Angel Gabriel (ship)

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The Angel Gabriel was a 240 ton English passenger galleon. She was commissioned for Sir Walter Raleigh's last expedition to America in 1617. She sank in a storm off Pemaquid Point, near the town of Bristol, Maine, on August 15, 1635. The sinking occurred during the middle of the Great Migration.

The ship was initially built as the Starre in 1615 and renamed the Jason by Sir Walter Raleigh for use in his second expedition to Guiana (then under control of the Spanish) in 1617. Following Raleigh's return it was seized and became a merchant ship, renamed the Angel Gabriel.

A stout ship designed and built to cope with combat, even as a merchant ship the Angel Gabriel was involved in many further skirmishes between 1618 and 1635, including a notable engagement in 1627 off Cales where it was boarded several times but was able to clear its decks each time and eventually beat off three Spanish ships. This was possible because the defenders were able to retreat into the forecastle and sterncastle which had reinforced bulkheads fitted with gunports for small cannon and shoulder weapons.

In 1635 it was caught at anchor just after dawn by an unusually powerful early season hurricane and destroyed. See the Great Colonial Hurricane of 1635.

A plaque commemorating the loss was dedicated August 8, 1965 at Pemaquid Point, Maine. Some of the passengers survived the sinking.

[edit] Passengers on the last voyage

Capt. Robert Andrews Ship's Master, Ipswich, Mass
John Bailey, Sr. a weaver from Chippenham, Eng. Newbury
John Bailey, Jr. b.1613
Johanna Bailey (poss. came on a later ship soon after)
Henry Beck
(Dea.) John Burnham
Thomas Burnham
Robert Burnham
Ralph Blaidsdell of Lancashire York, Maine
Mrs. Elizabeth Blaidsdell
Henry Blaidsdell
William Furber
John Cogswell age 43, Westbury Leigh, Wiltshire Ipswich, Mass.
Mrs. Elizabeth (Thompson) Cogswell about 41 Westbury Leigh, Wiltshire
Mary Cogswell about 18, Westbury Leigh, Wiltshire
William Cogswell about 16, Westbury Leigh, Wiltshire
John Cogswell about 13, Westbury Leigh, Wiltshire
Hannah Cogswell about 11, Westbury Leigh, Wiltshire
Abigail Cogswell about 9, Westbury Leigh, Wiltshire
Edward Cogswell about 6, Westbury Leigh, Wiltshire
Sarah Cogswell about 3, Westbury Leigh, Wiltshire
Elizabeth Cogswell infant Westbury Leigh, Wiltshire
Samuel Haines about 24, Apprentice to J. Cogswell, prob. Ipswich Later Dover Point
William Hook
Henry Simpson
John Tuttle Dover Ipswich later Dover NH