'Poor England's lost so many men': Shovell & Association's Loss

October 22nd, 1707.  A fleet of British men o’ war was battling the elements, heading home after a campaign of mixed success in the Mediterranean, under the command of Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell.  His pennant was flying from the main topmast of his flagship, Association; another 21 ships made up the fleet.

It was late in the year to have ‘great ships’ out at sea and indeed the homeward voyage had been beset by storms.  The fleet had had to tack well out into the Atlantic but on October 18th the vessels had turned north-east, reasonably confident that they were safely in the mouth of the English Channel and would soon sight Land’s End or Lizard Point.

October 22nd dawned, an utterly miserable day with strong winds, rough seas, leaden skies and persistent drizzle.  As darkness fell, the fleet still held to its course – just a little further before turning east up the Channel.  At around 9pm disaster struck.  First the Association struck the Gilstone Edge just southwest of the Scilly Isles and tore a gaping hole in her hull.  Moments later the Eagle and then the Romney did the same.  In the darkness and confusion of the next few hours around 1600 men lost their lives as the three vessels foundered and sank.  Somewhat mysteriously, the body of Sir Cloudesley, along with those of his two stepsons, his flag captain, and his pet greyhound, was found on a beach on St Mary’s the next day, the place now marked by a simple stone memorial.

A grander memorial was erected in Westminster Abbey as Queen Anne led the nation in mourning for an admiral as renowned in his day as Nelson a century later.  There was great mourning also for the loss of so many ordinary sailors.  As Queen Anne said, poor England had indeed lost so many men.

What caused such a disaster, one of the greatest losses of life in the Navy’s history other than in battle?  To put it simply, the fleet was not where Sir Cloudesley thought it was.  Cloud cover had made latitude calculations almost impossible; no one had yet devised a method of calculating longitude; compasses were faulty; charts were unreliable.  In short, they thought they were safe, but really they were lost.

What a graphic illustration of our situation outside of Christ, and of the danger of neglecting His Word!

There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.

                                                                                                Proverbs 14:12

Jesus said, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through Me.’

                                                                                                John 14:6

Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.

                                                                                                Acts 4:12

Yet there is a lesson also for those of us who have trusted Christ for salvation.  How easy it is to wander from the pathway, to substitute our own ideas for the truth God has revealed in His Word and, as it were, make shipwreck of our faith.  May we always be people of The Book!

 

Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path.                                                                                                                                            Psalm 119:105

Thus says the Lord: ‘Stand in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; then you will find rest for your souls.’

                                                                                  -Jeremiah 6:16