SUnday the 29th of Iune, 1690. This Evening our Fleet being at Anchor off Beachy, about Three Leagues off, the Wind N. E. by N. the Admiral call'd a Council of Flag Officers, and imparted un∣to us the Queen's Order for engaging the Enemy; who
The account given by Sir John Ashby, Vice-Admiral, and Reere-Admiral Rooke to the Lords Commissioners of the engagement at sea between the English, Dutch, and French fleets, June the 30th, 1690 with a journal of the fleet since their departure from St. Hellens to their return to the Buoy-in-the-Nore, and other material passages relating to the said engagement.
About this Item
- Title
- The account given by Sir John Ashby, Vice-Admiral, and Reere-Admiral Rooke to the Lords Commissioners of the engagement at sea between the English, Dutch, and French fleets, June the 30th, 1690 with a journal of the fleet since their departure from St. Hellens to their return to the Buoy-in-the-Nore, and other material passages relating to the said engagement.
- Author
- Ashby, John, Sir, d. 1693.
- Publication
- London :: Printed for Randal Taylor ...,
- 1691.
- Rights/Permissions
-
To the extent possible under law, the Text Creation Partnership has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above, according to the terms of the CC0 1.0 Public Domain Dedication (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/). This waiver does not extend to any page images or other supplementary files associated with this work, which may be protected by copyright or other license restrictions. Please go to http://www.textcreationpartnership.org/ for more information.
- Subject terms
- Beachy Head (England), Battle of, 1690.
- Great Britain -- History, Naval -- Stuarts, 1603-1714.
- Cite this Item
-
"The account given by Sir John Ashby, Vice-Admiral, and Reere-Admiral Rooke to the Lords Commissioners of the engagement at sea between the English, Dutch, and French fleets, June the 30th, 1690 with a journal of the fleet since their departure from St. Hellens to their return to the Buoy-in-the-Nore, and other material passages relating to the said engagement." In the digital collection Early English Books Online. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A25997.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed May 7, 2024.
Pages
Page 2
then lay about S. S. W. from us, about six Leagues di∣stance. At Ten at Night our Fleet weigh'd, the Wind at N. we lay by with our Heads towards the Shoar all Night.
Monday the 30th of Iune▪ at break of Day, our whole Fleet bore away, the Wind at N. N. E. the Admiral then putting out the Signal for drawing into a Line of Bat∣tle; then fill'd, and bore down upon the Enemies Fleet. At Eight a Clock the Admiral put out the Signal to en∣gage the Enemy; we then being about a League off them, who immediately lay their head Sails to the Masts, we still bearing down upon them; about Nine they fill'd, and stood towards the Shoar with Top-Sails; at which time the Dutch, which led the Van, began the Battle at a considerable distance. About Ten, I with my Division engaged the Enemy, which happened to be Tourvill's Squadron; we fighting in a Line, still keeping three points from the Wind, often backing our Main Top-Sail to keep the Line, and make it good. About Twelve, the Lion and Expedition were disabled; and about Four a Clock our Fore Top-Mast was shot by the Board, at which time it fell Calm: And Vice-Admiral Vandeputt having lost his Main Top-Mast, (which led our head Di∣vision,) put all his Division out of the Line, so that I fell heavy on them, by reason we had not Wind to work our Boats; at which time I saw Nine Sail of the Enemy, that had weathered the Van of the Dutch, and enga∣ged them on both sides. The Vice-Admiral Putten's Squadron being disabled, the Admiral Orders them to Anchor, which being done, the Admiral of the Blew drove to Lee-ward of them, and Anchored between them and the Enemy. About Nine at Night the Fleet
Page 3
weigh'd, and drove up the Chanel with the Tide of Flood.
Tuesday the 1st of Iuly, the Admiral call'd the Flag Officers together, where it was resolved we should retreat with the Fleet to the Eastward; and in Case the Enemy should press us to destroy the disabled Ships, rather than hazard another Engagement to protect them.
This is the exactest Account I can give.
Dated the 11th of Iuly, 1690.
Signed I. Ashby.