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Mountbatten Medallic History of Great Britain and the Sea Medal: Sir Richard Grenville and the …
Mountbatten Medallic History of Great Britain and the Sea Medal: Sir Richard Grenville and the Revenge
Mountbatten Medallic History of Great Britain and the Sea Medal: Sir Richard Grenville and the …
Mountbatten Medallic History of Great Britain and the Sea Medal: Sir Richard Grenville and the Revenge

Mountbatten Medallic History of Great Britain and the Sea Medal: Sir Richard Grenville and the Revenge

Associated (Frogmore House, Windsor, England, 1900 - 1979)
Medallist
DateMay 2004
Object NameMedal
MediumSterling Silver
ClassificationsMedals
Dimensions44mm
AcquisitionPresented in 2004 by Dr Joan M Burrell.
LocationView by Appointment - Aberdeen Treasure Hub
Object numberABDMS072500.9
About MeSir Richard Grenville came of an old Cornish family. His father was lost when the Mary Rose sank at Spithead in 1545. Sir Richard was the relative and collaborator of Sir Humphrey Gilbert and Sir Walter Raleigh, sailing on two voyages to the latter's colony at Virginia. At the time of the Armada he was in charge of the defences of the west country, his own ship, the Revenge, being chosen by Drake as his flagship because of her fine sailing qualities. Drake later bought Grenville's house near Plymouth, now the Drake Museum.

The Revenge, built in 1575, represented the new type of 'race built' galleon, described as lying 'low and snug in the water', more flush-decked than the older 'high-charged' galleons, yet just as heavily armed and much faster. She was 92 ft long, 32 ft broad, of about 450 tons and pierced for 34 guns.

In 1591 Grenville sailed in her as vice-admiral in the squadron commanded by Lord Thomas Howard to the Azores. Howard was warned at Flores of the approach of a fleet of 53 Spanish warships under Don Alonso de Bazan. Since his own force consisted of only 16 ships, he stood out to sea in order to escape, but Grenville refused to follow him. Whether this was because he delayed in order to pick up some of his crew who were ashore, or whether he trusted to the superior sailing qualities of his ship will never be known. He soon found himself surrounded and after a desperate action lasting many hours against no fewer than 15 enemy ships, he was mortally wounded and the ship surrendered, only to sink later in a storm.

This heroic episode, the supreme example of the fighting qualities of Elizabethan ships and seamen, has inspired writers from Raleigh's noble narrative of the action to Tennyson's famous ballad.

The Mountbatten Medallic History of Great Britain and the Sea, John Pinches Medallists Ltd.
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