The list of shipwrecks of Cornwall lists the ships which sank on or near the coasts of mainland Cornwall. The list includes ships that sustained a damaged hull, which were later refloated and repaired. Around a coast of approximately an estimated 6000 ships have been wrecked, more than on any other comparable coastline of the British Isles. A traditional saying about the north coast is "From Pentire Point to Hartland light, A watery grave by day and night." The coast of the Lizard peninsula is particularly hazardous to shipping and the seaways round it were historically known as the "Graveyard of Ships".
N.B. For those wrecks in the Isles of Scilly, see List of shipwrecks of the Isles of Scilly and for those on the Seven Stones Reef see List of shipwrecks of the Seven Stones Reef.
1201–1300
1284 Two lives were lost when a boat struck a rock near the tithing of Kelynack, St Just.
1301–1400
1301/02 The mast of a wreck off Rame Head was sold for four shillings. Wreckage washed up within the tithing of Trelan suggesting a wreck in the area of Black Head.
1307 5 May (first report) – a Spanish cargo ship the La Maudeleyne was stranded on the south Cornish coast, possibly in Mount's Bay. All her crew were saved and much of the cargo was salvaged. Scheduled Ancient Monument no. 1448520.
1314 1 April (first report) – Chepstow registered sailing vessel Shoreham () on voyage, in ballast, to Poitou, wrecked in Widemouth Bay. £42 was found in a chest.
1318 8 February (first report) – unidentified sailing vessel on voyage from Portugal to Flanders ″... cast away when anchored by contrary winds in Padistowe″. Men and cargo (including wine) saved.
1321 30 April (first report) – a cargo (including jewels) worth £6,000 was lost when the sailing vessel St Bartholomew ( Bilbao) lost near Lizard Point while heading for La Seyne.
1340 3 March (first report) – an Irish () vessel was wrecked on the Cornish coast at "Porthlyn" and broken up by men from St Perran and St Carantoc. Although a Scheduled Ancient Monument the exact location is unknown, but is likely to be in, or near, Perran Sands or Crantock.
1342 (first report) – in a case brought before Edward III, La Trinite of Fowey () was boarded by Nicholas de Beer of Marhamchurch while anchored in the port of Widemouth. The cables and cords were cut and she was driven ashore by the tide and broke up. Goods to the value of £300 owned by John de Lym and Henry Bote lost.
1343 10 February (first report) – sailing vessel Tarite (Spain or France) wrecked on the south coast of Cornwall while heading for Falmouth. Cargo valued at £3,000. Scheduled Ancient Monument no. 1189787
1382 Saint Marie De Marceau () possibly plundered by local people in Mount's Bay sometime between 29 November and early December. The captain was captured and forced to sign over the ship and contents which was worth 600 marks.
1394 Gabrielle of Milford Haven was wrecked on the Wolf Rock, between the Isles of Scilly and Cornwall. The cargo, worth £1,000, was washed ashore in Cornwall.
1401–1500
1405 Unnamed ship wrecked on the Eddystone, her mast was found at Rame Head and sold by the Duchy of Cornwall in Plymouth.
1468 Raphael (or Raphaell) () lost in Bude Bay while heading for her home port of Bristol from Danzig.
1478 La Kateryne (probably County of Flanders) was wrecked near St Michael's Mount. She had left Spain with a cargo of textiles, iron, wax and other goods. Nine Spanish late medieval gold coins found at Praa Sands by a metal detector may be from this wreck.
1480 December – four ships carrying almost 1,000 tons of wine lost in Mount's Bay.
1501–1600
1514 21 February (first report) – a Spanish ship () lost at Polkemyas (now known as Porth Kidney sands), near Lelant in the manor of Lelant and Trevethowe carrying a cargo of cloth (including scarlet).
1515 an unidentified vessel was wrecked between Pensance and Markayowe, Mount's Bay while carrying a cargo of spices and textiles. an unidentified vessel on voyage from Dublin was wrecked between Lelant Water and Porthroppter with a cargo of ″hydes and frys″ (coarse woollen cloth).
1516 22 February (first report) – seven ships and ″barks″ lost between Lelant Water and St Ives laden with iron cast goods, cloth and other wares.
1517 unnamed vessel wrecked at Porthcurno with a cargo of cloth and pewter.
1517/1518 unnamed vessel wrecked near Carrack Loys, near Marckayowe (St Michael's Mount) with a cargo of hogsheads of wine, which was divided between James Chynowythe, Richard Pendre and Sir John Arundell.
1518 unnamed vessel wrecked in "Whitson Bay at the Lands End", witnessed by John Davye. She was carrying wines and fruit and all on board were saved.
1527 19 January – St Anthony or Santo António () was a carrack which foundered in Gunwalloe Bay, Cornwall, in 1527 en–route from Lisbon to Antwerp. She had a mixed cargo including copper and silver ingots, said to be worth an estimated £100 million in today's values. One half of the crew was lost. The wreck was located in 1981 and a selection of her cargo can be seen in the Charlestown Shipwreck, Rescue and Heritage Centre, Charlestown. Also reported as Saint Andrew and sinking on 19 January 1526. The site is designated under the Protection of Wrecks Act 1973.
1531 (first report) – a hulk was lost at "Sennar Clyffe by Innyall Chappell" now known as Gurnard's Head within Reskymer's Manor of Trethein. She was carrying salt and all lives were lost.
1532 Harry Angwyne sworn at Court that he often saw wrecks of timbers cast on the land at Whitsonbay and other places around Land's End, Cornwall. (First report) – an unidentified vessel was lost at the Longships, off Land's End, Cornwall. (First report) – a barrel of tar was washed up at Gwynver, Sennen, Cornwall and barrel of flower (flour) washed up in Whitson Bay in Gonhellye under Meen off an unidentified vessel(s).
1557/1558 a vessel was wrecked near Porth Treyth (Portreath). Her mast was found below Tehedye (Tehiddy) cliff, timber found at Carvannel and four hogsheads of Gascon wine found at Porthreath.
1565 a sailing vessel foundered in Mount's Bay, possibly near Newlyn where an anchor was found. The year of loss is given as the 7th or 8th year of Elizabeth I reign (beginning 17 November 1565 to 1567).
1571 (first report) – an unidentified ship wrecked at Cudden Point. Some of her cargo of wine salvaged.
1575 (first report) – an unidentified barque out of Ireland, carrying herring was driven ashore at Porthreptor (Carbis Bay). One quarter of the ship came ashore at Polkemyas (Arundel Port).
1588 a wreck in Mullion Cove may be the Santo Christo de Castello (). The 1589 or 1590 wreck (see below) may refer to this wreck.
1589/1590 A small galleon captured on the Spanish Main in the summer of 1589 by George Clifford, the Earl of Cumberland, and sent home as a "prize" the following winter. Under the command of Christopher Lister and with a cargo of looted silver, she was lost with all hands in a gale near Penzance.
1595 2 August – During a Spanish raid, John of Mousehole and two other ships were sunk off Penzance.
1601–1700 In 1621 Sir John Killigrew reported “... a certificate of ye losse of 25 ships there and thereabouts within this dozen or twente years besides a great numbre of others whose ruines lye neare those rocks and cliffs, not knowne of whome or what they weare.”
1616 unknown ship, known as Rill Cove Wreck () – a cargo vessel foundered off Rill Cove, near Kynance Cove in Mount's Bay. Finds include 300 coins in two datable groups 1555–98 and 1598–1603/5. The year 1616 is tentative.
1619 unknown date – a ship () from San Lucar carrying silver bullion near Polpear Cove.
1632 January – an unnamed cargo ship, carrying fustick wood and tobacco, wrecked in Manor of Tintagel near Crackington, St Gennys with the loss of all lives. Scheduled Ancient Monument no. 1321098.
1635 February – a galleon () homeward bound from the Indies was captured and looted by the Dutch. Putting into "Guavers Lake" (Gwavas Lake) off Newlyn she hit the Low Lee ledge. Attempts at salvage by the authorities were opposed by the inhabitants of Mousehole and Market Jew who raided the ship at night and took away "two hundred hides". A looted cannon from this ship was salvaged by the Greencastle in 1916 and for many years was in front of Penzance Library, before being stolen.
1637 18 February – Three Dutch Republic () warships were lost during a naval action off the coast of the Lizard peninsula, Cornwall. A Spanish () armada of eight warships intercepted an Anglo-Dutch merchant convey of fifty vessels and also captured seventeen of the ships.
1649 30 January – the Garland () of Topsham carrying garments and other possessions of the late Charles I, together with some personal belongings of his fugitive Queen and the wardrobe of the Prince of Wales wrecked at Godrevy. She was taking shelter off St Ives in a great storm and dragged her anchors. Only a man, boy and wolf–dog survived out of about sixty passengers and crew.St Ives Times and Echo. 29 November 1968
1658 unknown date – Levant Company ship Aleppo Merchant () wrecked on the approaches to the River Camel at Treyarnon Bay while on passage from Smyrna for London
1659 unknown date – a Dutch West Indian ship () was wrecked off Sennen Cove with a cargo of silver ingots.
1667 March – Jonkheer (master Van de Putterstock) of the Dutch East India Company with a cargo of sugar, coffee, spices and Banca tin with a value of £50,000 was wrecked under Angrouse Cliff near Mullion Cove, Cornwall.McBride, P. W. J.; Richard, L. & Davis, R. (Ferdinand Research Group). (1971) "A Mid–17th Century Merchant Ship-wreck near Mullion, Cornwall: interim report". Cornish Archaeology 10: 75–78 October – ship carrying silver coin lost at Lizard Point. an 800-ton ship () with 48 guns and a value of £100 000 lost on the Lizard. This wreck may be the ship the Ferdinand Research Group discovered in 1969 below Angrouse Cliff near Mullion Cove
1669 unknown date – San Salvador () near the Lizard. This wreck may be the ship the Ferdinand Research Group discovered in 1969 below Angrouse Cliff near Mullion Cove.
1676 unknown date - a Spanish galleon was wrecked on Halzephron cliffs; its cargo was said to be worth £2 million, Gunwalloe.
1683 11 February – an unnamed ship foundered off Porthleven and her captain Jonathan Hide was drowned.
1684
9 February – East Indiaman the President ( British East India Company) ran aground on Loe Bar. She was carrying a valuable cargo of spices, indigo, drugs, textiles, pepper, diamonds and ″Jewish Treasure of Pearl″ More of the wreck was uncovered, following storms, in 2018. In 2018 divers found seven cannon and an anchor thought to be from the wreck.President's guns found off Cornwall; www.divernet.com 4 April – the Schiedam () a Dutch built fluit and, at the time, a sixth rate transport ship of the English fleet wrecked at Jangye Ryn near Gunwalloe Church Cove.
1691 3 September – 2nd rate , () foundered off Rame Head while at anchor in a south–east gale with the loss of approximately 600 lives.
1695 an unnamed Dutch cargo vessel was torn to pieces by the local people.
1700 February – East Indiaman Thornton ( British East India Company) wrecked at Port Quin.
1701–1800
1704 16 January – approximately one hundred lives lost when the 4th rate , () was wrecked in Whitesand Bay.
1707 21 October – third-rate ship of the line ( Royal Navy) sank after a battle off Lizard Point against a French fleet of twelve ships. She was one of five ships escorting a convoy to Lisbon with supplies for the war in Spain. There were only three survivors out of a complement of 500.
1708 9 December – East Indiaman, Albemarle ( British East India Company) ran aground near Polperro, with a cargo of diamonds, coffee, pepper, silk and indigo.
1720