The list of shipwrecks of the Isles of Scilly is a list of ships which sank on or near the Isles of Scilly. The list includes ships that sustained a damaged hull, which were later refloated and repaired.
Before 1601 1305 an unnamed sailing vessel wrecked on Tresco. The Coroner, William le Poer, on the island to take charge of the salvaged cargo, was ″seized by the mob″ led by Randulph de Blancminster, Lord of the Manor, and imprisoned until he was able to purchase his freedom.
1555 unidentified Spanish or Spanish–Netherlands vessel on Bartholomew Ledge. The oldest wreck site in the Isles of Scilly protected under the Protection of Wrecks Act 1973.
1597 February – the Spanish Fleet of Indies galleon San Bartolomé () was lost within the Isles of Scilly. She was carrying lead ingots and fragments of bronze bells. (Note: may refer to 1555 wreck above.)
1601–1700 1616 or 1617 a ship () equipped by Sir Walter Raleigh at his own expense sank in a gale whilst outward bound to Guiana seeking gold. A small Elizabethan shipwreck fitting the size and description of this ship was found by Todd Stevens in St Marys Roadstead which could be the remains of this vessel- the Fly boat "Flying Joan".
1617 the pinnace Supply () of the East India Company was driven aground on the Western Rocks whilst homeward bound from Bantam to London. Men and goods saved and she made a second voyage to Java in 1621 and reported as laid up, there, in 1623.
1636 24 March – sailing ship Gift of God () of Kirkcaldy was wrecked.
1641 23 September – the Dartmouth based Merchant Royal () foundered between Land's End, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.
1645 July – the Royalist vessel John ran ashore after a skirmish with three Parliamentary ships. She was the flagship of the pirate John Mucknell. For more information about this wreck Read the book 'Pirate John Mucknell' by Todd Stevens.
1651 Two unidentified Royalist frigates anchored under Hugh Hill (now the Garrison) and blockading St Mary's was driven ashore in a storm and thought to be total wrecks (not confirmed by research).
1665 18 January – while on her first voyage home from the Moluccas and Bantam to London, the East Indiaman ship Royal Oak ( British East India Company) was lost (probably) on Pednathise Head in the Western Rocks. Some of the crew managed to abandon ship and took to a ″low rock″ where they were rescued fifty-two hours later. She was carrying peppercorns, cloth and porcelain.
1667 22 December (first report) – three ships lost near Scilly. (first report) – unidentified vessel () wrecked at an unknown location. A passenger complained that he was left on a rock for one or two days while the cargo was salvaged, saying "Valuing the goods more than my life".
1668 11 December – sixth-rate Hind () lost on Crim rocks.
1670 21 August (first report) – "A great ship has been lost about the Scillies, the afterpart of a wreck has been found."
1680 11 January – East India Company ship Phoenix carrying white pepper and cloth wrecked on the Western Rocks. Much of the cargo was salvaged and sold on Scilly to Thomas Abney who paid £202 8s 1d for 269 pieces of Peerlongs.
1681 December – A cargo vessel () wrecked off St Agnes. The lighthouse keeper on St Agnes was found guilty of negligence for being inattentive to the light and for plundering some of the cargo.
1686 February – Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie ship, Prinses Maria sank in shallow water near Silver Carn, north of Santaspery Neck within the Western Rocks. King James II sent his yacht to salvage some of the cargo and in 1973 a diving team recovered real coins, iron cannon and timbers.
1701–1800 unknown year a French seventy–four gun ship was wrecked on the Western Rocks whilst making an attempt to invade the islands, an accompanying frigate managed to evade the rocks and return to France.
1707
22 October – HMS Association, HMS Eagle, HMS Romney and HMS Firebrand (all Royal Navy) with the loss of nearly 2,000Sobel, Dava, Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time, Fourth Estate Ltd., London 1998, p. 6, souls; HMS Phoenix ( Royal Navy) sustained a damaged hull but was later refloated and repaired (see Scilly naval disaster of 1707).
1720 a Dutch ship lost on Great Wingletang Rock, St Agnes along with her cargo and crew.
1727 William and Mary from Jamaica
1730 a ship carrying wine from the Canary Islands was wrecked on or near Rosevean. The master and a crewman were lashed to a rock for three days before rescue.
1733 unknown ship carrying mahogany from the Bay of Honduras to London went ashore on Melledgan. Only the captain and one crew managed to get away on a raft and drifted to Kitten Rock, north of Gugh where they were picked up days later.
1736 9 October – The Triumph from Jamaica carrying 500 hogshead of sugar and a large quantity of rum.
1737 a Dutch ship was wrecked in Wingletang Bay, St Agnes in a south-east gale. The master and one of the crew were lost.
1738 November – the Diana () of Calais wrecked on Mincarlo.
1739 30 December – Mermaid () of Plymouth wrecked on Crow Bar.
1742 9 March – Nancy carrying Bristol compound spirits, hemp, iron and gunpowder caught fire and blew up in New Grimsby. There was damage to several ships in the vicinity.
1743 13 July – Dutch East India Company cargo ship VOC Hollandia, () on her maiden voyage and bound from Amsterdam to Batavia, wrecked on the Gunner Rock, near Annet with the loss of 276 souls. In 1971 Rex Cowan found the wreck, a large quantity of silver coins, along with bronze cannons and mortars.
1748 27 February – ( Royal Navy wrecked on the Seven Stones reef with the loss of one hundred lives in 1747.
1750 unknown date – a large unidentified sailing vessel lost in the Gilstone area.
1752 a Dutchman carrying cotton from Smyrna in Turkey wrecked on Rosevean. There were no survivors.
1753 20 May – the Johanna stranded at Little Smith, St Agnes; accounts differ as to year of loss and voyage details. Either registered at (or left) Topsham for Swansea or from the Isle of Wight for Liverpool. or en route from South Shields to Liverpool.
1758 30 December – the Furnace bound for Gosport with a cargo of brandy, oil, prunes, rosin and pewter wrecked on Broad Ledge near Guther's Island. Most of her cargo was saved by locals and Custom officers.
1759 January – while bound for Barcelona from London and Falmouth the Vincento Farea was lost at Scilly. 23 February – schooner Anna Adriana wrecked at Scilly with the loss of her crew and cargo.
1760 a ″Dutchman″ was lost on the rock Biggal of Melledgan. She was carrying wine and paper.
1762 a French vessel was wrecked on Rosevean; six of the eighteen crew survived by clinging to floating timbers.
1764 a Dutch galliot carrying wine and brandy from Bordeaux to Hamburg wrecked on the Lethegus Ledge, St Agnes. Accounts vary from no lives lost to three lives lost. a vessel with coal for the beacon (St Agnes lighthouse) was wrecked on Burnt Island, St Agnes.
1767 11 January – Seahorse of Newcastle, John James, Master, bound from Cadiz to London, laden with currants, cream of tartar, Spanish wool and fustick, was wrecked near Old Grimsby
1771 an unidentified ship lost with all hands on Gugh (probably on the Cuckolds Ledge).
1773 25 September – snow Duke of Cumberland from Boston, Massachusetts carrying oil, lumber, deal and other timber to London wrecked north-east of St Helen's.
1774 1 February – Royd () of London was beached on rocks when she parted her cable. She was en route from Barcelona to Roscoff with brandy and wine.
1776 A galliot was driven ashore while on a journey from Bordeaux to Hamburg with a cargo of coffee, sugar, indigo and wine, which was salvaged and put under lock and key. They were consequently stolen by a number of men. A Custom House boatman was sentenced to transportation for seven years and two women were acquitted.
1780 31 August – brig Tryal () of Bristol wrecked in Crow Sound en route from St Christopher with sugar. 20 November – while carrying Portland stone to Dublin, Weymouth brig Charming Molly () was stranded and lost on Bryher.
1781 3 March – brig Endeavour () of Liverpool was beached and lost along with her cargo of herrings, coal, rum and brandy. She was bound for Portsmouth from her home port. an unidentified Venetian ship was wrecked on Crebawethan. She was out of Marseille carrying Castille soap, wine almonds and oil for London. Eleven of her crew escaped the wreck by holding on to a mast which carried them to New Grimsby on Tresco.
1782 2 February – a British cargo ship the Lady Johanna () wrecked at Little Smith, St Agnes. The cargo of cotton and rum was salvaged and taken to Plymouth whilst the wreck was sold and broken up. Note: this is a different ship to the wreck on Little Smith in 1753. 14 July – cargo ship the Madonna de Carmine () hit the Golden Ball Bar, west of St Helen's. Bound from Rotterdam to Smyrna with cloth, the crew sold some of the cargo in order to pay for their passage to Falmouth. No lives lost. A scheduled monument and also referred to as Madonna de Carminic. an unidentified Venetian ship was wrecked on Crebawethan. She was out of Marseille carrying Castille soap, wine almonds and oil for London. Eleven of her crew escaped the wreck by holding on to a mast which carried them to New Grimsby on Tresco.
1783 24 January – brig Oldenburger carrying a general cargo from St Vincent to Ostend went ashore on Tresco in New Grimsby harbour. 31 July – Agnetta wrecked. 4 September – the Financier bound for London from Charlestown, Carolina with tobacco, rice and indigo hit rocks near Annet and sank. In the same hour the Nancy (see 1784 for a different ship) carrying sugar and rum from Jamaica was wrecked near St Agnes with no loss of life. A third, unnamed, ship was also believed to have been lost with all hands. 25 November – while bound for Liverpool from Viborg with deals the Sophia () of London stranded and sank.
1784 26 February – a New York transport vessel wrecked on the back of Bryher. 26 February – the packet ship Nancy, carrying actress Ann Cargill and her young child, struck the Gilstone in the Western Rocks and sank in deeper water near Rosevear Ledges. Some of the crew and passengers took to a small boat which was dashed on Rosevear killing all aboard. In total 36 crew, 12 passengers, and 1 prisoner drowned. For lots more information on this wreck read book 'Ghosts of Rosevear' by Ed Cumming & Todd Stevens. 31 December – the Aurora struck a sunken rock off Land's End and made it to the Isles of Scilly finally sinking in St Helen's Gap. Cargo salvaged and she was refloated.
1786 24 December – brigantine Duke of Cornwall () of Penzance hit the Bartholomew Ledge and was beached on St Agnes. She was the Duke of Cornwall's private tin ship and was carrying a general cargo from London for Falmouth and Penzance, in the teeth of a violent gale. The crew were saved but little of her cargo was retrieved for the proprietors. 24 December – brig Betsy () from Chester, and heading for London, was lost between the Bartholomew Ledge and Perconger, St Agnes. She was carrying lead blocks and empty casks. 24 December – Dowson () from Leverpool (Liverpool) lost on the Isles of Scilly in a gale. 24 December – an unidentified sloop sank on the Isles of Scilly. 24 December – an unidentified brig sank on the Isles of Scilly.
1788 7 June – an unnamed Virginian () lost in the Gilstone area of the Western Rocks.
1789 24 March – Ann wrecked.
1790 5 June – brigantine Eagle of Charlestown carrying tobacco, rice and staves went ashore near St Agnes. 8 July – the 28-gun, sixth rate, HMS Pegasus ( Royal Navy) ) went ashore on Annet and refloated on the flood tide undamaged.