DAME KILLIGREW AND THE SPANISH SHIP. 

 By H. MICHELL WHITLEY, F.G.S., Hon. SeCo 



In the "Compleat History of Cornwall," compiled by our 

 Cornisli antiquary, Mr. WiUiam Hals, — a work, tlie publication 

 of wMcli, according to Lysons, was suspended for want of 

 purchasers, occasioned by the scurrilous anecdotes which it 

 contained, — there occurs a strange story of a fair buccaneer of 

 the Killigrew family, which runs as follows : 



"The country people here about will tell you (as such are 

 superstitious enough to do) that this manslaughter of Mr. 

 Killegrewe by Mr. Yincent, whereby the male lyne of that 

 familly is extinct, was a just jiidgement of God, for that Jane 

 Killigrew, widow of Sir John Killygrew, knt., aforesaid, his 

 greate grandmother, in the Spanish Wars the later end of the 

 reigne of Queen Elizabeth, went aboard two Dutch Shippes of 

 the Hanse Townes (allwaye free traders in tymes of warr) driven 

 into Falmouth Harbour by cross winds, laden with merchantdises 

 on account (as was said) of Spaniards and with a numerous 

 party of ruffians slew the two Spanish Merchants, or factors on 

 board the same, and from them took two barrells or hogsheads 

 of Spanish pieces of eight, and converted them to her owne 

 use. 



Now though Fleta liber 1 , chapter 3, Temp. Edward 2nd, 

 tells us that it is no murder unless it be proved that the party 

 slaine was Englishe, and no stranger yet afterwards by the statute 

 4 Edward 3rd his son chap 4, The Killinge any foreigner 

 under the king's protection out of evil designe or malice is made 

 murder, upon which statute those offenders were tryed and 

 found guilty at Launceston of wilful murder, both by the grand 

 and petty juries, and had sentences of death passed accordinglie 

 upon them, and were all executed except the s** Lady Killygrew, 

 the principal agent and contriver of this barbarous fact ; who 

 by the interest and favour of Sir John Arundell, of Tolverne, 

 Kt., and his son-in-law, Sir Nicholas Hals, of Penjersick, 

 obtained of Queen Elizabeth, a pardon or reprieve of the said 

 lady which was reasonably put into the sheriff of Cornwall's 

 hands, 



