Henry VIII's Desperate Dive: The First Attempt to Salvage the Mary Rose by Richard Clements

The Mary Rose, a prized warship of King Henry VIII, has long captured the imaginations of historians and maritime enthusiasts. Launched in 1511, she served the Tudor navy for over three decades before tragically sinking during the Battle of the Solent in 1545. Raised from the depths in 1982, the Mary Rose now resides in the Mary Rose Museum in Portsmouth, offering a window into Tudor maritime life. Yet, the tale of the Mary Rose is not solely confined to her rediscovery in the late 20th century. Shortly after her sinking, Henry VIII's initial efforts to salvage his beloved warship provide a dramatic and poignant chapter in her storied history. The Mary Rose was the pride of Henry VIII’s fleet, embodying the strength and ambition of Tudor naval power. On 19 July 1545, as she prepared to face the French fleet in the Solent, disaster struck. According to the sole confirmed eyewitness, a Flemish crewman, the Mary Rose had fired her guns on one side and was turning to present her other side to the enemy when a sudden gust of wind caused her to heel over. Water flooded through the open gunports, and the ship quickly sank. Of the nearly 500 men aboard, only 35 survived. The loss was not only a blow to England's naval capabilities but also a personal tragedy for Henry VIII, who witnessed the calamity from Southsea Castle. Henry VIII's reaction to the sinking of the Mary Rose was one of profound shock and immediate concern. The King, who had invested significant resources and personal pride in his navy, was determined to recover what he could from the wreck. The Mary Rose was not just a ship; it was a symbol of his reign and naval prowess. The urgency and emotional weight of the situation were evident in Henry’s swift commissioning of a salvage operation mere days after the disaster. His involvement underscored the deep personal and political investment he had in the ship and its armaments.

The initial salvage operation commenced under the direction of Charles Brandon, the Duke of Suffolk, and the King’s brother-in-law. The plan was straightforward but fraught with challenges. The team aimed to use traditional methods of the time: strong cables would be attached to the submerged ship and secured to two empty ships, known as hulks. When the tide rose, the hulks would lift the Mary Rose, allowing her to be towed into shallower waters. A list of necessary equipment was quickly compiled, including massive cables, capstans, pulleys, and 40 pounds of tallow for lubrication. The salvage crew consisted of 30 Venetian mariners, a Venetian carpenter, and 60 English sailors. Despite their combined expertise and the confidence expressed by Brandon, the operation faced immediate difficulties. The Mary Rose had settled at a 60-degree angle in the deep clay of the seabed, complicating efforts to pass cables underneath the hull. Attempts to attach the cables to the main mast resulted in the mast snapping off, further hampering the effort. The technological limitations of the 16th century were evident in the salvage operation. Despite the best efforts of the team, they struggled to manoeuvre the massive ship, which was heavily embedded in the seabed. The materials available, although innovative for their time, could not overcome the structural damage the ship had already sustained during the sinking. The attempts to raise the Mary Rose highlighted the rudimentary nature of salvage techniques during the Tudor period, making this operation as much a testament to the era’s limitations as it was to their ambition.

An intriguing and significant aspect of the early salvage operation was the involvement of Jacques Francis, a diver of African descent. Francis was employed by the Venetian salvage operator Piero Paulo Corsi, who had set up a base of operations in Portsmouth. Born on what is now Arguin Island in Mauritania around 1527, Francis was a skilled diver whose expertise was likely honed in the warm waters off the West African coast. Francis and his fellow divers faced the daunting task of recovering valuable cannons from the wreck. The work was perilous, requiring them to dive deep into the cold, murky waters of the Solent. Despite these challenges, the team managed to bring up several cannons, showcasing their remarkable skill and bravery. The involvement of Jacques Francis and the diverse composition of the salvage crew highlight the often-overlooked multicultural dimensions of Tudor England and its maritime activities. Contemporary accounts highlight the technical and physical challenges the team faced. The abrasive actions of sand and silt, coupled with the activity of wood-boring sea creatures, had already begun to break down the exposed structure of the ship. Despite these obstacles, some rigging and a few cannons were eventually retrieved, though the main body of the ship eluded the salvors’ grasp. The failure to recover the Mary Rose in its entirety was a significant disappointment for Henry VIII. The partial success of retrieving some cannons did little to assuage the loss of the ship itself. The King's hopes of a quick and complete recovery were dashed, and the wreck remained a haunting reminder of the disaster. Despite the best efforts of the era’s most skilled mariners and divers, the technology and methods available were insufficient for the task. Conclusion: The failed salvage attempt had long-lasting implications, extending beyond the loss of the ship itself. It underscored the limitations of contemporary maritime recovery techniques and highlighted the immense challenges faced by even the most determined efforts to reclaim lost naval assets. For the Royal Navy, it was a sobering lesson in the vulnerabilities of their ships and the unpredictability of naval warfare. Henry VIII's desperate dive into the depths of the Solent to salvage the Mary Rose remains a compelling testament to the King's dedication to his navy and the technological constraints of the 16th century. The early salvage efforts, while ultimately unsuccessful, paved the way for future generations to continue the quest to uncover and preserve the treasures of the past. Today, the Mary Rose Museum stands as a symbol of both the ship's storied past and the enduring human spirit of exploration and recovery.