The English Ship Centurion (1650) carved its name into maritime history through blood, battle, and an eerily prophetic final night. Built during the tumultuous Commonwealth period, this fourth-rate frigate would witness some of the most brutal naval conflicts of the 17th century. Yet for all its glory in war, the vessel seemed cursed from the start. Strange incidents plagued its four-decade career. Sailors whispered of bad omens. The ship’s violent Christmas Day destruction in 1689 would prove these superstitions disturbingly accurate.
Peter Pett I launched the warship at Ratcliffe in 1650 under a contract worth £6.10.0d per ton. The vessel measured 104 feet along its keel with a 31-foot beam. Its 531-ton displacement made it a formidable presence on the seas. The Commonwealth Navy commissioned the ship immediately upon completion. Captain William Penn took command first, leading the vessel into Mediterranean waters where danger lurked around every corner.
The English Ship Centurion (1650) Enters Its Baptism of Fire
The First Anglo-Dutch War thrust the English Ship Centurion (1650) into a series of savage naval battles that would define its reputation. At the Battle of Dover on May 19, 1652, Captain Walter Wood commanded the vessel as cannons roared across the English Channel. The ship’s crew witnessed firsthand the brutal reality of 17th-century naval warfare. Wooden splinters became deadly projectiles. Men screamed as they fell into churning, blood-stained waters.
The Battle of Portland followed on February 18, 1653, where the Centurion served in Robert Blake’s squadron. Eyewitness accounts describe the ship’s guns belching fire and smoke as Dutch vessels closed in. The Battle of the Gabbard on June 2-3, 1653, saw the Centurion positioned in the White Squadron’s Van Division. Sailors later reported strange lights dancing around the ship’s masts during the night before battle. Some claimed these were spirits of drowned men seeking vengeance.
The climactic Battle of Scheveningen on July 25, 1653, marked the war’s bloodiest engagement. The Centurion’s crew fought with desperate fury as Dutch Admiral Tromp’s flagship exploded nearby. Survivors described an unnatural silence that fell over the water after the Dutch admiral’s death. Even hardened sailors crossed themselves when they spoke of that eerie moment.
Mediterranean Mysteries and the English Ship Centurion’s Dark Reputation
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Following the Dutch war, the English Ship Centurion sailed to the Mediterranean where it encountered the mysterious Barbary corsairs. These North African pirates had terrorized European shipping for centuries. Local legends claimed their ships were blessed by dark magic. The Centurion’s mission was to break their power through force of arms.
Captain Anthony Spatchurst commanded the vessel during the Battle of Santa Cruz on April 20, 1657. This engagement against Spanish treasure ships would become legendary. Yet crew members reported disturbing incidents during the approach to battle. Compasses spun wildly without explanation. Several sailors claimed to see ghostly figures walking the deck at night. The ship’s cook swore he heard voices speaking in unknown languages from the empty hold.
The successful raid on Santiago de Cuba under Captain Christopher Myngs brought wealth but also whispered curses. Spanish prisoners warned that their treasure was protected by ancient hexes. They claimed any ship carrying stolen gold would meet a violent end. The Centurion’s crew laughed at such superstitions. They would not laugh for long.
The Second War and Growing Signs of the English Ship Centurion’s Doom
The Second Anglo-Dutch War brought fresh horrors as the English Ship Centurion returned to battle. At the Battle of Lowestoft on June 3, 1665, the ship served in the Blue Squadron’s Center Division. This engagement proved particularly brutal, with over 2,000 Dutch casualties. The Centurion’s gunners worked their cannons until the barrels glowed red-hot. Smoke choked the air so thick that men could barely see their own hands.
Strange incidents multiplied during this period. The ship’s bell would ring on its own during calm nights. Rats abandoned the vessel repeatedly, forcing the crew to constantly replace them. Old salts knew that rats fleeing a ship meant certain doom. The ship’s cat refused to go below decks, spending all its time staring at the water with unblinking eyes.
Captain Robert Moulton reported these incidents to naval authorities, but his concerns were dismissed. The Second Anglo-Dutch War demanded every available vessel. Superstitions couldn’t override strategic necessity. The Centurion would continue its service regardless of ominous signs.
Christmas Night 1689: The Prophesy Fulfilled
The final chapter of the Centurion’s story unfolded on Christmas night 1689 in Plymouth Sound. A violent south-westerly wind had been building all day. The crew celebrated Christmas despite growing unease about the weather. Local fishermen later claimed they saw strange lights hovering over both the Centurion and the nearby Dutch warship Eendracht.
As midnight approached, the storm reached supernatural fury. The Centurion began dragging its anchor across the harbor bottom. The ship’s officers fought desperately to maintain position, but some invisible force seemed to pull the vessel toward disaster. Witnesses on shore described an unnatural green glow surrounding both ships as they drifted toward Mount Batten.
The collision between the Centurion and Eendracht created a thunderous crash that shattered windows throughout Plymouth. Both vessels were driven ashore in a tangle of rigging and splintered wood. The Dutch lost approximately 150 men while 12 perished from the Centurion. Survivors spoke of hearing voices in the wind calling their names. Some claimed to see ghostly figures beckoning from the churning waters.
The English Ship Centurion (1650) was broken up where it lay, its four-decade career ending in violence and mystery. Local legends persist that the wreck site remains cursed. Fishermen avoid the area on stormy nights, claiming they can still hear the screams of drowning sailors carried on the wind. The ship that had survived countless battles met its end not through enemy action, but through forces that defied rational explanation.
