. In the Spring of 1590 a privateering expedition had been raised and financed in London by merchant John Watts. Watts gathered a naval force with a mixture of armed merchants ships and naval vessels loaned by the English crown. The force composed of the 22-gun, 160-ton ﬂagship Hopewell (alias Harry and John) under Captain Abraham Cocke; the 160-ton Little John of Christopher Newport and the 35-ton pinnace John Evangelist of William Lane (brother of Ralph Lane).

Their objective was to raid the Spanish West Indies and to coup the rewards of the expedition, but also on the return voyage to help the colonists of Roanoke. With them was John White, an artist and friend of Sir Walter Raleigh who had accompanied the previous expeditions to Roanoke. Raleigh had helped put together the fleet along with the aid of White himself who was desperate to go back to Roanoke and help the colonists. As a result, two ships, the Hopewell and the Moonlight were intended as a break off expedition to set sail for Roanoke.

On 20 March the English set sail from Plymouth and crossed the Atlantic without hindrance and reached the island of Dominica by 10 May. They replenished for victuals and two days later the Hopewell and John Evangelist had steered Northwest towards Puerto Rico, whilst leaving Little John temporarily off Dominica to intercept arriving Spanish vessels. All three later rendezvoused at Saona Island.

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Wikipedia