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Jan 25, 1510
The Mary Rose is Born
The earliest reference to the Mary Rose by name appears in a record of a payment made by Henry VIII for bringing the ship from Portsmouth to the River Thames. It's probable that the ship was named after the Virgin Mary, who was also known at the time as “The Mystic Rose”. -
Period: Dec 14, 1510 to Dec 15, 1542
Rise and first wars
Lord High Admiral Sir Edward Howard chose the newly built Mary Rose as his flagship. He had 18 ships in his fleet carrying over 5,000 men. -
Aug 14, 1512
The first French war - Battle of St Mathieu
The fleet had been visited by Henry VIII and was sailing to Brest, in France. The English ships met a French-Breton fleet at the battle of St Mathieu, battering them with heavy gunfire. English troops boarded the Breton flagship, the Cordeliere, which caught fire and sank. Over 600 Breton sailors were killed in the battle, and English sailors raided more towns near Brest until storms forced the fleet back to England. -
Aug 1, 1513
The new Lord admiral
The Mary Rose was soon off another mission against the French fleet.The French had recently reinforced their fleet with galleys from the Mediterranean. Howard made a daring attack on the French galleys, boarding one of them himself but losing his life. The fleet limped back to Plymouth. Thomas Howard was appointed as the new Lord Admiral. In August 1513 the Scots joined forces with the French.The Mary Rose was part of a fleet to fight at the Battle of Flodden, where the Scottish King was killed. -
Dec 14, 1513
End of the first war
The Mary Rose was involved in skirmishes against the French throughout the summer, but both sides were by now exhausted. The war was over by the autumn, thanks to a new treaty and the marriage of Henry’s sister Mary to the French King Louis XII. -
Period: Dec 14, 1525 to Dec 15, 1542
Second French war
In 1522, England went to war against France once more. The Mary Rose helped escort troops over to France, and by 1 July the Breton port of Morlaix was captured. The Mary Rose then sailed home to Dartmouth.
In 1525 the Scots again joined the French side. The war came to an end when Francis I, king of France, was captured at the Battle of Pavia. -
Period: Dec 14, 1543 to Jul 19, 1545
Last battle and Sinking
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Jul 19, 1545
The battle of the Solent
The first day of the Battle of the Solent consisted of a long range cannonade between the French galleys and the English fleet in which neither side suffered any real loss. In the next days, probably on the 19th of july, the Mary Rose sank. -
Jul 20, 1545
Theory 1 - Human Error
The most likely reason for the loss of the Mary Rose is probably the most straightforward. In the heat of battle with the French galleys, perhaps the captain or the crew made a mistake.
It is claimed that the admiral called out that he had “the sort of men” that he “could not rule”, but this claim comes from his family, possibly trying to protect the family name? -
Jul 21, 1545
Theory 2 - The Wind
Did a gust of wind hit the sails at a crucial moment, making the ship unstable? Eye-witness accounts described a sudden breeze as the Mary Rose went to make the turn to the north.
With the gunports opened for battle, the ship could have flooded and quickly foundered. So why had she never foundered before? Perhaps she had simply become too heavy after a recent refit, which had added extra guns to her firepower. -
Jul 22, 1545
Theory 3 - The French
Although there is no archaeological evidence to confirm this, a French cavalry officer present at the battle stated that the Mary Rose had been sunk by French guns. A cannonball low in the hull would enable water to flood in, making the ship unstable and leading to her sinking.
Perhaps that was why the ship turned north so suddenly. Was she aiming to reach the shallows at Spitbank only a few hundred metres away? -
Jul 23, 1545
Theory 4 - Overloading
Was she overloaded with heavy guns or with extra soldiers? If so, a strong gust of wind could have heeled her over into the sea.
The guns had been put aboard in London, so she’d managed to traverse the English Channel without mishap, so why did she topple in the Solent? -
Period: Dec 14, 1545 to
Salvage Attempts
After the Battle of the Solent, a number of attempts were made to salvage the ship. Venetian salvage operators were hired to undertake the work, and it was reported that in a few days the Mary Rose shall be weighed up and saved. However, this confidence was premature. They failed in lifting the ship, and weren’t able to shift her into shallow ground either. Despite all the strenuous efforts, the Mary Rose remained stuck fast on the seabed, and eventually all attempts at salvage were abandoned. -
First Discovery
In 1836, pioneer divers John and Charles Deane discovered the site of the wreck and recovered a bronze demi cannon gun probably made at a foundry at Salisbury Place, London. After several guns and other objects were recovered, the site was reportedly destroyed, and the Mary Rose was lost once more. -
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The Search
The search for and discovery of the Mary Rose was a result of the dedication of one man, the late Alexander McKee. In 1965 in conjunction with the Southsea branch of the British Sub-Aqua Club, McKee initiated ‘Project Solent Ships’ to investigate wrecks in the Solent. His real hope was to find the Mary Rose. -
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The excavation
Frames, planking and deck beams were seen by divers at the wreck, and a series of limited excavations outside the ship were carried out to find out how much might have survived. The site was divided up using a grid of bright yellow pipe, so divers could find their exact position. All artefacts and timbers found were carefully surveyed and recorded. When brought to the surface, artefacts were stored in a controlled environment. -
The raising
A committee was set up to consider many different methods of raising the hull. They decided to use a purpose-built lifting frame that would be attached by wires to steel bolts passing through the hull at carefully selected points.
Hanging from the frame, the hull could now be transferred into a steel cradle that was in place on the seabed to the west of the wreck. When the weather and tide were favourable, the lifting frame was raised by the crane, and the hull was moved above the cradle. -
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The raising of the Mary Rose and the restoration
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The restoration
Safely in the cradle and supported from above and below, the hull was given a final lift. Air bags gave it essential cushioning. The whole package, was lifted into the air and placed onto the deck of a barge ready to be towed ashore. This was then taken to the safe haven of the Royal Naval Base, Portsmouth.Once ashore, the Mary Rose was wrapped in protective foam and polythene and constantly sprayed to keep her wet. She was housed just behind HMS Victory and a hall was built around her.
