In the early 1580s, as the Spanish and Portuguese empires carved up the known world between them, English maritime ambitions were increasingly focused on breaking into the lucrative trade routes that Iberian powers claimed as their exclusive domain. It was in this context that Captain Edward Fenton led an English expedition out of port in June 1582, bound for the South China Sea by way of the Cape of Good Hope — a voyage of exploration with distinct commercial motivations. The expedition would never reach its intended destination, but it would produce one of the more memorable minor naval engagements of the Elizabethan era.
Fenton commanded a force of four vessels. His flagship was the 400-ton galleon Leicester, formerly known as the Bear, with second-in-command Sir William Hawkins Jr — nephew of the renowned Sir John Hawkins — aboard. Following was the 300-ton Edward Bonaventure under Luke Warde, the 50-ton pinnace Elizabeth under Thomas Skevington, and the 40-ton bark Francis under John Drake, a nephew of Sir Francis Drake. The fleet's chaplain, Richard Madox, kept a diary that would later serve as the primary documentary record of the voyage's events.
The expedition's original plan unraveled almost immediately. By the time the fleet arrived off Portuguese Brazil in December 1582, Fenton had changed course with the hope of passing through the Straits of Magellan rather than sailing around the Cape of Good Hope. On December 11, 1582, he arrived off the Brazilian coast. Six days later, the English captured a small Spanish bark, the 46-ton Nuestra Señora de Piedad, which was bound from Brazil toward the River Plate carrying twenty-one settlers under Francisco de Vera. From the vessel's company they learned that Pedro Sarmiento de Gamboa had recently departed Rio de Janeiro to fortify the Strait of Magellan for Spain — an unwelcome piece of intelligence that cast doubt on the feasibility of Fenton's revised plan.
The English released the Piedad three days later, but the situation was deteriorating. By December 31, uncertainty about Sarmiento's fortifications made the Strait of Magellan a risky option. After heated discussions with Hawkins, Fenton reversed course and headed north toward São Vicente, hoping to conduct trade with the Portuguese settlers there. That same night, a storm scattered the fleet and the Francis, carrying eighteen men under John Drake, was lost — never seen again.
Fenton reached the bay of São Vicente on January 30, 1583, with three ships remaining: Leicester, Edward Bonaventure, and Elizabeth. He entered into negotiations with Portuguese residents of the nearby town of Santos, but trade was refused. The Portuguese explained that since Spain and Portugal were now united under the same crown — the Iberian Union had been in effect since 1580 — any commerce with English ships would be viewed by Spain as an act of hostility. Fenton pressed on to São Vicente itself in hopes of better fortune.
On February 3, 1583, three Spanish galleons sailed into the bay. They had been detached from the fleet of Diego Flores Valdez, the second-in-command of Sarmiento's expedition, at Santa Catarina Island to return to Rio de Janeiro. Led by Commodore Andrés de Equino, they included the 500-ton San Juan Bautista, the 400-ton Santa María de Begona, and the 300-ton Concepción. The Spanish ships carried sick and injured from Sarmiento's expedition, but they were aware of the English presence, having encountered the released Piedad, which informed them of Fenton's whereabouts.
At eleven o'clock at night, under moonlight, Equino ordered his ships to clear for battle and bear down on the English. Many of Fenton's men were still ashore in the darkness when the attack began, but the English quickly organized. They anchored in seven fathoms of water just off a sandbar, a position that limited the Spanish approach. The tactical philosophies of the two sides were sharply different: the Spanish favored grappling and boarding, while the English relied on sustained cannon fire to batter opponents into submission.
The Leicester, as the lead English vessel, opened a devastating fire on the approaching Spanish ships, repelling them before they could close to boarding distance. The Spanish tried to maneuver past the Leicester to engage the Edward Bonaventure, but were again driven back by heavy cannon fire. A rainstorm briefly interrupted the fighting but the battle resumed, and as the night wore on, the Spanish position became untenable. The San Juan Bautista was sunk during the engagement; the Santa María de Begona was heavily damaged. Spanish casualties were severe. The English sustained losses as well, though the surviving accounts suggest their losses were considerably lighter.
Fenton attempted to resume trade with the Portuguese settlers after the battle, but without success. With no viable commercial purpose left to serve and his force reduced and battered, he turned for home. The expedition returned to England having accomplished none of its original objectives. Fenton's voyage is remembered not for what it achieved but for what it revealed: the growing confidence and firepower of English maritime forces, and the violent competition being played out in the waters of the New World as the great powers of the sixteenth century struggled for dominance.
