October 1(?), 1577 - Deptford, England - The "Revenge" is launched by Mathew Baker at Deptford Dockyard =(START)
July 16, 1579 - While at Gillingham, Medway River - James FitzMaurice, leader of the First and Second Desmond Rebellions, arrives in Dingle Bay (Ireland) from Oviedo, Spain
August 15(?), 1579 - While at Gillingham - News of James FitzMaurice's arrival in Dingle Bay reach London. Queen Elizabeth summons Sir John Perrot to Greenwich
August 29, 1579 - Gillingham, Medway River - Sir John Perrot sails from Gillingham with six ships ("Revenge", his flagship, "Dreadnought", "Foresight", "Catis" and "Seabright") to support the operations agains the insurrection in Ireland
August 30, 1579 - The Downs - One night at anchor at the Downs
September(?) 2(?), 1579 - Falmouth - Perrot arrives in Falmouth where he spends a week
September 9(?), 1579 - Plymouth - Forced to put into Plymouth by storms and contrary winds
September 14, 1579 - Baltimore, SW Ireland - Perrot arrives in Baltimore, Ireland, and is warmly welcomed by the population
October(?) 1(?), 1579 - Cork, Ireland - Sails for Cork and stays for a few days
October 9(?), 1579 - Waterford, Ireland - Arrives in Waterford. During the way, the "Seabright" (Which had been sent to Spain) rejoins the fleet at Kinsale. In Waterford, Sir John Perrot meets with The Lord Justice of Ireland, Sir William Drury, who was very sick in bed
October 13, 1579 - Waterford - Sir William Drury dies in Waterford "four or five days" after Perrot met him
October 15(?), 1579 - South Irish Coast - Sails back to England after patrolling the irish coast against any spanish incursions
October(?) 25(?), 1579 - Kentish Knocks | Off the Flemish Coast - Perrot finds a pirate called Deryfold in the Kentish Knocks and chases him, capturing him off the flemish coast
November(?) 1(?), 1579 - Kentish Knocks - While heading back to the Downs, the "Revenge" runs aground on the Kentish Knocks. In a great peril while a storm rocks the ship, captain and crewmen say their prayers and wait for certain death. Perrot bids farewell to his son, wishing he had left him ashore earlier. After a desolate night being hit by the violence of the wind and waves, the ship is driven to Sea
November(?) 5(?), 1579 - Harwich - Not knowing where they were, they ask Deryfold for help in exchange for his release. The pirate calculates the ship's location and steers the ship to Harwich, where they arrive and stay for two days
November(?) 7(?), 1579 - River Thames - Perrot and the "Revenge" reach the River Thames
March 17, 1580 - Plymouth(?) - Sir William Winter sails to Ireland with 9 ships, one of which was the "Foresight" under command of Martin Frobisher. He was instructed to cruise off the Irish coast with a fleet to prevent any help of arriving for the rebels
March 30, 1580 - Near Ballylongford, Kerry, W. Ireland - Winter's ships begin a two-day bombardment of the Desmond Fort at Carrigafoyle
April 6, 1580 - Near Ballylongford - Sails up the Shannon River to land guns, ammunition and powder to enable Lord Deputy Sir William Pelham to take the Earl of Desmond's stronghold at Carrigafoyle and two other forts
July 25, 1580 - Off Baltimore, SW Ireland - Resupplied at Sea by four ships of sea victuals from England
September 5, 1580 - Baltimore, SW Ireland - Sir William Winter sets sail back to England without authorization
September 12, 1580 - While sailing to England - Papal forces land at Smerwick, Ireland
October(?) 1(?), 1580 - Plymouth(?) - Six days after returning to England, news are received that the Spanish Admiral Don Martín de Recaldi had arrived at Smerwick Bay and offloaded supplies and troops before returning to Spain
November 5, 1580 - Smerwick Bay, W. Ireland - Sir William Winter returns to Ireland, arriving with the "Revenge", the "Swallow", the "Foresight" and the "Merlin" to Smerwick Bay, , replenishing the supplies of Grey de Wilton, who was camped at Dingle
November 10, 1580 - Smerwick Bay - Bombardment of the Dun an Oir fort. The "Revenge" eliminates the fort's most effective cannon
November 11, 1580 - While in Smerwick Bay - The spanish call for a truce and surrender the next day
December(?) 1(?), 1580 - Plymouth(?) - During the next days, the english slaughter all but a handful of officers and men without mercy. Even pregnant women are hanged. Sir William Winter returns to England
January(?) 1(?), 1584 - Deptford(?) - Conversion to carry 48 cannons (30 large and 18 smaller)
Until my next research trip, most of the dates of 1586 are reconstructed here by crossing data from several different sources, as none of them are in tune, or are nonexistent. For now, the only precise information is on Ambassador Bernardino de Mendoza's letters to King Philip II of Spain.
July(?) 30(?), 1586 - Plymouth - Runs aground, before sailing to the high seas
August(?) 1(?), 1586 - Plymouth - Sets sail with Sir John Hawkins fleet of 17 ships for the coast of Portugal and the Azores to wait for the spanish silver fleet. The "Revenge" was captained by Edward Berkeley. The plan was to join other english ships near Terceira Island, Azores
August 10(?), 1586 - Coast of Portugal - Hawkins cruises off the Portuguese coast from August until October to shadow french shipping and to intercept the incoming silver convoys
September 30, 1586 - Off Cape Roca, Portugal (westernmost point of Europe) - Three cargo ships from Pernambuco (Brazil) are taken
October(?) 10(?), 1586 - NW Coast of Spain - The ship has to leave the fleet immediately for England because of a leak which was putting her in danger of sinking (we don't have sufficient information to know if this was before or after the capture of the three cargo ships mentioned above)
October 20(?), 1586 - Portsmouth - Runs aground twice on arrival. The ship remains there in repairs for six months
March 16, 1587 - While in Plymouth - In London, Queen Elizabeth grants Sir Francis Drake with 4 ships and 2 pinnaces. Signs contract with merchants
April 2, 1587 - Plymouth - Drake writes to Walsingham describing him the preparations for the next expedition against Spain: a preemptive strike against the port of Cadiz, where the spanish invasion armada was being assembled
April 12, 1587 - Plymouth - Drake sets sail for Cadiz with 27 ships. His flagship is the "Revenge"
April 15, 1587 - In sight of Cape Finisterre, NW Spain - Cape Finisterre is sighted
April 27, 1587 - Cape St. Vincent, Portugal - After a storm, Drake's ships gather again and double Cape St.Vincent
April 29, 1587 - Off Cadiz - Drake appears before Cadiz. 37 spanish ships are destroyed at anchor
May 2, 1587 - Cadiz - Drake departs Cadiz to patrol between Lisbon and Cape St. Vincent, during a month
May 14, 1587 - Lagos, Portugal - 1,000 english land and assault the fortress of Sagres and Cape St. Vincent
May 17, 1587 - Off Cape St Vincent, Portugal - Letter to Sir Francis Walsingham: "There hath happened between the Spaniards, Portingals, and ourselves divers combats, in the which it hath pleased God that we have taken forts, ships, barks, carvels, and divers other vessels more than a hundred, most laden, some with oars for galleys, planks and timber for ships and pinnaces, hoops and pipe-staves for cask, with many other provisions for this great army ... The Portingals I have always commanded to be used well, and set them ashore without the wanting of any of their apparel, and have made them to know that it was unto me a great grief that I was driven to hurt of theirs to the value of one real or plate, but that I found them employed for the Spaniards’ services, which we hold to be our mortal enemies, and gave some Portingals some money in their purses and put them aland in divers places, upon which usage, if we stay here any time, the Spaniards which are here in Portugal, if they come under our hands, will become all Portingals and play as Peter did – forswear their master rather than to be sold as slaves. I assure your honour this hath bred a great fear in the Spaniard"
May 25(?), 1587 - Cascais, Portugal - Drake proposes an exchange of prisoners to Álvaro de Bazán
June 1, 1587 - Off Alentejo Coast, SW Portugal - Drake sets sail to the Azores
June 8, 1587 - 20 leagues from São Miguel (St.Michael) Island, Azores - Drake captures the carrack "São Filipe", full of riches
July 6, 1587 - Plymouth - Drake's expedition ends with the return to Plymouth
December 20(?), 1587 - Plymouth - The english fleet had put to sea before Christmas but it proved to be a false alarm
February 21, 1588 - Plymouth - Preparations for the defence of England start in Plymouth. Sir Francis Drake chooses the "Revenge" as his ship for the campaign against the spanish
July 21, 1588 - Eddystone Rocks, off Plymouth - Aboard the Revenge, Drake, in command of a squadron, engages the spanish in combat
July 23, 1588 - Off Portland (Weymouth) - Another battle between the english and the spanish
July 29, 1588 - Off Gravelines, France - Battle of Gravelines
May 1(?), 1590 - Plymouth - John Hawkins and Martin Frobisher (aboard the "Revenge") set sail to the Coast of Portugal to wait for the Silver Fleet
May 10(?), 1590 - Coast of Portugal - Hawkins and Frobisher arrive to the area to wait for the Silver Fleet. However, Phillip II of Spain forbids its departure
October 29(?), 1590 - Plymouth - Hawkins and Frobisher return to England, empty handed
March 2, 1591 - London - A skeleton crew of 40 shipkeepers is taken on to rig the ship
March 9, 1591 - London - The number of crewmen is increased to 160
April(?) 1(?), 1591 - Plymouth - Arrives in Plymouth and another 100 men join the crew
April 5, 1591 - Plymouth - Lord Thomas Howard sets sail for the coast of Portugal, with Sir Richard Grenville as Vice-Admiral (on board the "Revenge")
April 18, 1591 - Off Berlengas Islands, Portugal - Sir Richard takes the 600-tons "Adler von Lübeck"(*), which was carrying planks and masts for the spanish ships in Corunna. (*) Not the famous "Adler von Lübeck", possibly the biggest ship in the world by the time it was dismantled in Lisbon, 1581, for being leaky
April 25(?), 1591 - Off Cape St Vincent, Portugal - After cruising for some time in search for prizes, the "Revenge" Sails for the Azores in the last week of April
May 19, 1591 - 200 miles E. of the Azores - A spanish ship from Havana, the "La Concepción" is taken
August 1(?), 1591 - Ponta Delgada, N. of Flores Island, Azores - Awaiting the Spanish fleets from Mexico and the Caribbean
August 28, 1591 - Ponta Ruiva, NE of Flores Island, Azores - The wind moves into the east and Lord Thomas moves to Ponta Ruiva
August 30, 1591 - Ponta Ruiva - The "Moonshine" arrives with urgent news: The spanish are coming from the East! 53 ships were sighted
September 1, 1591 - Off Flores Island, Azores - The "Revenge" is captured after a fierce fight with 3 spanish ships =(crossofburgundyflag)
September 15, 1591 - Off Flores Island, Azores - Alonso de Bazán sails for Terceira Island with 98 ships. The "Revenge" or "La Venganza", with a crew of 70 (that included english prisoners) is fitted with new main and foremasts
September 18(?), 1591 - Ilhéus das Cabras, Terceira Island, Azores - As the "greatest storm ever witnessed" begins, the "Revenge" "breaks into 100 pieces" into islets called Ilhéus das Cabras (She-goat Islets), Terceira Island =(END)
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