Portuguese attack on the Catherine (1618)

The Portuguese attack on the Catherine was the Portuguese attack on the English vessel, the Catherine.

Portuguese attack on the Catherine
Part of English expedition to the Gambia River (1618)
Date September, 1618 Location Gassan, Gambia River Result Portuguese victory
Belligerents
Kingdom of Portugal	Kingdom of England
Commanders and leaders
Hector Nunez	George Thompson
Units involved
Unknown	Catherine
Strength
Unkown number of Portuguese soldiers and castes	1 vessel “Few left on board”
Casualties and losses
Unknown	All killed

Background

Letters patent granting exclusive trading rights in the Gambia River were issued to various adventurers in 1598, 1612, and 1632, but it wasn't until 1618 that the English made their first attempt to explore the river. This expedition was led by George Thompson, with the aim of opening trade with Timbuktu.

Portuguese attack

Leaving his ship, the Catherine, at Gassan, Thompson proceeded with a small party in boats up the Neriko river. During his absence, the crew of the Catherine was massacred by the Portuguese. All Englishmen present at Gassan were killed in the surprise assault.

Aftermath

Some of Thompson's party managed to return overland to Cape Verde and subsequently to England. Meanwhile, Thompson remained in the Gambia with seven companions but was killed by one of them after a sudden quarrel. Another expedition under Richard Jobson was later dispatched, which seized Portuguese shipping in retaliation for the massacre. Jobson also traveled to Neriko, reporting the commercial potential of the river. However, both his and previous expeditions resulted in significant losses, leading patentees to abandon further ventures in the Gambia and refocus on the Gold Coast.

References

Sources

• Gray, J.M (1940). The History of the Gambia. London: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1-107-51196-5.