John Miller painting - St Michael's Mount - 18May10

A letter from Lord Admiral Howard to Sir Francis Walsingham, 21st July 1588. 'Upon Friday at Plymouth I received intelligence that there were a great number of ships descried off the Lizard'. He describes the weather as 'wind was very scant' and it became 'rain hard by' the wind being SW, eventually they came across the Armada at 3pm, giving them flight at 9pm.
Sir John Hawkins writes to Francis Walsingham 31st July 1588 that he had encountered the enemy on the 21st July when they had a small fight in the afternoon.

It is a tradition of St Michael's Mount that the beacon was lit to announce the Armada .. though the NT seems to think this was in 1587. I will read further of the Mount's own history.

Rev Lach-Szyrma writes of this...On July 19th the news arrived that the Armada had been sighted off the Cornish coast. Tradition hints that St Michael's Mount gave the signal for the beacon fires. From height to height the blaze spread in lurid glare over the hills of England.....

It would be interesting to discover the truth, somehow ...

Thank you very much indeed, Treeve. I have read your information with interest and can add nothing at the moment.

John Miller was commissioned by Lord and Lady St Levan in 1979 to paint ten historical pictures. He also was commissioned in 1987 to carve the crucifix in the chapel. Information passed to me by member Rodway-Barnes.