The Mary Rose was an English Tudor carrack warship and one of the first to be able to fire a full broadside of cannons. A carrack or nau was a three- or four- masted Sailing ship developed in the Atlantic Ocean in the 15th century by the Portuguese A broadside is the side of a Ship; the battery of Cannon on one side of a Warship; or their simultaneous (or near simultaneous fire in The Mary Rose was well equipped with 78 guns (91 after an upgrade in 1536. | NOTE Throughout this article "cannon" is used as BOTH the || singular and plural ) Built in Portsmouth, England (1509–1510) she was thought to be named after King Henry VIII's sister Mary and the rose, the Tudor emblem. History See also History of Portsmouth There have been settlements in the area since before Roman times mostly being offshoots of Portchester, which England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Henry VIII (28 June 1491 &ndash 28 January 1547 was King of England and Lord of Ireland, later King of Ireland and claimant to the Kingdom of This article is about Mary Queen consort of France. For her niece and namesake Mary Tudor Queen regnant of England, see Mary I A rose is a perennial flowering Shrub or vine of the Genus Rosa, within the family Rosaceae, that contains over 100 species The Tudor dynasty or House of Tudor was an English royal Dynasty that lasted 118 years from 1485 to 1603 a period known as the Tudor period She was one of the earliest purpose-built warships to serve in the English Navy; it is thought that she never served as a merchant ship. A warship is a Ship that is built and primarily intended for Combat. The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore known as the Senior Service) A merchant vessel is a Ship that transports Cargo and Passengers during peace time She displaced 500 tons (700 tons after 1536), was 38. In Fluid mechanics, displacement occurs when an object is immersed in a Fluid, pushing it out of the way and taking its Units of mass There are three similar units of Mass called the ton: Long ton (simply ton in countries such as the United 5 m long and 11. 7 m beam and her crew consisted of 200 sailors, 185 soldiers, and 30 gunners. The beam of a ship is its width at the widest point or at the mid-point of its length Although she was the pride of the English fleet, she was sunk in the Solent, and it is thought she sank during an engagement with the French fleet on July 19, 1545. The Solent is a stretch of Sea separating the Isle of Wight from the mainland of England. The naval Battle of the Solent took place on 18 and 19 July, 1545 during the Italian Wars, fought between the fleets of Francis I of Events 711 - Muslim forces under Tariq ibn Ziyad defeat the Visigoths led by their king Roderic. The exact cause of her sinking has not been definitely determined but is thought to be because of instability. The surviving section of the ship was raised in 1982 and is now on display in Portsmouth Historic Dockyard along with an extensive collection of well preserved artifacts. History See also History of Portsmouth There have been settlements in the area since before Roman times mostly being offshoots of Portchester, which Her Majesty's Naval Base (HMNB Portsmouth ( HMS ''Nelson'') is one of three operating bases for the Royal Navy (the others being HMNB Clyde and
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Career
The Mary Rose served as the flagship of Admiral Sir Edward Howard in the Italian Wars and was frequently engaged. Sir Edward Howard, (1476/1477 &ndash 25 April 1513) son of Thomas Howard 2nd Duke of Norfolk and Elizabeth Tilney, younger brother to On 10 August 1512 she was the flagship of an English fleet of 50 ships that attacked the French at Brest in Brittany. Events 612 BC - Killing of Sinsharishkun, King of Assyrian Empire flagship is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels a designation given on account of being either the largest fastest newest most heavily armed or for publicity purposes the most well Brest (bʁɛst in French, in Breton) is a city in the Finistère department in Bretagne in northwestern France. Brittany (Breizh bʁejs Bretagne; Gallo: Bertaèyn) is a former independent Celtic kingdom and Duchy, now incorporated into The Mary Rose attacked the French Marie la Cordelière, the flagship of Admiral Ren de Clermont; in the battle the Marie la Cordelière was crippled and the Mary Rose was damaged and ran aground. The Marie la Cordelière then came under fire from the Mary James, the Sovereign, and the Regent, eventually blowing up with the loss of more than a thousand men. Thirty-two French ships were taken or destroyed in the battle.
After the death of Edward Howard in 1513, the Mary Rose became the flagship of Lord High Admiral Sir Thomas Howard. Thomas Howard 3rd Duke of Norfolk (1473 – 25 August 1554) was a prominent Tudor politician.
In 1528 and again in 1536 the Mary Rose was rebuilt, having her displacement increased from 500 to 700 tons and now mounting 91 guns. The refits are thought to have added an extra deck, making her top-heavy and liable to roll in heavy seas.
Sinking
In 1545 King Francis I of France launched an invasion of England with 30,000 soldiers in more than 200 ships. Francis I (September 12 1494 &ndash March 31 1547 was crowned King of France in 1515 in the cathedral at Reims and reigned until 1547 Against this invasion fleet—larger than the Spanish Armada forty-three years later—the English had about 80 ships and 12,000 soldiers, with the Mary Rose the flagship of Vice Admiral Sir George Carew. The Spanish Armada ( Spanish: Grande y Felicísima Armada, "Great and Most Fortunate Navy" or Armada Invencible, "Invincible In early July the French entered the Solent channel, between Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. The Solent is a stretch of Sea separating the Isle of Wight from the mainland of England. Wildlife Hampshire has wildlife typical of the island of Great Britain The Isle of Wight is an English Island and county in the English Channel between three and five miles (8 km from the south coast of the On July 19, 1545 (see Battle of the Solent) the English came out of Portsmouth and engaged the French at long range, little damage being done on either side. Events 711 - Muslim forces under Tariq ibn Ziyad defeat the Visigoths led by their king Roderic. The naval Battle of the Solent took place on 18 and 19 July, 1545 during the Italian Wars, fought between the fleets of Francis I of History See also History of Portsmouth There have been settlements in the area since before Roman times mostly being offshoots of Portchester, which The next day was calm, and the French employed their galleys against the immobile English vessels. A galley (from Greek γαλέα - galea is an ancient Ship which can be propelled entirely by human oarsmen, used for Warfare Toward evening a breeze sprang up and as Mary Rose advanced to battle she capsized and sank with the loss of all but 35 of her crew. There were sources that said that the ship had fired from the port side and made a sharp turn so she could fire from the starboard side. The turn was so sharp that the ship heeled sufficiently to submerge the open gun ports, allowing enough water to enter to sink the ship. Sources also suggest that the Mary Rose had the gunports too near the waterline, increasing the risk of an influx of water. Furthermore, the ship was carrying a large number of soldiers in full armour on her upper decks, with the possible result of further raising her centre of gravity and making her even more unstable. As was common in warships of the time the upper decks were covered with netting to prevent soldiers from enemy ships from boarding. Furthermore many sailors could not swim: being superstitious they regarded this as tempting fate. Superstition ( Latin superstitio, literally "standing over" derived perhaps from standing in awe used in Latin as a unreasonable or excessive belief This and the netting made losses particularly severe.
Experiments
Researchers for a television programme used an exact scale model of the Mary Rose to investigate the causes suggested for her sinking. Metal weights were used to simulate the presence of troops on the upper decks. Initial tests showed that the Mary Rose was able to make the turn described by eyewitnesses without capsizing. In later tests, a fan was used to create a breeze similar to the one reported to have suddenly sprung up on the day of the sinking as the real Mary Rose went to make the turn. A hand-held fan is an implement used to induce an airflow for the purpose of cooling or refreshing oneself As the model went to make the turn, the breeze in the upper works of the ship forced the ship to turn at a more acute angle than before, forcing her lower gun ports below the waterline. In Geometry and Trigonometry, an angle (in full plane angle) is the figure formed by two rays sharing a common Endpoint, called Waterline refers to an imaginary line marking the level at which Ship or Boat floats in the Water. Water entered the ship, increasing the degree of heel and causing the rate of flooding to increase. The ship quickly capsized, sinking completely within a few seconds. The sequence of events closely followed what eyewitnesses had reported had occurred, particularly the suddenness with which the ship sank. The researchers concluded that numerous causes had contributed to making the Mary Rose unstable and top heavy, such as:
- The 1528 and 1536 refits, which had installed heavy cannon higher up in the structure of the ship than had originally been planned. | NOTE Throughout this article "cannon" is used as BOTH the || singular and plural
- The presence of a large number of troops on the upper decks, preparing to fight the French forces.
- The development of larger bronze cannons through the period of her time in service, which ended up being fitted to a ship not designed to carry them.
- The design of many warships in the period, which had a tendency towards being top heavy, as mathematical observations concerning centers of gravity and displacement were not thoroughly understood. Eventually the decisions regarding a ship's design came down to the experience of the shipwright, and miscalculations were not uncommon. See also Shipbuilding (song. Shipbuilding is the construction of Ships It normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a
In addition to these weaknesses, the gun ports were cut too low in the ship's side, perhaps in an attempt to fit more cannon and create a more powerful warship. These ports should have been closed as the ship went to make the turn, but for some reason, possibly a breakdown in communication, or an oversight by the sailors, they were not. Despite all these factors combining to create a hazardous situation, the experiment showed that the Mary Rose's sinking was not inevitable. The sudden gust of wind that caught the ship at the crucial point of her turn was the final fatal contribution to the sinking.
Consequences
The loss of one of the most powerful Tudor warships afloat caused considerable consternation, particularly as it sank within sight of King Henry VIII who was watching from Southsea Castle nearby. Henry VIII (28 June 1491 &ndash 28 January 1547 was King of England and Lord of Ireland, later King of Ireland and claimant to the Kingdom of Southsea Castle is one of Henry VIII 's Device Forts, built in 1544 on the waterfront at the southern end of Portsea Island (an area that later became The fact that it sank was particularly unusual for the time. The most common cause of the loss of a warship was through fire. The lack of powerful cannon and the robustness of wooden ships made it difficult for ships to be damaged sufficiently in engagements for them to sink. There was also no immediate explanation for the sinking, such as a violent storm, or foundering on rocks. The loss of the Mary Rose therefore entered the public consciousness and was remembered, whereas most ship losses over the period were not.
Modern work on the wreck
Rediscovery
On June 16, 1836 the Mary Rose was found when a fishing net caught on the wreck, and diver John Deane recovered timbers, guns, longbows, and other items. Events 1487 - Battle of Stoke Field, the last dying breath of the Wars of the Roses. Year 1836 ( MDCCCXXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap A fishing net or fishnet is a net that is used for Fishing. Fishing nets are Meshes usually formed by Knotting a relatively thin thread A gun is a particular Weapon that propels Projectiles The projectile is generally fired through a hollow tube known as the gun's barrel. The English longbow, also called the Welsh longbow, was a powerful type of medieval Longbow (a tall bow for Archery) about 6 ft But the location was forgotten after Deane stopped work on the site in 1840.
Alexander McKee started a new search in 1965, and in 1967 Professor Harold Edgerton found an acoustic anomaly by using side-scan sonar. Alexander McKee (? - 1992 was a British military historian and amateur diver For the police officer see Harry Edgerton Harold Eugene "Doc" Edgerton ( April 6, 1903 &ndash January Side-scan sonar (also sometimes called side scan sonar, sidescan sonar, side looking sonar, side-looking sonar and bottom classification In 1971 a springtide, combined with a severe gale, uncovered a layer of sediment, leaving several structural timbers clearly visible. Sediment is any particulate matter that can be transported by fluid flow and which eventually is deposited as a layer of solid particles on the bed or bottom of a body of In the years that followed, it became clear that the wreck lay on her starboard side, at an angle of 60°.
On 5 February 1974 the Mary Rose wreck became the second wrecksite (along with others) to be protected under the Protection of Wrecks Act. Events 1576 - Henry of Navarre converts to Roman Catholicism in order to ensure his right to the throne of France. Year 1974 ( MCMLXXIV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. The Protection of Wrecks Act 1973 (1973 c33 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom which provides protection for designated wrecks. The wrecksite remains protected today even after the lifting of the majority of the remaining ship timbers.
Excavation and raising
In 1979 the Mary Rose Trust was formed and an archeological team under the direction of Dr. Margaret Rule, CBE, began work to excavate the wreck. Dr Margaret Rule CBE (born September 27 1928) led the project that excavated and raised the Tudor warship Mary Rose in 1982 First, the wreck was lifted by means of a lifting frame. After that, the wreck, still under water, could be lifted onto a support cradle. On October 11, 1982 the wreck was lifted from the water by a team led by the Royal Engineers, and put upright in a dry dock with a temperature of 2–6 °C and a relative humidity of 95%. Events 1138 - A massive earthquake struck Aleppo, Syria. 1531 - Huldrych Zwingli is killed Year 1982 ( MCMLXXXII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar)
Preservation
In 1994 work started on a three-stage conservation process using low-molecular-weight polyethylene glycol (a wax, essentially). Poly( Ethylene glycol) (PEG also known as poly( Ethylene oxide) (PEO or polyoxyethylene (POE is the most commercially important type of polyether Wax has traditionally referred to a substance that is secreted by Bees ( Beeswax) and used by them in constructing their The second stage consists of spraying the wreck with a high-molecular-weight polyethylene glycol; these first two stages will take at least twenty years to complete. In the third stage, the wreck will be slowly dried. This preservation technique is the same as that begun in 1961 for the Vasa, a Swedish ship of the line which capsized in 1628 and is now on display in Stockholm. History During the 17th century Sweden went from being a small poor and peripheral northern European kingdom of little influence to one of the major players in continental politics A ship-of-the-line was a type of naval warship constructed from the 17th century through the mid-19th century to take part in the the naval tactic known as the Line of battle ('stɔkhɔlm is Sweden 's Capital and its largest City. It is the site of the national Swedish government, the parliament, and the The Vasa is virtually intact while the Mary Rose is an almost perfect longitudinal vertical cross-section, due to marine worms such as the shipworm Teredo navalis destroying the port side above the seabed. Shipworms are not worms at all but rather a group of unusual saltwater clams with very reduced shells notorious for boring into (and eventually destroying wooden structures which
The expertise and facilities developed for the preservation of the Mary Rose has benefited many other archaeological projects. Experts from the Mary Rose Trust helped conserve the Dover Bronze Age Boat and the timbers from Seahenge. Dover Bronze Age boat is one of the few Bronze Age boats to be found in Britain Seahenge or Holme I is a Bronze Age monument discovered in 1998 just off the coast of the English county of Norfolk at Holme-next-the-Sea
Finds
Along with remains of around half the crew, a great number of artifacts were uncovered during excavation, including navigational and medical equipment, carpentry tools, guns, longbows, arrows with traces of copper-rich binding glue still remaining on the tips, cooking and eating utensils, lanterns, backgammon boards, playing dice, logs for the galley's ovens, and even a well-preserved shawm, a long lost predecessor of the oboe, from which a fully functioning model has since been replicated. Navigation is the process of reading and controlling the movement of a craft or vehicle from one place to another A carpenter (builder is a skilled craftsman who performs carpentry - a wide range of Woodworking that includes constructing buildings, The English longbow, also called the Welsh longbow, was a powerful type of medieval Longbow (a tall bow for Archery) about 6 ft An arrow is a pointed Projectile that is shot with a bow. It predates recorded history and is common to most Cultures. Copper (ˈkɒpɚ is a Chemical element with the symbol Cu (cuprum and Atomic number 29 A lantern is a Portable Lighting device used to illuminate broad areas Backgammon is a Board game for two players in which the playing pieces are moved according to the roll of Dice. A galley (from Greek γαλέα - galea is an ancient Ship which can be propelled entirely by human oarsmen, used for Warfare The shawm was a Medieval and Renaissance Musical instrument of the Woodwind family made in Europe from the late 13th century until "Hautbois" redirects here for the strawberry variety see Hautbois strawberry.
Display
These artifacts, and the wreck itself, are displayed at the Mary Rose museum located on the Royal Naval base in Portsmouth, England. Her Majesty's Naval Base (HMNB Portsmouth ( HMS ''Nelson'') is one of three operating bases for the Royal Navy (the others being HMNB Clyde and A £20 million appeal for funds for The Final Voyage - the co-location of the hull of the Mary Rose with her artifacts in a new museum - was launched locally in Portsmouth on the evening of 10th March 2006. Leading local businesses, members of Portsmouth City Council and the Lord Mayor attended presentations in the current museum. Intended to attract 500,000 visitors and opening by 2012 (with active conservation of the hull intended to be complete in 2009), this new co-located museum will create a world-leading museum in Portsmouth for the Mary Rose and the Tudor Navy, an international centre for maritime archaeology and provide better facilities for education and outreach. This was denied a Heritage Lottery Fund grant in 2006 [1]. The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF is a fund established in the United Kingdom under the National Lottery etc
Further excavation
On 11 October 2005, the 23rd anniversary of the original wreck lift, the anchor and parts of her bow were raised from the sea-bed in a delicate operation sponsored by the Ministry of Defence. Events 1138 - A massive earthquake struck Aleppo, Syria. 1531 - Huldrych Zwingli is killed Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Ministry of Defence ( MoD) is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters These parts will also eventually go on display.
Mary Rose Museum
On 25th January 2008 it was revealed[2][3] that a secondary appeal for funds to create the new museum had been successful. The Heritage Lottery Fund grant will be used to complete its conservation and build a museum around the vessel. The overall cost of the project will total £20. 5m. Over 19,000 artefacts recovered from the ship will be on display at the museum, which is currently a temporary structure. Admiral John Lippiett, of the Mary Rose Trust, said: "[It] paves the way to complete the long conservation process and display the majority of amazing artefacts in a magnificent museum. The learning facilities will be world class and able to meet the huge demand placed upon them by school children and students. " Dame Liz Forgan, chair of the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), said: "The Mary Rose is an amazing time-capsule and one of our most precious heritage icons. " The Mary Rose is the only 16th century warship in the world to be recovered and put on display.
See also
For other ships of this name see:
For general Tudor naval history, see:
For more information on archaeology and shipwrecks see:
For other contemporary warship shipwrecks, see:
External links
- Official website
- Visit the Mary Rose at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard
- from Ships of the World
- Article about 2003 finds
- http://www.abc.se/~m10354/publ/maryrose.htm
- HNSA Ship Page: Mary Rose
- Site including some history of the Mary Rose
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