From Henry Tudor's bloody pursuit of the English Throne to the death of Elizabeth I without issue, the 117-year reign of the Tudor dynasty marked the transition from a feudal system of government to an Absolute Monarchy. One characteristic of the dynasty is the commitment each of the monarchs showed towards their Navy Royal, which saw it grow into an impressive sea power from the 8 vessels that Henry VII acquired to the 54 ships on the official ship list on the accession of James I.

This book examines the monarchs' patronage of the Navy Royal. It covers the evolution of great ships/carracks, galleons, race built galleons, galleasses and pinnaces, alongside developments in armament and naval warfare. The symbiotic relationship between the navy and merchants in trading ventures and later in Joint Stock fleet operations is explained in detail. The work is supported with comprehensive ship lists with records of all known ships, and illustrations from the archives of the National Maritime Museum and the Mary Rose Trust.

The Tudor Navy is divided into two parts: the first part describes the essential naval characteristics of each reign within the wider social and political context; the second part looks at the English sea battles and expeditions during the protracted Spanish War, of which the defeat of the Armada marked the pinnacle of naval achievement.

Author: Arthur Nelson

120 illustrations
224 pages
April 2001
295 x 248 mm
Hardback

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