[MR] Wikipedia: Wreck of the Mary Rose

[Garth Groff and Sally Sanford]

Noble Friends, Especially Fellow Archers,

On this date in 1545, Henry VIII's great warship Mary Rose sank in the
Solent while sailing to repel a French invasion fleet.

The Mary Rose was one of the largest warships of its time, a sort of
proto-ship of the line. How it sank is still debated. The general consensus
is that during a maneuver the ship heeled over and water entered its open
gunports. The ship sank in just minutes with most of the crew trapped below
decks or under anti-boarding nets on the open decks. Nearly the entire crew
of over 400 sailors and soldiers perished, save for 35 in the fighting tops
and a handful of others who struggled free.

Archaeological recovery of artefacts began in 1979, and the remains of the
ship itself were raised in 1982. The Mary Rose was in effect a time capsule
of Tudor naval life, which all sorts of tools, personal effects, weapons,
and human remains brought to the surface for preservation. For archers in
particular, the finds of yew longbows, arrows and tackle were of immense
value, as so little archery equipment survived from earlier periods.

More about the Mary Rose is at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Rose .

Many of the artefacts are presented at https://maryrose.org .

Yours Aye,


Mungo Napier, Laird of Mallard Lodge  🦆
Keeping the *Merry Rose* relevant and in business for 16 years.