Now! Then! 2024! - Yorkshire On This Day

Excerpt

About three o’clock yesterday afternoon two very great galleys were espied to let their anchors fall within half a quarter of a mile of this pier. The better galley was all coloured red, very finely and trimly appointed, and the most men suppose fifty oars of one side; her flag, of blue silk with a flower de luce of gold [the arms of France]. In her stern she bare a cognisance all white silver glistering which the multitude judged to be a white harnessed man, but the wiser sort took it to be some white fowl or beast whereof the galley took her name. The other galley was all white and the bigger, but no flag. At the very instant of these galleys coming to anchor, there appeared in sight well to discern 32 sails, and shortly after other 20 sail, which, all the wind being northerly and no great blast, tried the seas, and never one of them seamed to shun the galleys, saving one which seemed to be a hoy. Many of the rest seemed tall ships, specially those to the seaboard. There was neither boat, crayer [small trading vessel], nor fisher ship, that came in here or at Bridlington that bespake them, so that it is not known here what act this was, nor none of them descried, saving the two galleys in form aforesaid. About one hour after this matter was perceived, people began to gather, some to serve, some to gaze, some to relieve those that stood no great need. Bruits [rumours] went diverse, but lastly all people quietly departed and the country in good stay.

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To facilitate reading, the spelling and punctuation of elderly excerpts have generally been modernised, and distracting excision scars concealed. My selections, translations, and editions are copyright.

Abbreviations:

• ER: East Riding
• GM: Greater Manchester
• NR: North Riding
• NY: North Yorkshire
• SY: South Yorkshire
• WR: West Riding
• WY: West Yorkshire

Comment

Comment

The same source says that Mary arrived in Scotland on the 19th and has an amusing piece of fishwifery from just before:

Sir Richard CHOLMELEY to the EARL OF RUTLAND, Lord President in the North.
1561, August 17, Roxby. On Wednesday last I was at Scarborough, where I gave your orders to the bailiff. He says that a fortnight since a Flemish ship lay at anchor in the wick [bay] at Scarborough. Mr Herynes, a fishmonger who takes fish for the Queen, sent his man on board, and he saw in a handsome cabin two fair young gentlewomen, one of whom lay on a cushion of cloth of gold. The mariners told him that they were going into Scotland. I hear that certain great ships were seen yesterday off the coast near Bridlington. I have sent to Scarborough to know the truth.

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Original

William STRICKLAND to the Earl of RUTLAND, Lord President in the North
1561, August 17. Flamborough. I came here today. I have learned by the report of credible men, “testes occulati,” John Butcher and Thomas Wafrar, that about three o’clock yesterday afternoon two very great galleys were “espyed” to let their anchors fall within half a quarter of a mile of this pier. These men, joining their sights and judgements, say that immediately upon falling of their anchors they put out two swimmers or dowkers [divers] out of either galley, who swam from them a good space and forthwith they set out two boots which plumbed the depth, and Butcher says the swimmers came to the boots, and within three quarters of an hour many of the inhabitants drew to the cliff. And upon due examination this I find for true, that both the sail galleys were very great. This town’s men reporte may be credited therein, because they have seen many. The better galley, which they term the Admiral, was all coloured red very finely and trimly appointed, and the most men suppose fifty oars of one side; her flag of blue silk with a flower de luce of gold [i.e. the arms of France]. In her stern she bare a cognisance all white silver glistering which the multitude judged to be a white harnessed man, but the wiser sort took it to be some white fowl or beast whereof the galley took her name. The other galley was all white and the bigger, but no flag. At the very instant of these galleys coming to anchor, there appeared in sight well to discern 32 sails, and shortly after other 20 sail, which, all the wind being northerly and no great blast, tried the seas, and never one of them seamed to shun the galleys, saving one which seemed to be a hoy. Many of the rest seemed tall ships, specially those to the seaboard. There was neither boat, crayer [small trading vessel], nor fisher ship, that came in here or at Bridlington that bespake them, so that it is not known here what act this was, nor none of them descried, saving the two galleys in form aforesaid. About one hour after this matter was perceived, people began to gather, some to serve, some to gaze, some to relieve those that stood no great need. Bruits [rumours] went diverse, but lastly all people quietly departed and the country in good stay.

417 words.

Tags

Tags are assigned inclusively on the basis of an entry’s original text and any comment. You may find this confusing if you only read an entry excerpt.

• Catholic Church (57) ·
• Charles IX of France (1) ·
• East Riding of Yorkshire (66) ·
• Elizabeth I (1533-1603) (15), ruled 1558-1603, established an English Protestant church ·
• 📌Flamborough (3) ·
• France (31) ·
• Galley (1) ·
• Manners, Henry, 2nd Earl of Rutland (1526-1563) (2), nobleman and soldier ·
• Mary Queen of Scots (2) ·
• Medici, Catherine de' (1519-1589) (1), consort of Henry II of France 1547-1559, mother of subsequent kings Francis II, Charles IX and Henry III, via whom she dominated French politics until shortly before her death ·
• North Sea (18) ·
• Scotland (37) ·
• Strickland, William (died 1598) (1), landowner who sailed on early voyages of exploration to the Americas and is credited with introducing the turkey into England, in later life a prominent Puritan MP ·

All tags.

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