The Mary Rose - Sailing into history

In the corner of Portsmouth’s naval dockyard is a hidden gem. But hurry to see her, because in September she slips from view until 2016. Then she’ll be back on display fully conserved, emerging like a butterfly from a chrysalis, to once again sit alongside her recovered artefacts. This, the Mary Rose, is perhaps the most important surviving piece of British naval history. One of the first warships with gunports, this ship is attributed with beginning the modern Royal Navy. Once preserved, she’ll be displayed in a magnificent £35 million new museum.

Famously on July 19 1545, this fighting ship commissioned by Henry VIII, sank in a battle raging off the coast of Portsmouth. The Mary Rose’s third engagement with the French ended her 34 years of service. As the ship sunk she took 600 lives with her. Half of her hull was buried in deep mud. The other half was prey to the watery elements.

Over four centuries passed. In 1971 The Mary Rose was found. Eleven years of excavations followed. On 11 October 1982, 60 million people watched worldwide as the timbers of her hull emerged. The mud had remarkably preserved the ship and along with it evidence of those lost lives. Here was a matchless time capsule that would prove to offer unique insights into life on board ship in Tudor England.

The mud had remarkably preserved the ship and along with it evidence of those lost lives. Here was a matchless time capsule that would prove to offer unique insights into life on board ship in Tudor England.

Beautiful paintings exist of the Mary Rose, but it’s only when you see her that you get a real sense of her scale. Protected behind glass is the black skeleton of the ship, timbers jutting into the space that was her other half. Preserving chemicals flood through her decks, much like the sea water that engulfed this ghostly hull. You can imagine the doctor, the carpenter, the cook; every rank of child and man from the humblest to the most senior, living a life at sea in these quarters. You can not only imagine it, but know it, because of the artefacts found. This is the only recovered and preserved 16th century warship in existence. So what was life on board like? Who better to know than the man heading up The Mary Rose Trust, chief executive Rear Admiral John Lippiett.

“It was sordid in extreme, very smelly,” says Lippiett. “There were no bunks or hammocks. Most people wouldn’t have washed and would have worn the same clothes. The fire in the galley was the only source of heat. The smoke would have wafted through the ship and probably killed some of the nits.” Lippiett can say all of this with assurance as a detailed picture of Tudor life is emerging from the 19,000 artefacts recovered, many in almost pristine condition. There are combs of all sizes for those nits. Wooden plates look as though they were carved yesterday. Musical instruments have been found such as fiddles with bows, table pipes and Tudor drums. Because of this, as Lippiett says, “We can now hear the sound of Tudor music which wouldn’t have been heard before.” The quill pens have ink stains and the gold coins look freshly minted. Archers’ wooden longbows are beautifully polished. There’s the largest complete pewter collection in the world; now used as a benchmark to date other pewter. Personal items have been found in pouches in jerkins. And 93 complete skeletons are very slowly revealing their history. But sadly only six percent of this is on display.

That so many items were recovered is down to a dedicated team of archeologists. Those early divers couldn’t even see the full extent of the ship. As Alexzandra Hildred, archeological director of The Mary Rose site, explains of her first dive in 1979, “It was dreadfully dark and visibility was about 50 centimetres. I was plunging my hand into soft silt, like butter, and feeling a cold brass gun. It was fantastic but I had no idea of the scale. Two years later visibility opened up to about 12 metres. You could actually see the ship. It was big and strong. It really does touch all of your senses.” Then a core team of 12 archeologists worked for up to nine months of the year on the wreck. Hildred estimates she made over a 1,000 dives. “It undoubtedly changed and formed people’s lives,” she comments.

“It staggers most people that we are such a national treasure, and a designated museum with a collection of national importance, and we get no funding,” says Lippiett.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of The Mary Rose Trust. A small group of people have worked tirelessly to bring the ship’s story to light, and all without any government funding. “It staggers most people that we are such a national treasure, and a designated museum with a collection of national importance, and we get no funding,” says Lippiett. It’s not surprising then that an important part of his role is to fundraise. And the money not only helps unravel the ship’s mystery, but also supports the ongoing educational work of The Trust.

On any given day rooms bulge with schoolchildren spellbound by the story. They handle the thick ropes, smell the black tar, and live the period. Outreach work includes holding Tudor banquets in special needs schools. They take the story to hospices and those waiting for chemotherapy. “It appeals to people whatever their ability and age. It takes their mind off things and everyone is fascinated. I think we are probably the lead museum in the country for what we are doing,” says Lippiett. “We also work with the blind and the stroke association, as well as the national autistic society.”

Lippiett says, “We’ve got the best snapshot of Tudor life in the world.” But for all to be revealed and the potential realised, The Mary Rose Trust needs more funds to finance the new venture. “We appreciate every pound that comes through. We have giving schemes both large and small. Some senior citizens will have saved up for over five years and send me £50. That is as important as those cheques with the massive noughts after them.” Lippiett encourages larger donors to contact him directly to ‘show the magic’ of the Mary Rose. They can join the exclusive, 500 members, Commodore’s Club. A minimum gift of £10,000, spread over three to five years, entitles them to benefits such as exclusive access to the Reserve Collection, special events, and networking opportunities with other members like The Prince of Wales. Another scheme, Make Your Mark, offers people the chance to have their name or initials carved on one of the wooden planks that will clad the new museum, in much the same way as sailors engraved their personal possessions. But whatever the choice, opportunities like these offer everyone a chance to become part of history, past, present and future.

For more information visit www.maryrose.org  

By Michele Nevard