HMS Mary (1660)

Last updated

History
Flag of The Commonwealth.svg Commonwealth of England
NameSpeaker
Namesake William Lenthall, Speaker of the House of Commons
Owner British government
BuilderChristopher Pett (Woolwich)
Launched1650
History
English Red Ensign 1620.svg England
NameHMS Mary
Namesake Henrietta Maria
Acquired1660
FateWrecked, 1703
General characteristics as built [1]
Class and type Speaker-class
Tons burthen727
Length116 ft (35.4 m) (keel)
Beam34 ft 8 in (10.6 m)
Depth of hold14 ft 6 in (4.4 m)
PropulsionSails
Sail plan Full-rigged ship
Armament
  • 50 guns (at launch);
  • 62 guns (1677)
General characteristics after 1688 rebuild [2]
Class and type62-gun third-rate ship of the line
Tons burthen829
Length143 ft 3 in (43.7 m) (gundeck)
Beam36 ft 8 in (11.2 m)
Depth of hold14 ft 6 in (4.4 m)
PropulsionSails
Sail plan Full-rigged ship
Armament62 guns of various weights of shot

The English ship Speaker was a 50-gun third-rate. Speaker was built for the navy of the Commonwealth of England by Christopher Pett at Woolwich Dockyard and launched in 1650. At the Restoration she was renamed HMS Mary. She was the prototype of the Speaker-class.

Contents

In 1688, HMS Mary was rebuilt by Thomas Shish at Woolwich Dockyard as a 62-gun third-rate ship of the line. The ship was wrecked on the Goodwin Sands in the Great Storm of 1703. Almost all who were aboard were drowned, including Rear-Admiral Basil Beaumont.

Description and early history

Charles Tomkins's 1796 engraving of Speaker The Speaker an English second rate of 54 Guns built about the year 1640. NB This was the Flag Ship of Vice Admiral Penn in the engagement with the Dutch Fleet Feby the 18, 19 and 20 1652 RMG PU0262.jpg
Charles Tomkins's 1796 engraving of Speaker

The English ship Speaker was a 50-gun third-rate and the name ship of the Speaker-class. She was built by Christopher Pett, as one of a pair of flagships for the Winter Guard of the navy of the Commonwealth of England. [3] [note 1] Built at Woolwich Dockyard, she was launched in 1650. [3]

Speaker's tonnage was 727 tons burthen. She had a length of 143 feet (43.6 m), and two decks, designed to accommodate the admiral and his officers. [3] The ship had a breadth of 34 feet 4 inches (10.5 m). [4] Originally designed to have 44 guns, the armament was increased to 50 guns in October 1649, and 56 guns by 1653. This was increased again to 60 guns between 1655 and 1660. [5]

Speaker participated in the Battle of the Gabbard in 1653, being large enough to serve as the flagship for Rear Admiral Samuel Howett in the Rear division of the Red squadron. [6] [7]

Restoration of Charles II

Speaker was part of the fleet led by Naseby, London, Richard, and Swiftsure who collected Charles II of England from Holland and brought him back from exile. Charles renamed the ship HMS Mary. [8]

Post-Restoration career

At the Restoration, Speaker was renamed HMS Mary. By 1677 her armament had been increased to 62 guns. [1]

In 1688, [9] Mary was rebuilt by Thomas Shish at Woolwich Dockyard as a 62-gun third-rate ship of the line. Mary was wrecked on the Goodwin Sands in the Great Storm of 1703. [2] Of her 275 crew, her captain and purser were ashore at the time of her loss; only one sailor on board survived. [10] Rear-Admiral Basil Beaumont however was aboard ship at the time and perished in the wreck. [11]

Wreck site

Local divers found the wreck site in 1980. [12] The initial designation was of 50 metres (160 ft) around what is now known as the South Mound; the North Mound was discovered in 1999 and the area was amended under Statutory Instrument number 2004/2395 as a 300 metres (980 ft) radius around 51° 15.6302' N, 01° 30.0262' E. [12]

It is believed that Mary lies under the South Mound and the North Mound is probably the third rate HMS Restoration that was wrecked in the same storm. [12] The site lies 100 metres (330 ft) to the west of the Goodwin Sands off Deal, between the wrecks of HMS Stirling Castle and HMS Northumberland, which also sank in the storm. [12]

The site was investigated by Wessex Archaeology on 25 June 2006. [12] The South Mound measures 28 by 12 metres (92 ft × 39 ft) but has not been studied in detail. [12]

Legacy

Mary could be considered as the first example of a ship of the line. Although it was built before the concept of a ship of the line was developed, it some of the characteristics of such a ship. [13]

Notes

  1. ↑ The other flagship was Fairfax. [3]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Goodwin Sands</span> Sandbank off the east coast of England

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great storm of 1703</span> English extratropical cyclone

The great storm of 1703 was a destructive extratropical cyclone that struck central and southern England on 26 November 1703. High winds caused 2,000 chimney stacks to collapse in London and damaged the New Forest, which lost 4,000 oaks. Ships were blown hundreds of miles off-course, and over 1,000 sea men died on the Goodwin Sands alone. News bulletins of casualties and damage were sold all over England – a novelty at that time. The Church of England declared that the storm was God's vengeance for the sins of the nation. Daniel Defoe thought it was a divine punishment for poor performance against Catholic armies in the War of the Spanish Succession.

HMS <i>Vanguard</i> (1678) Ship of the line of the Royal Navy

HMS Vanguard was a 90-gun second-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, built at Portsmouth Dockyard and launched in 1678.

HMS <i>Royal Oak</i> (1674) 74-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy

HMS Royal Oak was a 74-gun third-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, built by Jonas Shish at Deptford and launched in 1674. She was one of only three Royal Navy ships to be equipped with the Rupertinoe naval gun. Life aboard her when cruising in the Mediterranean Sea in 1679 is described in the diary of Henry Teonge.

HMS <i>Association</i> (1697) British Royal Navy warship

Association was a 90-gun second-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched at Portsmouth Dockyard in 1697. She served with distinction at the capture of Gibraltar, and was lost in 1707 by grounding on the Isles of Scilly in the greatest maritime disaster of the age. The wreck is a Protected Wreck managed by Historic England.

HMS <i>Stirling Castle</i> (1679) 17th-century naval gunship

HMS Stirling Castle was a 70-gun third-rate built at Deptford Dockyard, in 1678/79. She was in active commission for the War of the English Succession, fighting in the Battles of Beachy Head and Barfleur. HMS Stirling Castle underwent a rebuild at Chatham Dockyard in 1699. She was in the Cadiz operation in 1702. The ship was wrecked on the Goodwin Sands off Deal on 27 November 1703. The remains are now a Protected Wreck managed by Historic England.

HMS Northumberland was a 70-gun third-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, built by Francis Bayley of Bristol in 1677/79. She partook in the last great battle of the War of English Succession and the first battle of the War of Spanish Succession. She was lost in the Great Storm of November 1703.

HMS Restoration was a 70-gun third rate of the Kingdom of England built at Harwich Dockyard in 1677/78. After a ten-year stint in Ordinary she was commissioned for the War of the English Succession in 1690. She fought in the Battles of Beachy Head and the Battle of Barfleur. She was rebuilt at Portsmouth in 1699/1702. She was lost on the Goodwin Sands during the Great Storm of November 1703.

HMS <i>Duke</i> (1682) Ship of the line of the Royal Navy

HMS Duke was a 90-gun second-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 13 June 1682 at Woolwich Dockyard.

HMS <i>St Andrew</i> (1670) Ship of the line of the Royal Navy

HMS St Andrew was a 96-gun first-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, built by Christopher Pett at Woolwich Dockyard under the supervision of Christopher Pett until his death in March 1668, completed by Jonas Shish, and launched in 1670. Commanded by George Churchill, she took part in the 1692 victory over the French navy at Barfleur & La Hogue.

Lyme was a 52-gun third rate Speaker-class frigate built for the navy of the Commonwealth of England at Portsmouth, and launched in 1654.

HMS Windsor Castle was a 90-gun second rate ship of the line of the English Royal Navy, built by Thomas Shish at Woolwich Dockyard, and launched in 1679.

HMS Duchess was a 90-gun second rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, built by John Shish at Deptford Dockyard, and launched in May 1679.

HMS <i>Captain</i> (1678) Ship of the line of the Royal Navy

HMS Captain was a 70-gun third rate built at Woolwich Dockyard in 1677/78. After sitting in Ordinary for ten years she was in active commission for the War of the English Succession fighting at Beachy Head and Barfleur. She was in Ordinary until 1706 when she was rebuilt. She was in active commission for the last half of the War of Spanish Succession but fought in no major engagements. She was at the Battle of Passero I 1718. She was rebuilt in 1720/22. She made two forays in to the Baltic though the bulk of her late career was spent as guardship at Portsmouth. She was hulked in 1740 and finally broken in 1762.

HMS Burford was a 70-gun third rate ship of the line built at Woolwich Dockyard in 1677/79 as part of the Thirty Ships Programme of 1677. She fought in the War of the English Succession, including the Battle of Barfleur, before being rebuilt at Deptford in 1699, remaining as a 70-gun third rate. During the War of Spanish Succession she was mostly in the Mediterranean fleet and fought at the capture of Gibraltar and the Battle of Málaga in 1704 before being extensively repaired between 1710 and 1712 at Portsmouth Dockyard. Burford served in the Baltic in 1715 and 1717 before returning to the Mediterranean to fight the Spanish at the Battle of Cape Passaro in 1718. She was wrecked on the Italian coast in a storm on 14 February 1719.

HMS <i>Essex</i> (1679) Ship of the line of the Royal Navy

HMS Essex was a 70-gun third rate built by Sir Henry Johnson of Blackwall in 1678/79. During the War of the English Succession she fought in the last major action. She was rebuilt in 1699/1700. During the War of Spanish Succession she fought at Vigo Bay, the Capture of Gibraltar and Velez Malaga. She also fought at the Battle off Passero in 1718. She was rebuilt again in 1736-40. She was in action off Toulon in 1744. She was active in the Channel and against French ports during the Seven Years War. She fought at Quiberon Bay in 1759. She was wrecked in Quiberon Bay in November 1759.

HMS Sedgemoor was a 50-gun fourth rate ship of the line of the English Royal Navy, launched at Chatham Dockyard in 1687.

HMS Shrewsbury was a three-decker 80-gun third-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, built by Joseph Allin the elder and launched at Portsmouth Dockyard on the 6th of February, 1695.

HMS <i>Namur</i> (1697) Ship of the line of the Royal Navy

HMS Namur was a 90-gun second rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched at Woolwich Dockyard in 1697.

HMS Dartmouth was a 50-gun fourth rate ship of the line of the English Royal Navy, launched at Rotherhithe on 24 July 1693.

References

  1. 1 2 Lavery 2003, p. 159.
  2. 1 2 Lavery 2003, p. 163.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Lavery 2003, p. 19.
  4. ↑ Lavery 2003, pp. 19–20.
  5. ↑ Lavery 2003, p. 21.
  6. ↑ Winfield 2009, p. 36.
  7. ↑ Lavery 2003, p. 28.
  8. ↑ Lavery 2003, p. 30.
  9. ↑ Lavery 2003, p. 59.
  10. ↑ Larn 1977, p. 56.
  11. ↑ Stephen, Leslie, ed. (1885). "Beaumont, Basil"  . Dictionary of National Biography . Vol. 4. London: Smith, Elder & Co. pp. 53–54.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Wessex Archaeology (November 2006). "Restoration, Goodwin Sands: Designated Site Assessment Archaeological Report" (PDF). English Heritage. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 May 2009. Retrieved 24 August 2009.
  13. ↑ Lavery 2003, p. 47.

Sources

Archaeology report p5 51°15′38″N01°30′2″E / 51.26056°N 1.50056°E / 51.26056; 1.50056

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.