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The Last Armada

Page 37

by Des Ekin


  His fear of Irish ‘witches’: CalCarew pp 242-243

  Council decision, CB’s belief: CSPI p153

  Ho’N still home on Nov 7: He left around Nov 9, see CSPI p168; this broadly confirmed by a4m

  Joined by St Lawrence: pac O’G v2 p10

  St Lawrence biog: Entry in Dict. Nat. Biog. Lord Grey story from Camden; rec O’Faolain p219

  4,500 and 500, outnumbering Ho’N: OSB, who says Ho’N had 2,600 and 400 then.

  Fear of retreat cut off: CalCarew p163

  Feared he’d meet 6,000: CSPI p158

  ‘In good faith…’ and ‘steal by you’: CalCarew p161

  In one letter… covet’: CalCarew pp 163-164

  Long, weary, Ardmayle: pac O’G v2 p10

  When he had… reclaim it later: O’Cleary p299

  3,000 troops: OSB

  Oct 22: O’Cleary pp 301-303, adjusted from NS

  Tyrrell’s deal: rec, Morgan, BoK, p166; rec, García Hernán p17

  ‘Many a river…’, ‘past quaking…’: from De Vere, Aubrey (1814-1902) The March to Kinsale

  It’s hard… colourfully: O’Cleary pp303-305

  Ho’D camp details: pac O’G v2 pp 10-11

  Quagmire, frost, night march, jettisoned bags: pac O’G v2 pp 11-12; CalCarew p165; Mor Itin v3 p48; O’Cleary p305

  ‘He marched…’: O’Cleary p305

  At Croom, 70 km: pac O’G v2 p12. March was 60-70 km depending on route.

  Carew was stunned… it is true: pac O’G v2 p12; CalCarew p165

  Ho’D headed SW: pac O’G v2 p12; O’Cleary pp 305-307

  Met de Burgh: pac O’G v2 p13

  Clanrickard warcry: CSPI p683

  Hubbub origin: The Oxford Dictionary

  50 + 150 men: CSPI p72, p201

  For de Burgh family and Richard generally, see Lodge, John (1692-1774) The Peerage of Ireland Dublin: Moore, pp 117-134

  De Burgh biog, education, defiant in religion: rec. Lennon, Colm, entry for Burke, Richard, in Ox Dict Nat Biog; Lodge, John, op. cit., pp 131-134; Cokayne, George E (1887-98) The Complete Peerage London: Bell, Pollard pp230-231

  Resembled Essex: pac O’G v2 p294, footnote

  Frances his lover: rec, Morrill, John, entry for Robert Devereux in Ox Dict Nat Biog; rec, The English Journal (1953) p523

  De Burgh poem: Of The Last Queen, cited in (rec) Carpenter, Andrew (2003) Verse in English from Tudor and Stuart Ireland Cork: University Press

  Most ancient: ‘Clanricarde’ in Debrett’s Peerage

  With Normans, became Irish: Cokayne, op. cit.

  In 1576… inhabitants: Camden, William The History of Elizabeth Book II p218; Hume, David (1854) The History of England v4 London: Bell p304

  ‘From bush… hill’: Carew Manuscripts Lambeth, vol II, document 621

  ‘Served the Queen… faithfully’: Lodge, op. cit., p132

  Resented rise: rec, Dictionary of Irish National Biography vol 2; also see letter from John Chamberlain to Dudley Carleton after his marriage

  Innocency, unfainedly loved: CSPI p286

  Queen’s orders: pac O’G v2 pp 293-295

  JdA escape at Empel: Verstraete pp 291-295; Famien Strada pp 136-143; today’s parades, Spanish Ministry of Defence website, accessed December 9 2011

  Chapter 21: A Direct Hit on Don Juan

  JdA’s council: CSPI p199

  Report to Rome: By Nuncio Fr Mansoni, March 9 1602. It can be read in (rec) Jones, Indictment p219. (Mansoni’s figure of 16 at C. Park is sic., although true figure was 34.)

  Archer’s outburst: Archer to Whyte, Jan 12 1602; rec, Jones Indictment p217.

  CB’s ringfort, frost etc: Mor Itin v3 p44; demi-cannon, deserters, aim, CSPI p199

  Direct hit, Patrick Strange quotes: CSPI p199; CalCarew p187; Spanish sentry, Mor Itin v3 p44

  Parma lunch: O’Connell, Robert L (1989) Of Arms and Men Oxford: University Press pp 118-119

  Carlos’s Irish company: CSPI p160 and footnote

  Grace ‘journal’; women, children: Mor Itin v3 pp 44-46

  Market deaths: Mor Itin v3 p46; CalCarew p187

  Hill camp, St Lawrence: Mor Itin v3 pp 47-49

  Carew volunteers: CSPI p191

  The English weren’t… silenced: Mor Itin v3 pp46-49

  Strange’s ‘celebration’: CSPI p199

  CB ‘fortunate’: CSPI p191

  ‘It may please God…’: CalCarew p167

  CB offer, Nov 28, JdA reply: CalCarew p188

  ‘I had hoped…’: CSPI p203

  JdA’s attitude: My assessment, based on his reply and his later defiant quotes in CalCarew p195

  Final two sentences: See notes to next chapter

  Chapter 22: Hell at Spaniards’ Point

  Generally: The full story of JdA in Brittany, Blavet, and El Leon can be found in Davila, H.C. pp 656-658; Moreau chapters 25-28 and (especially) chs 30-31; Duro p73 and pp87-92; Wraxall p139 and pp 143-144; also among the correspondence in CSPV

  English associated Kinsale with Blavet and El Leon: CSPI p131, p243

  Águila had built… seagulls: See later notes. Death toll, Davila, HC, p658

  ‘The blood of man…’: Camden Annales p433

  Eleven years… king: Hume, Martin (1906) Philip II p245; Monson v1 p252; Davila, H.C. p656; Duro, p87; Wraxall p139; Camden Annales p393

  Own agenda: rec, Brigham Young University website article Letters of Philip II, King of Spain in https://lib.byu.edu accessed 14.04.2010; rec, Goodman, David (2003) Spanish Naval Power 1589-1665 Cambridge: University Press, p14

  The Breton… mistrust: Wraxall p143; Hume, Philip II, p246; Monson v1, p252, p306; Mézeray, Francois (1690) Abrégé Chronologique… vol 3 Paris: Thierry etc, p350-351; Davila, H.C. p656

  ‘This new…’: CSPI p131

  But they had… Águila: rec, History of Port Louis (16th C) at http://www.port-louis.org/en/_citadel.html accessed Jan 29 2014; also, rec, Lepage, Jean-Denis (2010) Vauban and the French Military… Jefferson: McFarland pp160-161

  Brochero: Duro p83; Monson v1 p323

  At Hennebont: CSPV 1590, f1013 Contarini to Doge, Feb 15 1590

  At Craon: Duro p84

  Morlaix dialogue: A free translation based on Moreau pp197-198 (sources differ on precise words); tensions and split at Morlaix, Mézeray op. cit. pp 350-351; Wraxall p143; Monson v1, p307

  Crozon, El Leon, Praxede: Davila, H.C. pp 656-657; Moreau chs 30-31; Wraxall p143; Monson v1 p307; Duro pp 87-88

  Virtually impregnable: Davila, H.C. p656; Monson v1 p308

  Dangerous threat: Hume Philip II p245

  400 Spanish: Camden Annales p433; Monson v1 p308

  14 to one: ie, 5,700 against 400, see Monson v1 p308

  Like wildcats: Wraxall p143; Monson v1 pp 303-304; Davila, H.C. p657

  Battle for El Leon: Davila, H.C. pp 656-658; Moreau pp 243-256; Camden Annales p433;

  Back in Blavet… enemy cavalry: Davila, H.C. pp 657-658; Monson v1 p308; Moreau p248

  Blocked at Plomodiern: Moreau pp 250-251; Monson v1 p308; Davila, H.C. p658

  ‘Being overcome…’: Davila, H.C. p658

  Frobisher died: Camden Annales p433; Wraxall p143

  Writers of that era… reach El Leon: Camden Annales, p433; Davila, H.C. p658; Oppenheim sourcing Monson (v1, p308), says JdA ‘had not been idle’ in the relief but was let down by a vengeful Mercoeur

  ‘Perchance…’: Davila, H.C. p658

  However, later…helped them: Davila’s words were twisted by Matthew O’Conor (Military History… p21) who was then cited as the main authority for anti-Águila rants – that word is no exaggeration – by Edward d’Alton, John O’Donovan, John Mitchel and others

  The truth… them aid; Leon levelled: Camden Annales p433; Monson v1 p308; Wraxall p144

  Dialogue with 13 survivors: Moreau pp 251-252; Duro p91

  Commando raid on England: See Ch 32

  Conditions at Blavet, mutiny, ‘want of pay’: CSPV f591, June 1597, Nani to Spain, June 29; also rec, Lopez, Ignacio (20
12) The Spanish Tercios 1536-1704 Oxford: Osprey

  Wave of desertions, ‘one historian’: ie, (rec) Parker, Geoffrey (2004) The Army of Flanders… Cambridge: University Press, chapter 8

  Held back pay: rec, Jones, Archer (2001) The Art of War in the Western World Illinois: University of Illinois Press p200

  Eventually… achievement: Wraxall p144; Hume, Philip II, p248; Preface to CSPV 1592-1603

  Back in… the walls: CSPI p139

  Buried in earth: CSPI p220

  By nightfall… waiting for them: Mor Itin v3 pp 49-50

  The battering… and repelled: Mor Itin v3 pp 50-51; pac O’G v2 pp 30-32

  Spanish more confident: CalCarew p182

  Zubiaur: CSPS 840 f714 Jan 29 1602

  Chapter 23: ‘Let Us Settle This in Single Combat’

  Zubiaur, nine ships, 800-1,000: Ocampo in CSPI p237; CSPS 840, f712, Dec 17, Memorandum of all that has occurred…; also CSPS, 840, f714, Jan 29 1602 (PdZ’s fleet originally consisted of ten ships, but one didn’t make it out of port.)

  Many nations: PdZ-King, Dec 19 and Dec 17 1601; CSPI p205; Mor Itin v3 p60; rec Epistolario p77-81 and p83

  Collins: Moran p215; rec, entry in www.jesuit.org

  David High: Mor Itin v3 pp58-60

  Poor state of ships and troops, jailbirds: Mor Itin v3 p60

  ‘Raising companies… own eyes’: PdZ-King Jan 15 1602; rec, Epistolario p101

  Fleet separated: CSPS 840, f718, Feb 21 1602; also CSPS 840, f714, Jan 29 1602

  Storm kept PdZ from Kinsale, mercy of God: Council of State to King, Jan 29, as above.

  Later Spanish account: CSPS 840, f718, Feb 21 1602, statement of Council of State; also Mor Itin v3 p58-61

  High’s escape: fastened hatches, CSPI p221; ‘Whatever…peacefully’, Mor Itin v3 p58-61.

  Dermot O’Driscoll reaction and support: OSB; PdZ-King, Dec 19 1601; rec, Epistolario p77; also see footnote to pac O’G v2 pp40-41

  ‘A Catholic and… Majesty’: CSPS 840, f718, Feb 21 1602

  ‘Ships may come… clear and clean’: Boate, Gerard (1657) Ireland’s Natural History

  Ocampo role: CSPI p237, Mor Itin v3 p60

  Ocampo on troops: CSPI p237; Cal Carew p205; but CSPS 840, f718, Feb 21 1602, says 650 men

  Entire section ‘Back in Kinsale’ to ‘not for a minute’: Mor Itin v3 pp56-58

  ‘In Castlehaven…Brochero’s orders’: CSPS 840, f712, Dec 17 1601; CSPI pp237-238; calCarew pp204-206

  Many Irish chieftains, Fineen O’Driscoll: Pac v2 pp 40-41; also footnote to p41

  PdZ disinformation: rec, Epistolario Appendix 4, pp123-129

  Donal Cam quote: CSPS 849, f717, Feb 16 1602, in letter to Count of Caracena

  ‘The lords… his Majesty’: CSPS 840, f718, Feb 21 1602

  ‘Spanish garrisons… owners’: CSPS 840, f714, Jan 29 1602

  ‘Inaccessible… artillery’: CSPI 1586-1588 p192

  ‘But it was Baltimore… Sasanach: PdZ-King, Dec 19; rec Epistolario p79

  Single combat, Blount reply: Mor Itin v3 p57

  John Norreys: Nolan, John S (1997) Sir John Norreys and the Elizabethan Military World. Exeter: University of Exeter Press, p188

  Leveson’s orders, departure: Pac v2 p39; CSPI p211

  Boost, ‘took heart’: Mor Itin v3 p61; calCarew p182

  Battle of December 2 (generally): pac O’G v2 pp33-36; Mor Itin v3 pp52-55; CSPI pp 197, 198, 219, 220

  Probably largest: The Battle of Kinsale featured only around 200 Spaniards; also compare Águila’s 1595 Cornish raid and the 1719 Battle of Glen Shiel in Scotland, which each involved about 200 Spanish

  Thousands engaged: Mor Itin v3 p53, pac O’G v2 p34

  ‘Although… the insurgents’: See pac O’G v2 p38 footnote. (Also see p36 footnote on importance of engagement.)

  Time, rainy weather, 2,000 men, ‘exceeding fury’, spikes: pac O’G v2 p34

  Stones to block: a4m

  ‘They seized…’ etc: Mor Itin v3 p53

  Boyle quote: CSPI p197

  Bowlton quote: CSPI p219

  ‘Blount’s marshal… towards the town’: pac O’G v2 p34-35

  De Burgh’s 30 men, push of pike, held trench, much honour: CSPI p220

  ‘Next day’s… another attack’: CSPI p220; Mor Itin v3 p55; farmer p122; pac O’G v2 pp34-36

  Spells, STDs: Mor Itin v3 p55

  Boyle, 200 killed: CSPI pp197-198

  Lost 40, 100: CSPI p219, CSPI p220

  Guns back in action: Farmer p122

  ‘The revival…sealed off’: Mor Itin v3 pp61-62

  PdZ describes land: PdZ-King, Dec 19, 1601; rec Epistolario p80; also PdZ-King Dec 24; rec Epistolario p91

  Great friendship, young stags, courageous, etc: PdZ-King, Dec 20 1601; rec, Epistolario p85 and p86

  ‘From Lisbon…’: PdZ-King, Dec 24 1601; rec, Epistolario p91

  His sailors’ behaviour: PdZ-King, Dec 19 1601; rec, Epistolario p83

  ‘Over dinner… onslaught’: OSB; PdZ Dec 19 letter as above; rec Epistolario p77

  Chapter 24: The Battle of Castlehaven

  In this chapter, all quotes from Leveson are pac O’G v2 p44

  All quotes from Preston are CSPI p205

  ‘Sir Richard…’: Monson, William (1682) Megalopsychy. Also see Monson’s Naval Tracts v2 p124

  ‘Thanks to the…’: Council of State report Feb 21 1602, CSPS 840 f718

  ‘Sank flagship’: CSPS 840 f714, Jan 29 1602

  ‘In this battle’: OSB

  PdZ ‘victory’: PdZ-King, Dec 19 1601; rec Epistolario pp82-84; rec, Coombes and Ware p54

  ‘Leveson arrived’: CalCarew p190

  Guns heard in K.: CalCarew p189

  ‘Lady of Heaven’ quote: Gainsford

  PdZ’s flagship on rocks: OSB, CalCarew p190

  ‘Two other…’: CalCarew p190

  Maria F, Cisne: PdZ-King, Dec 19 1601; rec Epistolario p83

  Landing craft, Donal Cam’s arrival: OSB

  Cut cables, towed out: OSB

  209 holes: Farmer. (John Lennon allusion is to the celebrated counting of 4,000 holes in the Beatles’ A Day in the Life)

  ‘English reports…the port’: CSPI p211

  Lost eight men: Monson Megalopsychy

  Spanish assessment of losses: Anywhere between 20 (according to CSPS 840 f714, Jan 29 1602) and 40 (rec Jones, The Spaniards… p31, citing Zubiaur). Amias Preston also says 40 (CSPI p205)

  ‘575’ claimed by some Spanish: OSB

  Chapter 25: ‘Send Us Home Some Greyhounds’

  Jeronimo’s letter: CalCarew p206

  Silence since JdA letter Oct 21: (ie Oct 31 NS) CSPS 840 f712 Dec 17 1601

  ‘Don Juan…’: CSPS as above

  Swift ship: CalCarew p204

  Lerma letter and ‘confidence in your care’: CSPI p293

  CB’s 7,000: Mor Itin v3 p40 says 6,900 at Kinsale

  Ibarra letter, 220 men, and ‘heart lightened’: CSPI p294

  ‘The reality was…reprisal raids’: See CSPS 1601-1602 passim

  Padilla letter: CSPS 840 f710, letter to Felipe, Dec 10 1601 NS

  PdZ ‘like flies’ etc: PdZ letter Dec 22 1601; rec Epistolario p89

  Council of State report, Fourth Wave: CSPS 840 f711 Dec 11 1601

  Origin of troops: CSPS 840 f712 Memorandum… Dec 17 1601

  Ibarra, levies: CSPI p294

  From Flanders: CSPS 840 f713, end Dec 1601

  ‘By mid-Dec…in the New Year’: CSPS 840 f713, end Dec 1601

  ‘The most important…’: CSPI p293

  ‘If they have not…’ and ‘hold out’; God’s aid, constant prayer: CSPS 840 f713 end Dec

  Ho’N in heartland: i.e., Tipperary. CSPI p190

  Slow: My interpretation based on the dates. The 1800s historian Standish O’Grady also described it as ‘slow’ and ‘leisurely’ (The Bog of Stars p107)

  Heard early Oct: That is, Oct 2, or Oct 12 NS – rec García Hernán, p30, citing Ho’N letter to JdA on that date. Morg
an (BoK, p103) says news would have reached Ho’N within a week of landing

  Reached Carrickfergus: On Oct 8. CSPI pp110-112

  Left Nov 9: CSPI p168, rough date confirmed by a4m

  Burning and looting, Oct 7 report: CSPI p118 and p127

  ‘Spoiled 22 villages… swine’; 7 villages, beggars: CSPI p135

  Wife and 16 women: CSPI p188, p135

  ‘The English wondered’: CSPI pp 107, 134, 141, 156, 235; ‘dangerous’, CSPI p134; also see Leland v2 pp371-381

  ‘Some believe… others state’: For a sample of the opposing viewpoints, rec CSPI Preface xviii to xx; and Hamilton ch 34 (on the one hand); and O’Faolain pp 247-249 and Jones The Spanish… pp 24-25 (on the other). The debate continues

  O’Cleary, ‘waited’, p307. Also see a4m

  ‘In Gaelic society… adjacent territories’ etc: Captain Cuellar’s Adventures; Hull; rec Lennon p58 and pp51-55; rec Falls Elizabeth’s… p29

  Poet wrote: i.e., Blind Tadhg O’Higgin, see Hull

  Culture of Honour: I first encountered this term in Malcolm Gladwell’s 2008 book Outliers London: Allen Lane (ch 6) and was intrigued to see how this mainly Irish and Scots border phenomenon explained some of the mysteries about Kinsale – as we’ll see later. Sean O’Faolain anticipated the concept with what he called the ‘border raiders’ mentality (p171). For more, rec Nisbett, Richard E and Cohen, Dov (1996) Culture of Honor… Oxford: Westview Press; and Cohen, D, Nisbett R et al (1996) Insult and Aggression… in Journal of Personality and Social Psychology Vol 70 No 5 945-960

  Shepherd’s first quarrel: Campbell, J K (1966) Honour and the Devil in Peristiany, J. G. (ed) Honour and Shame… London: Weidenfeld & Nicholson pp 139-170

  ‘I am sent…’: CSPI p163

  ‘The Spanish mislike’: CSPI p186

  Ho’N 3,000; joined Ho’D: CSPI p188; O’Cleary p309, Mor Itin v3 p62.

  Farmer: p122

  ‘The Spaniard curseth’: Rider, J (1601), The Copy of a Letter… London: Thomas Man

  Archer demanded, letters torn up: rec, Jones Indictment p218 and pp219-220

  JdA letter mid-Dec: pac v2, pp45-46

  JdA’s blunt letter: CSPI p238

  Oviedo’s meetings, desperate straits: Bust

  CB returned letters: See numerous examples in current book

  CB narrow escape: pac O’G v2 p33

  JdA wounded in face: CSPI p235

  ‘These poor people… love of God’: PdZ-King, Dec 20; rec Epistolario p88

  500 cloaks: PdZ-King, Jan 15 1602; rec, Epistolario p101

 

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