The Mary Rose was a carrack-type warship that came to be known as the best ship of Henry VIII's time. She was known for her grandeur, beauty, and success. Succeeding Henry's coronation, the new young King knew he needed a great navy, as England was threatened by both the Scots and the French. At the time, he only had a handful of warships and merchant vessels at his disposal. Therefore, in 1510, construction of the Mary Rose started in Portsmouth, where 600 oak trees were used to build it. The earliest reference of the Mary Rose by name appears in a payment record made by Henri VIII for bringing the ship from Portsmouth to the River Thames.
The ship's first battle was in 1512 against the French fleet. The ship's captain deemed it "the noblest ship of sail". The Mary Rose fought three battles against the French, before sinking on July 19, 1545 at the Battle of Solent. Many attempts were made between 1545 and 1549 to raise to wreck, all unsuccessful.
After lying dormant for 300 years, divers John and Charles Deane discovered the wreck and were able to raise guns. However, they eventually lost the site of the wreck. In 1982, the wreck of the hull was raised, and event that was viewed on television by 60 million people worldwide.
It is believed that the Mary Rose was named after Henry's sister. However, it was most likely named after the Virgin Mary.
Visitors can now visit the ship in Portsmouth- (The Mary Rose Museum, Portsmouth Historic Courtyard)
Sources:
"The Mary Rose", The Mary Rose, 2016, http://www.maryrose.org/discover-our-collhttp://www.maryrose.org/discover-our-collection/ection/
"The Mary Rose: A Tudor ship's secrets revealed". BBC, 2013. http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-hampshire-22639505
The ship's first battle was in 1512 against the French fleet. The ship's captain deemed it "the noblest ship of sail". The Mary Rose fought three battles against the French, before sinking on July 19, 1545 at the Battle of Solent. Many attempts were made between 1545 and 1549 to raise to wreck, all unsuccessful.
After lying dormant for 300 years, divers John and Charles Deane discovered the wreck and were able to raise guns. However, they eventually lost the site of the wreck. In 1982, the wreck of the hull was raised, and event that was viewed on television by 60 million people worldwide.
It is believed that the Mary Rose was named after Henry's sister. However, it was most likely named after the Virgin Mary.
Sources:
"The Mary Rose", The Mary Rose, 2016, http://www.maryrose.org/discover-our-collhttp://www.maryrose.org/discover-our-collection/ection/
"The Mary Rose: A Tudor ship's secrets revealed". BBC, 2013. http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-hampshire-22639505
Really interesting artifact that you chose- great information and diagrams! It seems representative of Tudor power and influence during the time period. I'm curious- 60 million people viewed the rescue of the wreck in the 80s- why do you think there's a popular fascination still today with the Tudor reign?
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