John Malyn | |
|---|---|
| Born | England |
| Died | 5 April 1563 Rye, East Sussex, England |
| Allegiance |  England |
| Service |  Royal Navy |
| Years of service | 1540–1563 |
| Rank | Admiral |
| Commands | HMS Falcon HMS Jennet HMS Willougby HMS Grehound Vice-Admiral of the Narrow Seas Admiral of the Narrow Seas |
| Battles / wars | Sieges of Boulogne (1544–46) Battle of Gravelines (1558) |
Admiral SirJohn Malyn orMalen (died 5 April 1563), was a seaman, shipowner and later senior officer of the EnglishNavy Royal who served underHenry VIII,Edward VI andMary I. He died at sea off the coast ofRye, East Sussex, England whilst in command of his shipHMS Grehound that was wrecked after hitting an unseensandbar.[1][2]
John Malyn began his career as a private ship owner and seaman when he was based inCalais, France in 1540. In October 1544 his ships and hoys were hired to assist in the transportation of troops returning from theSieges of Boulogne (1544–46).[1][3] In August 1554 he was appointed Captain ofHMS Falcon apinnace and assigned to patrolling duties off theEast Anglian coast.[1] In September 1556 he was appointed under the command ofLord High Admiral of EnglandLord Effingham to escortCharles V, Holy Roman Emperor to Spain.[1]
From November 1558 to January 1559 he was appointedVice-Admiral of the Narrow Seas and charged with protectingEngland's trade interests in the area.[1][4] He took part in theBattle of Gravelines (1558) whilst commanding the Narrow Seas Squadron on approach toCalais he observed the French Army troop lines and maneuvered his ships close inshore, thus running the risk ofbeaching he then opened fire on them; his actions were personally noted in a letter from the Queen thanking him and granted him a pension.[5] Malyn was probably the only naval commander to achieve some level of significance during the Queen Mary's Anglo-French Wars of (1557–59) as part of the widerItalian War of (1551-1559).[6]
He commandedHMS Jennet during an expedition to Scotland from 1560 to early 1561. Towards the end of 1561 he was appointed Admiral of asquadron that was responsible for transporting military equipment to Ireland and additionally he was also Captain ofHMS Willougby until 1562.[1] In December 1562 he was promoted to the post ofAdmiral of the Narrow Seas and captain of his flag ship thegalleonHMS Grehound a 45-gun ship. The ship was on duties in theEnglish Channel returning from France when it sank after hitting a sandbar off the coast ofRye, East Sussex on 5 April 1563, Malyn was lost at sea.[1][7]
Following his death in April 1563 his widow Elizabeth Malyn née:? was residing at Fernfield Close,Clerkenwell,Middlesex she was granted apatent andreversion dated in August 1563 for a period of 21 years.[1]