Watts' West Indies and Virginia expedition

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
Date4 June – 18 July 1590
Location
Between Hispaniola, Santiago colony (present-day Jamaica), & Cuba
Result English victory[1][2]
Belligerents
 Spain  England
Commanders and leaders
Rodrigo de Rada
Vicente González		 Christopher Newport
Abraham Cocke
Strength
17 ships 6 ships
400 men[3]
Casualties and losses
1 galleon captured[4]
1 galleon sunk,
4 ships captured,
3 ships run aground[5]		 60 casualties[6]

Watts' West Indies and Virginia expedition also known as the Action of Cape Tiburon[5] was an English expedition to the Spanish Main during the Anglo–Spanish War.[4][7] 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.[8] The English ships intercepted and dispersed Spanish convoys capturing, sinking, and grounding many ships off the Spanish colonies of Hispaniola, Cuba, and Jamaica.[1] Despite losing an arm, Newport was victorious and captured a good haul of booty.[9] A breakaway expedition from this discovered that the Roanoke Colony was completely deserted and which gave the name The Lost Colony.[10]

  1. ^ a b Bradley pp 104-05
  2. ^ Nichols p 33
  3. ^ The Roanoke voyages, 1584-1590: documents to illustrate the English voyages to North America under the patent granted to Walter Raleigh in 1584, Volume 104, Part 2. Hakluyt Society. 1955. p. 69.
  4. ^ a b Andrews p 87
  5. ^ a b Marely (2008) pp 77-78
  6. ^ Nichols pp 24-28
  7. ^ Appleby p 189
  8. ^ Andrews p 164-65
  9. ^ Bicheno p 316
  10. ^ Milton pp 261-65