The Holigost: Henry V’s Lost Warship and the Mystery of Its Wreck

Henry V commissioned four “great ships” – carracks with three or four masts that could accommodate up to 460 men and seven cannons – during the Hundred Years’ War against France, but one, named Holigost was one he ultimately neglected and eventually sank near Southampton after Henry died in 1422. Only later did archaeologists spot its wreckage after historians noticed its remains on an aerial photograph taken years after its sinking had happened; archaeologists will investigate this remarkable vessel further.

The Origins of the Holigost

The Holigost was not originally an English ship. It was initially a Spanish vessel known as Santa Clara that was captured by Henry V’s forces around 1413 or 1414, captured and rebuilt into a warship before receiving its current name – Holigost, meaning Holy Ghost in English. This name reflected both Henry’s devotion to the Holy Trinity as well as his ambition of taking back France through divine right.

The Holigost entered Henry V’s royal fleet on November 17, 1415 – one month after his victory at Agincourt – as one of four “great ships” Henry ordered to be built or acquired, alongside Trinity Royal, Jesus and Grace Dieu. These giant ships were designed to show Henry’s naval superiority while intimidating potential adversaries.

The Battles of the Holigost

The Holigost took part in two key naval engagements of the Hundred Years’ War: Harfleur in 1416 and Chef de Caux in 1417.

The Battle of Harfleur took place on August 15, 1416 when a French fleet of around 180 ships attacked an English fleet of approximately 100 vessels anchored in Harfleur. The French hoped to break English siege of Harfleur which had been ongoing since July. John, Duke of Bedford (Henry V’s brother and second-in-command), used Holigost as his flagship and held her ground against French attacks for several hours; she too suffered heavy damages but could be repaired afterwards. The Holigost sustained heavy damages which required major repairs after battle.

The Battle of Chef de Caux began on June 15, 1417, when an English fleet of around 150 ships attacked a French fleet of around 200 vessels anchored near Chef de Caux (now Saint-Valery-en-Caux). Henry V was planning his second invasion of Normandy beginning that month; Holigost and Grace Dieu played key roles. It proved to be an overwhelming victory for England who captured or destroyed most of French vessels; French naval power was severely weakened as Henry V conquered Normandy by 1419.

The Fate of the Holigost

After its service in the war, the Holigost was taken out of service in 1422 following Henry V’s death and laid up on the River Hamble near Southampton for several years until 1423 when Davy Owen, an early record diver in England, conducted some repairs that failed to prevent its sinking due to lack of maintenance – likely leaving it submerged beneath its waters for centuries afterward.

The Discovery of the Holigost

Ian Friel, an historian specializing in medieval maritime history, discovered its wreck in 2015 while reviewing aerial photographs taken during the 1970s of a medieval ship-breaking yard at Bursledon on the Hamble, where another of Henry V’s great ships, the Grace Dieu had been discovered during an excavation conducted during World War II in 1933. Friel noticed what appeared to be a large, solid object buried near Grace Dieu that looked similar to a shipwreck; further research confirmed this object may well be part of Henry V’s great shipwreck from this same area.

Historic England (formerly English Heritage), a public body dedicated to protecting England’s historic environment, recently announced it would conduct an in-depth archaeological examination of the shipwreck site. Their researchers will use technology such as sonar, remote sensing, drone photography and dendrochronology (studying tree rings) in order to gain more knowledge about its structure, history, condition and protection from threats such as erosion, pollution or looting.

The Holigost is a treasure, which sheds light on England and Europe during the Middle Ages naval history. As one of few surviving examples of carracks (a type of ship which revolutionized maritime trade and exploration in 15th and 16th century Europe), its existence testifies to Henry V’s military ambitions; additionally it bears witness to one of England’s most revered monarchs – making the Holigost an integral part of England’s national heritage worthy of study and protection today.

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