Field file · Spectral · Folklore
Sea Witch of the DeBraak
Also known as Ghost of Captain Drew, Corpse Light of Cape Henlopen
A storm-raising phantom said to guard the lost British warship DeBraak and its rumored treasure off Delaware’s Cape Henlopen.
The Royal Navy brig-sloop HMS DeBraak capsized in a squall near Cape Henlopen on May 25, 1798, while making for Lewes to take on water. Commander James Drew and some 46 others died, with a local pilot named Andrew Allen counted as a survivor in the state’s account. The ship had just captured a Spanish vessel, and soon rumors said the wreck held a fortune in Spanish silver and gold.
Over the next two centuries more than 30 salvage attempts were reported, with the search beginning in earnest in the 1880s. Local lore explained their failure with the Sea Witch, a supernatural guardian whose storms, screams and warnings drove treasure hunters and fishermen away. Other tellings say a mysterious “corpse light” on the shoals lured the ship in, and that the ghost of Captain Drew leaves the churchyard of St. Peter’s Church in Lewes on moonless nights to search for his crew.
The wreck was finally located in the mid-1980s and a salvage company recovered about 20,000 artifacts and part of the hull, though many items were poorly handled and the fabled treasure never appeared. The outcry contributed to state and federal protection for historic shipwrecks. Delaware bought the collection, which is now cared for by its historical and cultural agency; the Sea Witch, tellers like to say, was heard again during the 1986 salvage.
What witnesses describe
A female phantom whose screams and storms guard the wreck; fishermen reportedly saw her warn them away from the water before vanishing. Captain Drew’s ghost is said to walk on moonless nights.
Where and when it’s seen
Cape Henlopen shoals, Delaware Bay off Lewes, and St. Peter’s churchyard in Lewes.
Notable sightings
- May 25, 1798HMS DeBraak capsizes Off Cape Henlopen, Delaware
A squall overturned the brig-sloop as it approached Delaware Bay; Drew and dozens of others died.
- 1880sTreasure hunts begin Delaware Bay
Searchers began looking for the ship’s rumored Spanish treasure and failed for a century.
- Mid-1980sWreck located and salvaged Off Lewes, Delaware
A salvage firm recovered about 20,000 artifacts and part of the hull; storytellers say the Sea Witch stirred up storms.
What could explain it?
- Delaware Bay’s shoals and sudden squalls killed many sailors, and the DeBraak’s loss has a plain meteorological cause: Drew reportedly refused advice to shorten sail.
- Treasure stories grew from the ship’s capture of a Spanish prize and rumors of gold coins; no great hoard was ever found.
- Folklorists see the Sea Witch as a familiar figure of maritime superstition that explained why salvage failed.
Legend, culture and tourism
The DeBraak story is a staple of Lewes walking tours and Delaware ghost lore, alongside tales of lighthouse hauntings. Salvaged artifacts and a hull remnant are held by the state.
Places to visit
State museum of Lewes history, associated with the DeBraak collection.
Where it’s reported
Sources
First published · Updated
