The lists for the Tudor period are taken primarily from Arthur Nelson's
The Tudor Navy and David Childs's
Tudor Sea Power (cited in references at the end of this article). ::
Where applicable, number of main guns follows name (see Rating system of the Royal Navy). Note that long-lived ships could be rearmed several times. Many earlier ships went through periodic repairs and rebuildings (many now unrecorded) during which their dimensions and their armament changed considerably. Henry VII (additions 1485–1509) The number of guns listed in various sources is not really relevant; most of the large number quoted in contemporary records were small anti-personnel weapons, and the number of these would vary from time to time (changes usually unrecorded). Accordingly, the figures have been omitted. •
Carvel of Ewe (purchased 1487) – last mentioned 1518 •
Regent (ex-
Grace Dieu) (built 1488) – burnt at the
Battle of St Matthieu, 1512 •
Sovereign (ex-
Trinity Sovereign) (built 1488) – rebuilt 1509, last mentioned 1525 •
Michael (1488, a prize taken from the Scots; not to be confused with the much larger Scottish carrack
Michael) – last mentioned 1513 •
Margaret (1490, a prize taken from the Scots) – deleted before 1509 •
Mary Fortune (prototype
galleass built 1497) – renamed
Swallow when rebuilt 1512, deleted 1527 •
Sweepstake (prototype galleass built 1497 in
Portsmouth what is thought by some to be the UK's first
dry dock) – deleted 1527
Henry VIII (additions 1509–1547) Heavy (bronze) guns mounted on carriages only appeared during this reign. The concept of cutting gunports into the lower deck emerged early in the period, and relatively few heavy guns were carried. Even the largest would only have heavy guns numbering in single figures, the remainder being small anti-personnel weapons.
Ships These were described simply as ships, most were probably
carracks) •
Mary Rose (1509) – rebuilt 1536, sank 1545, starboard-side remains recovered 1982 and preserved at Portsmouth •
Peter Pomegranate (1510) – rebuilt 1536, deleted 1552 •
Jennet Prywin (ex-Scottish
Andrew Barton, captured 1511, originally Danish) – deleted 1514 •
Lion (ex-Scottish privateer prize, captured 1511) – sold 1513 •
Anne Gallant (built 1512) – wrecked 1518 •
Christ (ex
Christ of Lynn, purchased 1512) – captured by Barbary pirates 1515 •
Dragon (built 1512) – last recorded 1514 •
John Baptist (purchased 1512) – wrecked 1534 •
Mary George (ex
Mary Howard, purchased 1512) – last recorded 1526 •
Mary James (ex
James of Hull, purchased 1512) – last recorded 1529 •
Lizard (purchased 1512) – last recorded 1522 •
Great Nicholas (ex
Nicholas Reede, purchased 1512) – deleted by 1522 •
Great Bark 63 (built 1512) – sold 1531 •
Little Barbara or
Barbara of Greenwich (1512) – last recorded 1514 •
Black Bark or
Christopher (1513) – last recorded 1514 •
Henry Hampton (purchased 1513) – hulked 1521 and not later recorded •
Mary Imperial (1513) – last recorded 1525 •
Henri Grâce à Dieu ("Great Harry") 186 (1514) – rebuilt 1539, renamed
Edward 1547, but accidentally burned 1553. •
Great Elizabeth (ex
Salvator von Lubeck, purchased 1514) – wrecked 1514. •
Great Galley (built 1515) – rebuilt 1542 as a ship and renamed
Great Bark •
Less Bark (1517) – rebuilt 1536 and renamed
Small Bark, last recorded 1552 •
Mary Gloria (purchased 1517) – last recorded 1522 •
Katherine Bark (built 1518) – last recorded 1525 •
Bark of Bullen (captured 1522 from the French) – last recorded 1525 •
Bark of Murless (ex
Bark of Morlaix, captured 1522 from the French) – last recorded 1530 •
Magdeline (ex
Mawdlyn of Deptford, 1522) – last recorded 1525 •
Mary and John (Spanish galleon) – last recorded 1528 •
John of Greenwich (captured 1523) – last recorded 1530 •
Primrose (built 1523) – rebuilt 1538, sold 1555 •
Minion (built 1523) – rebuilt 1536, given away 1549 •
Mary Guildford (built 1524) – last recorded 1539 •
Trinity Henry (1530) – sold 1558 •
Sweepstake (built 1535) – condemned 1559 •
Mary Willoughby (built 1535) – captured by the Scots 1536 but retaken 1547, rebuilt 1551, sold 1573 •
Matthew (ex
Matthew Gonson, purchased 1539) – last recorded 1558 •
Pansy (built 1543) – condemned 1558 •
Artigo (ex
Ferronière, captured 1543 from the French) – sold 1547 •
Jesus of Lübeck (ex-Hanseatic League
carrack Jesus von Lübeck, purchased 1544) – sunk by Spanish 1568 •
Marryan (ex-Hanseatic League
Morian Murryan, purchased 1544) – sold 1551 •
Struss (ex-Hanseatic League
Struce of Dawsky, purchased 1544) – sold 1552 •
Mary Hambrough (ex-Hanseatic League, purchased 1544) – sold 1558 •
Christopher of Bream (purchased 1545) – sold 1556 •
Mary Thomas (captured 1545) – last recorded 1546 •
Mary James (captured 1545) – last recorded 1546 •
Mary Odierne (captured 1545) – last recorded 1546 •
Trinity (captured 1545) – last recorded 1546 •
Sacrett (captured 1545) – condemned 1559 •
Hope Bark (1546) – last recorded 1548
Carracks These were specifically mentioned as such, although most of the "ships" above were probably carracks also. •
Gabriel Royal (ex Genoese, purchased 1512) •
Katherine Fortune (ex Genoese
Katarina Fortileza, purchased 1512) •
Mary Loret (ex Genoese
Maria de Larreto, requisitioned 1514, but returned later in the same year) •
Great Barbara (ex
Mawdelyn, purchased 1513) – last recorded 1524
Galleys •
Henry Galley (built 1512) – lost 1513 •
Rose Galley (1512) – last recorded 1521 •
Kateryn Galley (1512) – last recorded 1527 •
Galley Subtile (built 1543) – listed as a gallease 1546, condemned 1560 •
Mermaid (ex
Galley Blanchard, captured 1545) – last recorded 1563
Galleasses The
galleass was a compromise between the sleek lines and underwater shape of the
galley and the broadside guns of the carrack; in this sense it was the predecessor of the
galleon. Primarily sailing warships, with oars as ancillary means of propulsion. Twelve were built for Henry VIII in three groups between 1536 and 1546, and two further vessels of the type were captured from the Scottish Navy and added to the English fleet, and another was purchased. As the oars were found to detract from their sailing performance, they were removed by the time of Henry's death and in 1549 all fifteen galleasses were re-classed as 'ships'. Those in good condition were rebuilt as small
galleons in 1558 (six) or 1570 (two).
First group These four vessels were three-masted galleasses, each with a low forecastle and three pairs of gunports set along the rowing deck. A fifth galleasse - the
George - was much smaller and was purchased rather than built for the Navy. •
Lion (1536) – taken to pieces 1552 •
Jennet (1539) – rebuilt as a galleon 1558 •
Dragon (1542) – taken to pieces 1552 •
Greyhound (1545) – rebuilt as a galleon 1558 •
George (1546) - taken to pieces 1558
Second group The four ships built to this type (together with two similar vessels captured from the Scots) were four-masted galleasses with a higher forecastle. They also had three or four pairs of gunports on the lower deck, but also a couple of smaller pairs on the half-deck above. •
New Bark (1543) – rebuilt as a galleon 1558 •
Swallow (1544) – rebuilt as a galleon 1558 •
Unicorn (captured 1544 from the
Royal Scots Navy) – taken to pieces 1552 •
Salamander (built 1537 in France and captured 1544 from the
Royal Scots Navy) – condemned 1559 •
Grand Mistress (1545) – sold to take to pieces 1552 •
Anne Gallant (1545) – gone by 1560
Last group Also four-masted, these were flush-decked vessels, with the forecastle joined to the half-deck to form a continuous upper deck. •
Hart (1546) – rebuilt as a galleon 1558 •
Antelope 38 (1546) – rebuilt as a galleon 1558 •
Bull 26 (1546) – rebuilt as a galleon 1570 •
Tiger (1546) – rebuilt as a galleon 1570
Other small vessels These were classed as
pinnaces •
Great Zebra (1522) – last recorded 1525 •
Less Zebra (1522) – last recorded 1525 •
Mary Grace (a
hoy Mary of Homflete, captured 1522 from the French) – last recorded 1525 •
Great Pinnace (1544, but may have been the
Great Zabra renamed) – last recorded 1545 •
Less Pinnace (1544, but may have been the
Less Zabra renamed) – last recorded 1549 •
Falcon (1544) – listed as a ship from 1557, last recorded 1578 •
Roo (built 1545) – captured by the French 1547 •
Marlion or
Martin (captured from the French 1545) – last recorded 1549 •
Saker (built 1545) – listed as a ship from 1557, last recorded 1565 •
Hind (built 1545) – listed as a ship from 1557, sold 1557 •
Brigantine (built 1545) – captured by the French 1552 •
Hare (built 1545) – sold 1573 •
Phoenix (purchased 1546) – listed as ship from 1557, rebuilt 1558 and sold 1573 •
Trego Ronnyger (1546) – last recorded 1549 Also in 1546, thirteen armed
rowbarges of 20 tons each were built –
Double Rose,
Flower de Luce (captured by the French in 1562),
Sun,
Harp,
Cloud in the Sun,
Hawthorne,
Three Ostrich Feathers,
Falcon in the Fetterlock,
Portcullis,
Rose in the Sun,
Maidenhead,
Roseslip and
Gillyflower. The first three of these were rebuilt in 1557–58 and classed as pinnaces, the next five named above were sold in 1548–49 (for £154.4.0d each) and the last five were condemned in 1552.
Edward VI (additions 1547–1553) Notwithstanding the considerable number of minor additions below, few significant vessels were added during this brief reign, and the majority of those that were added are prizes. Except where a fate is stated below, all the following were only listed as king's ships in the year quoted in brackets, and did not appear subsequently in records. •
Black Pinnace 17 (1548) •
Spanish Shallop 7 (1548) •
Great Bark Aiger (1549) •
Black Galley (captured 1549) – retaken by the French in the same year •
Swift (1549) – listed to 1558 •
Moon 12 (1549) – wrecked 1553 off West Africa •
Seven Stars (1549) – listed to 1558 •
Mary Norwell (1549) •
John (captured 1549) •
Lion (ex-
Royal Scots Navy, captured 1549) •
Margaret (1549) •
Nicholas (captured 1549) •
Katherine (captured 1549) •
Small Swallow (1549) •
Bark of Bullen (1550) – given away in 1553 •
Jer Falcon (1550) – condemned 1558 •
Edward Bonaventure (1551) – wrecked 1556 at Aberdeen.
Mary I (additions 1553–1558) Contrary to the subsequent Elizabethan propaganda that Mary's reign neglected the Navy, this brief reign saw the addition of the first real galleons (all Henry's new or rebuilt big ships had been carracks) – the first three detailed below – and the rebuilding of six former galleasses to the galleon concept, as well as the commencement of a larger vessel ordered under the name
Edward, which was to be launched as
Elizabeth Jonas in the first few months of Elizabeth's reign. •
Smaller Galleons (ex-galleasses) •
Jennet (rebuilt in 1558 from
galleass of 1539) – deleted 1589 •
New Bark (rebuilt in 1558 from
galleass of 1543) – condemned 1565 •
Swallow (rebuilt in 1558 from
galleass of 1544) – rebuilt again 1580 •
Greyhound (rebuilt in 1558 from
galleass of 1545) – wrecked 1563 •
Hart (rebuilt in 1558 from
galleass of 1546) – deleted 1568 •
Antelope (rebuilt in 1558 from
galleass of 1546) – deleted 1568 Note the number of guns given above is nominal. The much greater figures usually quoted include small/light cast-iron (anti-personnel) weapons, whereas the figures quoted here reflect the approximate number of carriage-mounted heavy bronze guns positioned on the lower or upper deck for anti-ship fire.
Elizabeth I (additions 1558–1603) •
GalleonsNote that the
Primrose and
Victory, purchased in 1560, were originally classed as "ships" rather than galleons, but the latter was rebuilt as a galleon in 1586. •
Elizabeth Jonas 56 (built 1557–1559) – rebuilt in 1597–98 •
Hope 34 (built 1559) – rebuilt in 1604 •
Triumph (built 1561) – rebuilt in 1595–96 •
White Bear 40 (built 1564) – rebuilt in 1598–99 •
Bonaventure (purchased 1567) – sometimes called
Elizabeth Bonaventure. Rebuilt 1581; BU 1611. •
Foresight 37 (built 1570) – the prototype "race-built" galleon – BU 1604 •
Bull (rebuilt in 1570 from
galleass of 1546) – deleted 1589 •
Tiger (rebuilt in 1570 from
galleass of 1546) – deleted 1605 •
Dreadnought 41 (built 1573) – BU 1645 •
Swiftsure (built 1573) – rebuilt 1592 •
Revenge (built 1577) – sunk 1591 in action against Spanish •
Dainty (built 1588) –
captured by the Spanish in July 1594 •
Aid (rebuilt in 1580 from ship of 1562) – broken up 1599 •
Golden Lion 38 (rebuilt in 1582 from ship of 1557) – rebuilt again in 1609 when renamed
Red Lion (although usually each version was contracted to
Lion) •
Nonpareil 38 (rebuilt in 1584 from
Philip and Mary of 1556) – rebuilt 1603 again and renamed
Nonsuch . •
Rainbow 40 (built 1586) – Rebuilt 1617 •
Vanguard 40 (built 1586) – Rebuilt 1615 •
Tramontana (bark, built 1586) – broken up 1618 •
Hart 56 •
San Felipe (ex-Spanish
San Felipe, captured 1587) – was not added to the English Navy •
Black Dog (captured 1590) – not listed after 1590 • ''Lion's Whelp'' (acquired 1590) – lost at sea 1591 •
Primrose Hoy (hoy, built 1590) – condemned 1618 •
French Frigate (pinnace, captured from the French 1591) – renamed
Primrose 1612, condemned 1618 • Pinnace, name unknown, c1592. Armed with set of 12 matched cannon, unlike the mixed cannon usually used at the time. Site discovered and several cannon recovered in 2009 •
Flight (built 1592) – not listed after 1592 •
Madre de Dios (ex-Portuguese carrack
Madre de Dios, captured 1592) – was not added to the English Navy •
Eagle (hulk, ex
Eagle of Lubeck, purchased 1592) – sold 1683 •
Flirt (acquired 1592) – not mwentionred after 1592 •
Hawk (exploration vessel, acquired 1593) – not listed after 1593 •
Minnikin (acquired 1594) – not listed after 1595 •
Francis (exploration vessel, acquired 1595) – captured by Spain 1595 •
Splendid (acquired 1597) – not listed after 1597 •
Daisy (pink, acquired 1599) – not listed after 1599 •
Bear (built 1599) – not listed after 1599 •
Discovery (exploration vessel, acquired 1600) – deleted 1620 • ''Lion's Whelp'' (ketch, purchased 1601) – given away 1625 ==List of English warships (1603–1642)==