Hi Roy I've heard various rumours regarding this in respect of other Island names, such as Lano, but as far as I can see there is nothing to substantiate it in the Maritime history of the county as recorded in the Victorian County History of Dorset, where I'm sure such an event would be mentioned. There are reports that it was possible to watch the skirmishing of the two fleets from Portland, so I'm sure that if such a vessel had been taken or come ashore here or along the coast there would be far more written about, such as one finds in respect of Armada vessels which were lost on the Irish Coast, possibly resulting in the Black Irish, but that's another story ! However, perhaps more importantly, one shouldn't forget that the Chesil Beach or Chesil Bank, which runs west from Portland for about 17 miles and is on a lee shore for the prevailing South Westerly winds, ie very dangerous for any sailing vessel, which most vessels approaching and leaving the English Channel have to pass, has probably had more wrecks than most places, and it could be that a survivor or survivors from one of these hundreds, (some say well over a thousand or so) of wrecks may have come ashore at Portland. It is perhaps worth noting that despite the best efforts of the authorities and those with a conscience, it wasn't until some time into the 19th Century that any form of life-saving was introduced - prior to this it is well recorded that the locals in most parts of the country were far more interested in rescuing the contents of merchant vessels in preference to the people who sailed in them ! So if you survived a shipwreck prior to 1800 it was usually more likely that you did so through good luck or your own efforts, rather than those of the local population - there were exceptions of course, but the loss of the transports: Catherine, Venus, Piedmont, Thomas, Golden Grove and Æolus on the Chesil Beach in Nov 1795 is an example of where it is said that those capable of rescuing people chose not to........ http://www.pbenyon.plus.com/Shipwrecks/Catherine_1796/Wrecking_of_Catherine_1796.htm also covered by Edwina Boult in her recently published book "Christian's Fleet - A Dorset Shipping Tragedy," but I digress..... Regards Paul Isle of Portland On Sun, 29 Feb 2004 07:43:30 -0500, "Roy Parker" <raparker@magma.ca> wrote: >While researching my ancestors on my mother's side, I was treated to a "totally" unsupported" story that they included a survivor from the Armada, shipwrecked on the Dorset coast, who was rescued and married locally. His name may have been de Fancia, anglicised to Fancy or Fancey. ( My great-great grandmother was Jane Fancy, born in Portland in 1831, and there are many Fancy's in Dorset) > >I accept that it may be a total mare's nest, but has anyone encountered this or similar tales? The second major encounter with the Armada did take place off Portland Bill in 1588, and it is possible, I suppose, that wreck survivors were able to escape the more rigorous sorts of Tudor justice. > >Cheers > >Roy in Ottawa.