Name Santísima Trinidad Class and type 70-gun Galleon Draft 9.3 m | Fate Sold 1763 Launched 30 April 1751 Builder Bagatao Shipyards | |
Captured September 30, 1762, by Royal Navy Tons burthen 4,409 tons (2,000 tonnes) Length 167 ft 6 in (51.05 m) (gundeck) | ||
The Santísima Trinidad was a galleon destined for merchant shipping between the Philippines and México. She was one of the largest of the Manila galleons; officially named Santísima Trinidad y Nuestra Señora del Buen Fin, and was familiarly known as The Mighty (Spanish: El Poderoso). She is not to be confused with the Nuestra Señora de la Santísima Trinidad, the biggest warship in the world in its time, which sank at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.
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Construction
Armed with 60 guns, she was laid in Bagatao Island shipyard (Real Astillero) Sorsogon in 1751 with a carrying capacity of 2,000 tons. With a length of 167 feet and a beam of 50 feet, she was "one of the largest galleons ever built in the Philippines," able to carry 5,068 crates of cargo. Orders came from the Governor-General of the Philippines Don Francisco José de Ovando, 1st Marquis of Brindisi. Her large volume and some construction errors made modifications necessary in 1757 to reduce her displacement.
Capture
On 3 Sept. 1762 she departed from Cavite towards Acapulco, but due to a severe storm near the Marianas, she lost a mast. The captain decided to return to the Philippines for repair, unaware that Manila had fallen into British hands after the Battle of Manila.
The ship was intercepted by Edgar Class fourth-rate 60-gun HMS Panther under captain Hyde Parker and the Coventry Class sixth-rate HMS Argo of 28 guns under Richard King. Panther opened fire, but did little damage to her thick wooden hull and caused few casualties. Nevertheless the disheartened crew of the Santísima Trinidad decided to surrender. On board was cargo valued at $1.5 million dollars, besides the value of the ship at $3 million. Previously, the Filipina had been captured with her cargo of American silver from Acapulco.
The ship was taken to Portsmouth, where her sale earned the two captains 30,000 pounds, a fortune at that time. It is not known what happened to the ship after the sale but she was probably scrapped.