Maritime record LWT 824 - Wreck of the La Seinte Anne

1369 or 1370 wreck of Flemish cargo vessel which stranded on the Holm Sand on her passage from Flanders to Edinburgh. The surviving Scottish merchants involved asked for their goods to be restored to them under the terms of "the late truce". Constructed of wood, she was a sailing vessel.
Status: Casualty

'1370. Jan. 12. Westminster. Commission to Hugh Fastolf, William Tamworth and John Bryce, reciting that, whereas in the late truce between the king and David de Bruys, king of Scotland, it is contained that during the truce all men of both sides may have dealings together, by land and by sea (castles and fortified towns excepted), and if a ship of either side be driven by tempest or other necessity into any port in England or Scotland, it may stay there quietly, and take in victuals, the king learns by complaint of Robert Clerc and Richard Waldyng, merchants of Edynburgh in Scotland, that they and other merchants freighted their ship called LA SEINTE ANNE in Flanders with divers merchandise for Edynburgh, and on the voyage the ship was broken by the violence of the sea at Le Holmes in Kirkele Rode, co. Suffolk, and great part of the merchandisse was cast ashore, and that all the merchants and mariners in the ship, with the exception of the complainants, perished in the sea, and they have made petition to the king to order restitution to be made to them, pursuant to the truce, of the merchandise so cast ashore, whereof part has been arrested by the said Bryce, as lieutenant of the king's admiral towards the north, and some has been carried away by evildoers of the said parts; and appointing them to make inquisition in the county of Suffolk touching the names of the evildoers and the value of the merchandise carried away, recover the same for the complainants or cause the value thereof to be levied from those who carried it away; and to cause proclamation to be made in the county that all of the county treat the said merchants of Scotland courteously and in friendly manner.' (1)

'1370. March 26. Westminster. Commission of oyer and terminer to William de Wychyngham, Nicholas de Tamworth, Hugh Fastolf and William de Tamworth, on complaint on behalf of William Lyth, James Henrisson, Thomas Marcher, John Wode, Thomas Recyvet, John Scot, Adam de Dalgarnok, Walter Gopeld, Andrew Bet, William Gopeld, Simon del Abbeye, Alan Hog and Thomas Clerk, merchants of Scotland, that whereas certain of them freighted a ship of William Mone called LA SEINT MARIE of Seland, and other of them a ship of Florence Johanesson of Flanders called LA SEINT ANNE of Cagent, at Lescluse for passage to Scotland, and the said ships were driven by tempest as far as Kirkele Rode, co. Suffolk, and there broken, and although Robert Clerk of Lyth and Richard de Waldalston of the ship called LA SEINT ANNE, and William Mone of the other ship, escaped alive, claimed the merchandise of the said merchants and seized them for their use, nevertheless certain evildoers took and carried off the said merchandise against the form of the truce lately established between the king and David le Bruys of Scotland.' (4)

'1370. June 24. Westminster. Commission to Edmund de Thorp, sheriff of Norfolk and Suffolk, John de Berneye, Reynold de Eccles and John de Lakynghethe, keepers of the peace, and others the king's lieges in the county of Suffolk, on complaint by William Lyth, James Henrisson, Thomas Marcher, John Wode, Thomas Recyvet, John Scot, Adam de Dalgarnok, Walter Gopeld, Simon del Abbeye, Alan Hog and Robert Clerk, merchants of Scotland, that whereas the said William, James, Thomas, John, Thomas, John, and Adam freighted a ship of William Mone called LA SEINT MARIE of Seland, and the said Walter, Andrew [sic], William Gopeld [sic], Simon, Alan and Robert Clerk a ship of Florence Johannesson of Flanders called LE SEINT ANNE of Cagent, at Le Scluse for passage to Scotland, and the said ships were driven by tempest to Kyrkele Rode and there broken and the goods cast ashore, and although Robert Clerk de Lyth and Richard de Waldaston escaped alive from the ship called LA SEINT ANNE and William Mone from the other ship, claimed their goods, and seized them for the use of the said merchants, nevertheless certain evildoers of those parts carried away the said goods and did other enormities against the form of the truce lately made with David le Bruys of Scotland, - to make inquisition in the said county of the names of the said evildoers and into whose hands the goods have come, seize into the king's hand the said goods in whosesoever hands they are in the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex, or their value out of the goods of those who occupy the same, and deliver them to the merchants; also to arrest and commit to prison all who refuse to deliver such goods occupied by them until they make fitting satisfaction to the merchants.' (3)

NB: The "truce" referred to appears to be that of a truce in 1369, providing a terminus post quem for the date of loss. (2)

"Cagent" remains unidentified. In the light of the owner's Flemish nationality, and the departure point from Le Scluse, then at the time in Flanders, the vessel's Flemish nationality has been recorded. The region of Flanders is now divided principally between France, Belgium and the Netherlands. In the light of the master's name, which sounds more Dutch than French, and the fact that Le Scluse is now Sluis in the modern Netherlands, the modern nationalities of Dutch and Belgian have been recorded for this vessel.

Crew Lost: some (1)(2)(4)
Passengers Lost: some (1)(2)(4)
Owner: of ship, Florence Johannesson of Flanders (2)(4)
Owner: of cargo, Robert Clerc (1) or Clerk de Lyth (2)(4) and Richard Waldyng, Edinburgh (1) or Richard de Waldalston (2)(4), survivors of the wreck; other merchants concerned being Walter Gopeld [possibly also Andrew and William Gopeld], Simon del Abbeye, and Alan Hog (2)(4)

Date of Loss Qualifier: Reporting date of loss