The Tudor navy was the navy of the

Kingdom of England The Kingdom of England (, ) was a sovereign state on the island of Great Britain from 12 July 927, when it emerged from various Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, until 1 May 1707, when it united with Scotland to form the Kingdom of Great Britain. On 1 ...

under the ruling

Tudor dynasty The House of Tudor was a royal house of largely Welsh and English origin that held the English throne from 1485 to 1603. They descended from the Tudors of Penmynydd and Catherine of France. Tudor monarchs ruled the Kingdom of England and it ...

(1485–1603). The period involved important and critical changes that led to the establishment of a permanent navy and laid the foundations for the future

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...

Henry VII

Henry VII fostered sea power. He supported the old 1381 act that stated "that, to increase the navy of England, no goods or merchandises shall be either exported or imported, but only in ships belonging to the King's subjects." Although there is no evidence for a conscious change of policy, Henry soon embarked on a program of building merchant ships larger than previously. He also invested in dockyards, and commissioned the oldest surviving

dry dock A dry dock (sometimes drydock or dry-dock) is a narrow basin or vessel that can be flooded to allow a load to be floated in, then drained to allow that load to come to rest on a dry platform. Dry docks are used for the construction, maintenance, ...

in 1495 at

Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council. Portsmouth is the most dens ...

, with the '' Sweepstake'' and the ''

Mary Fortune Mary Helena Fortune (c. 1833 – 1911) was an Australian writer, under the pseudonyms "Waif Wander" and "W.W." She was one of the earliest female detective writers in the world, and probably the first to write from the viewpoint of the detective. ...

'' being the first ships built there. With the crown he acquired the ''Grace à Dieu'', the ''Governor'', the ''Martin Garcia'', the ''Mary of the Tower'', the ''Trinity'', the ''Falcon'', and possibly the ''Bonaventure''. He purchased the ''Carvel of Ewe'' (''Caravel of Eu'', in Normandy), and perhaps also a small craft called the ''King's Bark''; he captured the ''Margaret'' in 1490; and he built the ''Regent'', the ''Sovereign'', the ''Sweepstake'' (Constructed, partly out of the remains of the broken-up ''Grace à Dieu'', under the superintendence of Sir Reginald Bray, and, in all likelihood, was launched in 1488.), and the ''Mary Fortune'' (Later rebuilt as the Sparrow).

Henry VIII

Biographer

Jack Scarisbrick Professor John Joseph Scarisbrick MBE FRHistS (often shortened to J.J. Scarisbrick) is a British historian who taught at the University of Warwick. He is also noted as the co-founder with his wife Nuala Scarisbrick of Life, a British anti-abortion ...

says that

Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disa ...

(reigned 1509–1547) deserved his traditional title of "Father of the English navy". He inherited seven small warships from his father, and added two dozen more by 1514. In addition to those built in England, he bought up Italian and Hanseatic warships. By March 1513, he proudly watched his fleet sail down the Thames under command of Sir Edmund Howard. It was the most powerful naval force to date in English history: 24 ships led by the 1600 ton "

Henry Imperial Gryt Herry Imperyall (Great Henry Imperial) was a boat in England's Royal Navy during the reign of Henry VIII. It was captained by Edmund Howard, whose daughter, Catherine Howard, later became the fifth of the Wives of Henry VIII.Josephine Wilkinso ...

"; the fleet carried 5000 combat marines and 3000 sailors. It forced the outnumbered French fleet back to its ports, took control of the English Channel, and blockaded Brest. Henry was the first king to organize the navy as a permanent force, with a permanent administrative and logistical structure, funded by tax revenue and supervised by the new Navy Board. His personal attention was concentrated on land, where he founded the royal dockyards, planted trees for shipbuilding, enacted laws for inland navigation, guarded the coastline with fortifications, set up a school for navigation and designated the roles of officers and sailors. He closely supervised the construction of all his warships and their guns, knowing their designs, speed, tonnage, armaments and battle tactics. He encouraged his naval architects, who perfected the Italian technique of mounting guns in the waist of the ship, thus lowering the center of gravity and making it a better platform. He supervised the smallest details and enjoyed nothing more than presiding over the launching of a new ship. He drained his treasury on military and naval affairs, diverting the revenues from new taxes and the sales of monastery lands. In 1512 Sir Edward Howard took over as

Lord Admiral The Lord High Admiral (of England beginning in the 14th century, later of Great Britain and then the United Kingdom) is the ceremonial head of the Royal Navy. Most have been courtiers or members of British royal family, and not professional na ...

, and attacked on 10 August at Pointe Saint-Mathieu, with inconclusive results despite a memorable slugging match between the English ''

Regent A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state '' pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy ...

'' and the French ''Cordelière'' resulting in the destruction of both. Additional combat in 1513 resulted in the death of Sir Edward, and his brother Thomas Howard took his place. In 1514 the 1,500-ton

carrack A carrack (; ; ; ) is a three- or four- masted ocean-going sailing ship that was developed in the 14th to 15th centuries in Europe, most notably in Portugal. Evolved from the single-masted cog, the carrack was first used for European trade fr ...

Henry Grace à Dieu ''Henry Grace à Dieu'' ("Henry, Thanks be to God"), also known as ''Great Harry'', was an English carrack or "great ship" of the King's Fleet in the 16th century, and in her day the largest warship in the world. Contemporary with ''Mary Rose'' ...

'' was launched, the first English two-decker and one of the earliest warships equipped with gunports and heavy bronze

cannon A cannon is a large- caliber gun classified as a type of artillery, which usually launches a projectile using explosive chemical propellant. Gunpowder ("black powder") was the primary propellant before the invention of smokeless powder ...

s. Henry also commissioned the Anthony Roll (now in the

Pepys Library The Pepys Library of Magdalene College, Cambridge, is the personal library collected by Samuel Pepys which he bequeathed to the college following his death in 1703. Background Samuel Pepys was a lifelong bibliophile and carefully nurtured his ...

), a survey of his navy as it was around 1546, from which comes much of the pictorial evidence for his ships. Henry VIII initiated the casting of cannon in England. By the late Elizabethan age (see the Aldernay wreck survey) English iron workers using

blast furnace A blast furnace is a type of metallurgical furnace used for smelting to produce industrial metals, generally pig iron, but also others such as lead or copper. ''Blast'' refers to the combustion air being "forced" or supplied above atmospheric ...

s developed the technique of producing cast iron cannons which, while not as durable as the prevailing bronze cannons, they were much cheaper and enabled England to arm its navy more easily. In the end, the chief result of the war with France was a decision to keep the 30 ships active during peacetime. This entailed the establishment of a number of shore facilities, and the hiring of additional administrators; a royal

shipwright Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and other floating vessels. It normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation that traces its roots to befor ...

appears in 1538. By 1540 the navy consisted of 45 ships, a fleet of 20 ships were sent to Scotland in 1544 to land troops to burn Edinburgh, and in 1545 Lord Lisle had a force of 80 ships fighting a French force of 130 attempting to invade England in conjunction with the

Battle of the Solent The naval Battle of the Solent took place on 18 and 19 July 1545 during the Italian Wars between the fleets of Francis I of France and Henry VIII of England, in the Solent, between Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. The engagement was inconclusi ...

(where the ''

Mary Rose The ''Mary Rose'' (launched 1511) is a carrack-type warship of the English Tudor navy of King Henry VIII. She served for 33 years in several wars against France, Scotland, and Brittany. After being substantially rebuilt in 1536, she saw her l ...

'' sank). In the same year a memorandum established a "king's majesty's council of his marine", a first formal organization comprising seven officers, each in charge of a specific area, presided over by " Lieutenant of the Admiralty" or Vice-Admiral

Thomas Clere Sir Thomas Clere (died 14 April 1545) was a successful poet at the court of Henry VIII of England, Henry VIII. He is commemorated in several poems by Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey, with whom he had a very close friendship. He was engaged to Mary She ...

. When war was not at hand the Navy was mostly occupied in chasing pirates. Historian G.R. Elton argues that Henry indeed build up the organization and infrastructure of the Navy, but it was not a useful weapon for his style of warfare. It lacked a useful strategy. It did serve for defense against invasion, and for enhancing England's international prestige.

Edward and Mary

Edward VI and Mary I added little new to their father's navy. Although the navy was involved in the maneuverings following the death of Henry VIII, it was ineffective. Mary maintained the building program, the navy performed satisfactorily if not outstandingly (it did not prevent the loss of

Calais Calais ( , , traditionally , ) is a port city in the Pas-de-Calais department, of which it is a subprefecture. Although Calais is by far the largest city in Pas-de-Calais, the department's prefecture is its third-largest city of Arras. Th ...

) in the war with France of 1557 to 1559. However, the marriage of Mary I and

Philip II Philip II may refer to: * Philip II of Macedon (382–336 BC) * Philip II (emperor) (238–249), Roman emperor * Philip II, Prince of Taranto (1329–1374) * Philip II, Duke of Burgundy (1342–1404) * Philip II, Duke of Savoy (1438-1497) * Philip ...

led to trade with Spain, allowing English shipwrights to examine and adapt modern Spanish galleon design to the needs of the English Navy as English ports were soon visited by both Spanish warships and merchantmen. This would later prove crucial to the growth and development of the race-built galleon and the Elizabethan Navy that would obtain some triumphs against the Spanish Armada during the war between Protestant England and Catholic Spain.

Elizabeth I

While Henry VIII had launched the Royal Navy, his successors King Edward VI and Queen Mary I had ignored it and it was little more than a system of coastal defense. Elizabeth made naval strength a high priority. She risked war with Spain by supporting the "

Sea Dogs The sea, connected as the world ocean or simply the ocean, is the body of salty water that covers approximately 71% of the Earth's surface. The word sea is also used to denote second-order sections of the sea, such as the Mediterranean Sea, ...

," such as

John Hawkins John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

and

Francis Drake Sir Francis Drake ( – 28 January 1596) was an English explorer, sea captain, privateer, slave trader, naval officer, and politician. Drake is best known for his circumnavigation of the world in a single expedition, from 1577 to 1580 (t ...

, who preyed on the Spanish merchant ships carrying gold and silver from the New World. A fleet review on

Elizabeth I Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth was the last of the five House of Tudor monarchs and is sometimes referred to as the "Virgin Queen". El ...

's accession in 1559 showed the navy to consist of 39 ships, and there were plans to build another 30, to be grouped into five categories (a foreshadowing of the rating system). Elizabeth kept the navy at a constant expenditure for the next 20 years, and maintained a steady construction rate. By the 1580s, tensions with Spain had reached the breaking point, exacerbated by Elizabeth's support for the

privateer A privateer is a private person or ship that engages in maritime warfare under a commission of war. Since robbery under arms was a common aspect of seaborne trade, until the early 19th century all merchant ships carried arms. A sovereign or deleg ...

ing expeditions of Hawkins,

Drake Drake may refer to: Animals * A male duck People and fictional characters * Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family name * Drake (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * ...

, and others, and capped by the Cadiz raid of 1587, in which Drake destroyed dozens of Spanish ships. In 1588,

Philip II of Spain Philip II) in Spain, while in Portugal and his Italian kingdoms he ruled as Philip I ( pt, Filipe I). (21 May 152713 September 1598), also known as Philip the Prudent ( es, Felipe el Prudente), was King of Spain from 1556, King of Portugal from ...

launched the

Spanish Armada The Spanish Armada (a.k.a. the Enterprise of England, es, Grande y Felicísima Armada, links=no, lit=Great and Most Fortunate Navy) was a Spanish fleet that sailed from Lisbon in late May 1588, commanded by the Duke of Medina Sidonia, an aris ...

against England, but after a running battle lasting over a week, the Armada was scattered and limped home. These famous battles were early actions in the long and costly Anglo-Spanish War of 1585–1604.

Technological advances

The Navy yards were leaders in technical innovation, and the captains devised new tactics. Parker (1996) argues that the

full-rigged ship A full-rigged ship or fully rigged ship is a sailing vessel's sail plan with three or more masts, all of them square-rigged. A full-rigged ship is said to have a ship rig or be ship-rigged. Such vessels also have each mast stepped in three se ...

was one of the greatest technological advances of the century and permanently transformed naval warfare. In 1573 English shipwrights introduced designs, first demonstrated in the '' Dreadnought'', that allowed the ships to sail faster and maneuver better and permitted heavier guns. Whereas before warships had tried to grapple with each other so that soldiers could board the enemy ship, now they stood off and fired broadsides that would sink the enemy vessel. When Spain finally decided to invade and conquer England it was a fiasco. Superior English ships and seamanship foiled the invasion and led to the destruction of the

in 1588, marking the high point of Elizabeth's reign. Technically, the Armada failed because Spain's over-complex strategy required coordination between the invasion fleet and the Spanish army on shore. But the poor design of the Spanish cannons meant they were much slower in reloading in a close-range battle, allowing the English to take control. Spain and France still had stronger fleets, but England was catching up.Geoffrey Parker, "Why the Armada Failed," ''

History Today ''History Today'' is an illustrated history magazine. Published monthly in London since January 1951, it presents serious and authoritative history to as wide a public as possible. The magazine covers all periods and geographical regions and pub ...

,'' May 1988, Vol. 38 Issue 5, pp. 26–33

Structure of the Tudor Navy

Key officials from 1485 to 1546

''Officers from 1485 to 1546'' included:
: Admiral of England, Ireland and Aquitaine *

John de Vere, 13th Earl of Oxford John de Vere, 13th Earl of Oxford (8 September 1442 – 10 March 1513), the second son of John de Vere, 12th Earl of Oxford, and Elizabeth Howard, a first cousin of John Howard, 1st Duke of Norfolk (2nd creation), was one of the principal ...

, 1485-1512 *

Sir Edward Howard Sir Edward Howard, KG (1476/1477 – 25 April 1513) was an English naval officer. He was the first of the Howards to win fame as an admiral, participating in his first naval battle while in his teens. He was in command during the Battle of ...

, 1512-1513 * Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk, 1513-1525 * Henry FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Richmond and Somerset, 1525-1536 * William Fitzwilliam, 1st Earl of Southampton, 1536-1540 * John Russell, 1st Lord Russell, 1540-1542 *

John Dudley, 1st Viscount Lisle John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland (1504Loades 2008 – 22 August 1553) was an English general, admiral, and politician, who led the government of the young King Edward VI from 1550 until 1553, and unsuccessfully tried to install Lady Jan ...

, 1542-1546 : Clerk of Marine Causes * Thomas Rogers, 12 December 1480 d.1488 * William Commersall, 1488-18 May 1495 * Robert Brygandine, 19 May 1495 – 1523 * Thomas Jermyn, and William Gonson, 1523–1533, (jointly) * Leonard Thoreton 1533-1538 * Vice-Admiral

Sir Thomas Spert Vice-Admiral of England Sir Thomas Spert (spelled in some records as Pert) (died December 1541) was a mariner who reached the rank of vice admiral in service to King Henry VIII of England. He was sailing master of the flagships ''Mary Rose'' an ...

, 1538-1543 * Edmund Wynter, 1544-1545 * John Wynter 1545- d. 1546 : Clerk Comptroller of the Navy * John Hopton, 1512-1524 * Vice-Admiral, Sir

Thomas Spert Vice-Admiral of England Sir Thomas Spert (spelled in some records as Pert) (died December 1541) was a mariner who reached the rank of vice admiral in service to King Henry VIII of England. He was sailing master of the flagships ''Mary Rose'' and ...

, 1524-1540 * John Osborne, 1540-1545 * William Broke, 1545-1561 :Keeper of the Storehouses * Vice-Admiral, Sir William Gonson, 1524-1545 * Richard Howlett, 1545-1546

Key officials from 1546 to 1603

:''Officers from 1546 to 1603'' :Lord High Admirals of England * Thomas Seymour, 1st Lord Seymour of Sudeley, 1546-1549 * John Dudley, 1st Earl of Warwick, 1549-1550 * Edward Clinton, 9th Lord Clinton, 1550-1554 * William Howard, 1st Lord Howard of Effingham, 1554-1558 *

Edward Clinton, 1st Earl of Lincoln Edward Fiennes, or Clinton, 1st Earl of Lincoln KG (151216 January 1584/85) was an English landowner, peer, and Lord High Admiral. He rendered valuable service to four of the Tudor monarchs. Family Edward Clinton, or Fiennes, was born a ...

, 1558-1585 *

Charles Howard, 1st Earl of Nottingham Charles Howard, 1st Earl of Nottingham, 2nd Baron Howard of Effingham, KG (1536 – 14 December 1624), known as Lord Howard of Effingham, was an English statesman and Lord High Admiral under Elizabeth I and James I. He was commander of the Eng ...

, 1585-1603 In 1546

establishes a Council of the Marine to oversee the administrative affairs of the Navy initially presided over by the Lieutenant of the Admiralty reporting to the Lord High Admiral. :Lieutenants of the Admiralty * Sir

1545-1552 * Sir William Woodhouse 1552-1565 ''Note:(post is vacant till 1604)'' :Treasurers of Marine Causes * Sir Robert Legge, 1546-1549 *

Benjamin Gonson Benjamin Gonson (c. 1525–1577) was an English Naval Administrator, and the first Surveyor of the Royal Navy. He was a founding member of England's Navy Board during the Tudor period. Career Benjamin Gonson began his career as a private shipw ...

, 1549-1547 *

and Sir

, 1549-1577 * Sir

, 1577-1595 * Sir Roger Longford, 1595-1598 * Sir Fulke Greville, 1st Baron Brooke, 1595-1603 :Surveyors and Riggers of the Navy *

24 April 1546 * Vice-Admiral, Sir

, 1524-1540 * Vice Admiral Sir

William Wynter Admiral Sir William Wynter (c. 1521 – 20 February 1589) was an admiral and principal officer of the Council of the Marine under Queen Elizabeth I of England and served the crown during the Anglo-Spanish War (1585–1604). Personal Wynter wa ...

8 July 1549 (also Master of Naval Ordnance) * Sir Henry Palmer 11 July 1589. * Sir John Trevor 20 December 1598 -1603. : Masters of Naval Ordnance * Vice-Admiral Sir William Woodhouse, 1546-1552 * Vice Admiral Sir Thomas Wyndham, 1552-1553 * Vice Admiral Sir

1557-1589 (also Surveyor) ''Note:Office is discontinued after 1589.'' : Comptrollers of the Navy * William Broke, 1545-1561 * Vice-Admiral, William Holstocke, 1561–1580 *

William Borough William Borough (1536–1599) was a British naval officer who was Comptroller of the Navy and the younger brother of Stephen Borough. He participated in the British attack on Cádiz in 1587. He was responsible for the drawing of several early map ...

, 1580–1598 * Sir Henry Palmer 1598–1603 : Keepers of the Storehouses * Richard Howlett, 1546-1548 * William Holstock, 1548-1560 ''Note: (office is merged with Treasurer of the Navy)'' : Surveyors of Marine Victuals *

Edward Baeshe Edward Baeshe or Bashe (1506 or 1507 – 1587) was an English naval administrator and politician. He was born the son of Richard Baeshe of Worcester. He worked under Thomas Cromwell, and in 1550 became General Surveyor of Victuals for the nav ...

, 1550-1587 * James Quarles, 1587-1595 * Sir Marmaduke Darrell, 1595-1603 :Clerk of the Navy (also known as Clerk of the Ships) * Richard Howlett, 24 April 1546- 10 October 1560. * George Wynter, 10 October 1560 – 2 June 1567. *

, 2 June 1567, (appointed but did not succeed). * George Wynter, 2 June 1567 – 24 March 1582. * William B. B. Gonson, 24 March 1582 – 6 July 1596. *

, 6 July 1596 – 17 April 1603.

Legacy

Important though this period was, it represents a soon-lost high point. After 1601 the efficiency of the Navy declined gradually, while corruption grew until brought under control in an inquiry of 1618.

Henry VII

Henry VIII

Edward and Mary

Elizabeth I

Technological advances

Structure of the Tudor Navy

Key officials from 1485 to 1546

Key officials from 1546 to 1603

Legacy

See also

References

Further reading

Primary sources