Naval Action in the English Channel
Robert Wenyngton

Isle of Wight, 25 May 1449

Thomas Daniel, Esquire for the King's body. Most reverend master,

We met with a flote of an hundred great ship of Prusse, Lubeck, Campe, Rostock, Holland, Zealand, and Flanders, betwixt Guernsey and Portland; and then I came abroad the admiral, and bade them strike in the king's name of England, and they bade me skite in the king's name of England; and then I and my fellowship said but he will strike down the sail, that I will oversail them by the grace of God, and God will send me wind and weather; and they bade me do my worst, because I had so few ships, and so small that they scorned me.

And as God would, we had a good wind; and then we armed us to the number of 2000 men in my fellowship, and made us ready to oversail them; and then they launched a boat, and set up a standard of truce, and came and spoke with me; and there they were yielded all the hundred ships to go with me into what port that me list and my fellows; but they fought with me the day before, and shot at us a 1000 guns, and quarrels out of number, and have slain many of my fellowship, and maimed also.

Wherefore methinketh that they have forfeited both ships and goods at our sovereign lord the king's will, and so I have brought them, all the hundred ships, within Wight, in spite of them all. Ye saw never such a sight of ships taken into England this hundred winters; for we lie armed night and day to keep them in, to the time that we have tidings of our sovereign and his council; for truly they have done harm to me, and to my fellowship, and to our ships, more than £2000 worth harm.

And therefore I am advised, and all my fellowship, to drown them and slay them, without that we have tidings from our sovereign the king and his council.

I write in haste within Wight, on Sunday at night after the Ascension of our Lord.

J. Gairdner. ed. The Paston Letters. (London: 1900), I:165.