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 | Anglo Saxon History |  | |
| | The Anthony Role - an illustrated guide to Henry VIII navy |
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| | The Anthony Role what was it ▲ |
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The Anthony Roll is a 16th-century illustrated inventory of the English navy created in 1546 and presented to King Henry VIII. Compiled by Anthony Anthony, a clerk of the Ordnance Office, it details the 58 ships that formed the king's "Army by the Sea" at the end of his reign, during the Anglo-French War.
The work originally consisted of three rolls of vellum, spanning over 15 yards in total length. Each ship entry features a color illustration alongside a detailed textual inventory of its tonnage, crew size, and armaments. The roll is systematically organized: the first documents 20 great ships or carracks, the second covers 15 oared galleasses, and the third lists 23 smaller pinnaces and rowbarges.
The Anthony Roll's enduring historical significance is twofold. First, it provides the only known contemporary illustrations of famous Tudor warships like the Mary Rose and the Henry Grace à Dieu. The 1982 salvage of the Mary Rose allowed archaeologists to compare the shipwreck directly with its entry in the Roll, confirming its accuracy on many details, such as its listed 91 guns. Second, it offers a comprehensive administrative snapshot of naval logistics, weaponry, and ship types at a critical moment in England's naval expansion.
The manuscript's modern history is notable. In 1680, King Charles II gave two rolls to naval administrator Samuel Pepys, who had them bound into a volume now held at Magdalene College, Cambridge. The third roll remained with the royal family until it was sold to the British Museum in 1858; it is now in the British Library. A complete scholarly facsimile was first published in 2000.
The full Wikipedia article please click here
The Wikisource details, this page is where the images originate from, there are a significant number of other vessels shown, well worth a visit to this page.
The following images are of the naval vessels built at Smallhythe Kent during the 1400's and 1500's.
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The Grand Mistress 1545AD ▲
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The Grand Mistress - a galleass built at Smallhythe
- Built in 1545 for Henry VIII
- Weight 450 tons
- 31 iron guns
- 7 bronze cannons
- Crew
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Full details from Three Decks.org | | |
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The Galley Subtle 1544 ▲
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Carrack ▲
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A ship with a high forecastle and aftcastle
Please click on the image for the Wikipedia Article
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Galleass ▲
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A ship with a low forecastle and aftcastle
Please click on the image for the Wikipedia Article
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Pinnace ▲
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A pinnace is a war galley or flat boat propelled by sails and rowing oars.
Please click on the image for the Wikipedia Article
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Local Interest
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![The Grand Mistress, a galleass built at Smallhythe Kent](javascript:launch_resize("/images/DbImages/AnthonyRoll-21_Grand_Mistress.jpg"))
![The Galley Subtle, a galleass built at Smallhythe Kent](javascript:launch_resize("/images/DbImages/AnthonyRoll-30_Galley_Subtle.jpg"))
