English carrack Holigost

Holigost (sometimes rendered as Holy Ghost)[2] was a carrack of the English navy rebuilt for Henry V. Originally a Castillian vessel called Santa Clara, she was captured c.1413–14. She served until 1422 and later sank at her moorings. Her wreck is believed to have been found in the River Hamble, Hampshire. The wreck is a Protected Wreck managed by Historic England.

History
Castile
Name: Santa Clara
Owner: Castillian Navy
Out of service: c.1413–14
History
England
Name: Holigost
Namesake: The Holy Ghost
Owner: English crown
Acquired: c.1413–14
Commissioned: 17 November 1415
Out of service: 1422
Motto:
  • Une sanz pluis
  • (French "One and no more")[1]
Fate: Sank
General characteristics
Tons burthen: 750-760 tons b.o.m.
Length: In excess of 30 m (98 ft)
Beam: In excess of 12 m (39 ft)
Propulsion: Sails
Sail plan: Carrack
Complement: 200 sailors plus up to 260 troops
Armament: 7 cannon, 102 gads, bows and arrows, spears, poleaxes.

Description

Holigost was a carrack, measuring in excess of 98 feet (30 m) length and 39 feet (12 m) beam. She was measured at 760 tons Builder's Old Measurement. The ship had a crew of about 200 sailors.[3] She also carried up to 260 troops.[4] Armament was seven cannon, 102 gads (iron spears), bows and arrows, spears and poleaxes.

History

Holigost was the second of the four "great ships" commissioned by Henry V, and which also included the Trinity Royal, Jesus, and Grace Dieu.[5] She was originally a Castillian ship, Santa Clara, which was captured in 1413–14 and subsequently rebuilt. Holigost "joined the royal fleet" on 17 November 1415.[4] She saw action in at least two battles during the Hundred Years' War.[3] She participated in a naval battle off Harfleur in 1416. Following repairs to damage received there,[6] she participated in a battle off Saint-Denis-Chef-de-Cove in 1417. Holigost was withdrawn from service in 1422 - the year of Henry's death - and laid up in the River Hamble, Southamptonshire.[6] Repairs made in 1423 by Davy Owen may be the earliest recorded use of a diver in ship repair in England.[3] It is believed that she eventually sank in the Hamble due to a lack of maintenance.[6]

Wreck

In 2015, it was announced that it was thought that the wreck of Holigost lay in the River Hamble. The site is close to that of Grace Dieu, another of Henry's ships.[3] The wreck had been identified on an aerial photograph taken in the 1970s. Historic England is taking steps to protect the wreck before it is surveyed. A lack of funding is the reason behind the 40-year delay between the discovery of the wreck and work to survey the vessel beginning.[6] The survey will include the use of dendrochronology, drones, remote sensing and sonar.[4]

References
  1. "Historic Wreck Identified – Believed To Be Henry V's 600-Year-Old Great Ship; Historic England". historicengland.org.uk. 2015. Retrieved 24 October 2015.
  2. Rodger, N. A. M. (1998). The Safeguard of the Sea: A Naval History of Britain, 660–1649. London: W. W. Norton & Company. p. 68. ISBN 0-393-31960-1.
  3. "Henry V warship Holigost 'may be buried in River Hamble'". BBC News Online. Retrieved 12 October 2015.
  4. Knapton, Sarah. "600-year-old Henry V warship found in Hampshire river". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 12 October 2015.
  5. Hattendorf, JB and Unger, RW. (2003). War at Sea in the Renaissance and Middle Ages. Boydell Press: Woodbridge, UK.
  6. "Remains of Henry V warship believed to be buried in Hampshire". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 October 2015.
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