''Margaret'' was a Scottish

warship A warship or combatant ship is a naval ship that is built and primarily intended for naval warfare. Usually they belong to the armed forces of a state. As well as being armed, warships are designed to withstand damage and are usually faster ...

of the 16th century. She was built at

Leith Leith (; gd, Lìte) is a port area in the north of the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, founded at the mouth of the Water of Leith. In 2021, it was ranked by ''Time Out'' as one of the top five neighbourhoods to live in the world. The earliest ...

around 1505 by order of King James IV of Scotland, as part of his policy of building a strong Scottish navy. He named her after his new wife,

Margaret Tudor Margaret Tudor (28 November 1489 – 18 October 1541) was Queen of Scotland from 1503 until 1513 by marriage to King James IV. She then served as regent of Scotland during her son's minority, and successfully fought to extend her regency. Ma ...

. Records of shipbuilding between 1502 and June 1506 appear to refer to her construction; two French master shipwrights John Lorans and Jennen Diew were among the workforce. Some of Andrew Barton's sailors were employed watching the works. At the time she was built she was considerably larger than any other ship in the Scottish navy, but soon after she was superseded by a warship which was considerably larger again, the '' Michael''. As her maiden voyage, she took James IV to the

Isle of May The Isle of May is located in the north of the outer Firth of Forth, approximately off the coast of mainland Scotland. It is about long and wide. The island is owned and managed by NatureScot as a national nature reserve. There are now no ...

in July 1506. New equipment included nine crossbows, 6 compasses, and two night glasses. James IV ordered himself a special gold whistle, and bought another made of silver. The ship had a blue banner with the white saltire, and a yellow flag with the red lion of Scotland embroidered in gold and silk by a Flemishman called Nannik (Nanynek Dierxsoun). Special Flemish cloth for the banners and streamers was ordered from an Italian merchant Jerome Frescobaldi. The blue cloth of the saltire also formed the background of the lion's tongue and claws; "ane blew steik of sey to the banar for the schip with Sanct Androis cors in the myddis" and other coloured cloths for the "toungis and clukis for the Lioun in the banar." The ''Margaret'' was repaired at

Airth Airth is a Royal Burgh, village, former trading port and civil parish in Falkirk, Scotland. It is north of Falkirk town and sits on the banks of the River Forth. Airth lies on the A905 road between Grangemouth and Stirling and is overlooked by A ...

in 1512. In November 1512 the ''

Great Michael ''Michael'', popularly known as ''Great Michael'', was a carrack or great ship of the Royal Scottish Navy. She was the largest ship built by King James IV of Scotland James IV (17 March 1473 – 9 September 1513) was King of Scotland fr ...

'' and the ''Margaret'' were at Blackness. James IV came aboard the ''Michael'' on St Andrew's day to hold an audience with the French ambassador, Charles de Tocque, sieur de la Mothe. The

Auld Alliance The Auld Alliance ( Scots for "Old Alliance"; ; ) is an alliance made in 1295 between the kingdoms of Scotland and France against England. The Scots word ''auld'', meaning ''old'', has become a partly affectionate term for the long-lasting a ...

of Scotland and France was confirmed. In the Spring of 1513, ''Margaret'' was refitted to be loaned to Louis XII of France. The English ambassador,

Nicholas West Nicholas West (146128 April 1533), was an English bishop and diplomatist, born at Putney in Surrey, and educated at Eton and at King's College, Cambridge, of which he became a fellow in 1486. He also had periods of study at Oxford and Bologna.

described her preparation on 13 April 1513; John,

Lord Fleming Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the peerage in the United Kingdom, or a ...

, was Vice-Admiral on ''Margaret'', second to the Earl of Arran, Lord Admiral on ''Michael''. First the fleet burnt

Carrickfergus Carrickfergus ( , meaning " Fergus' rock") is a large town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It sits on the north shore of Belfast Lough, from Belfast. The town had a population of 27,998 at the 2011 Census. It is County Antrim's oldest ...

and waited off

Ayr Ayr (; sco, Ayr; gd, Inbhir Àir, "Mouth of the River Ayr") is a town situated on the southwest coast of Scotland. It is the administrative centre of the South Ayrshire Subdivisions of Scotland, council area and the historic Shires of Scotlan ...

before going to France. Robert Lindsay of Pitscottie believed that the fleet's delay provoked James IV to invade England. ''Margaret'' was berthed at

Dumbarton Dumbarton (; also sco, Dumbairton; ) is a town in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland, on the north bank of the River Clyde where the River Leven flows into the Clyde estuary. In 2006, it had an estimated population of 19,990. Dumbarton was the ca ...

on her return with the

Duke of Albany Duke of Albany is a peerage title that has occasionally been bestowed on the younger sons in the Scottish and later the British royal family, particularly in the Houses of Stuart and Hanover. History The Dukedom of Albany was first granted ...

on 26 May 1515, after service in France. In July 1515, she was in the keeping of John Stewart of Ardgowan, with ''James''. New docks were built for the two ships in September. Their guns were unloaded under the direction of Gavin Jardane and John Drummond, master-wright, and transported from Glasgow to Edinburgh.''Accounts of the Treasurer of Scotland'', vol. 5 (Edinburgh, 1903), pp. 16-17, 72.

References

* Macdougall, Norman,''James IV'', Tuckwell, (1997) {{DEFAULTSORT:Margaret Ships of the Royal Scots Navy 16th-century ships James IV of Scotland