List of early warships of the English navy


This is a list of early warships belonging to the English sovereign or the English Government, the precursor to the Royal Navy of England. These include major and minor warships from 1485 until 1660, the latter being the year in which the Royal Navy came formally into existence with the Restoration of Charles II. Between Charles I's execution in 1649 and the Restoration eleven years later, the Navy became the property of the state, under which it expanded dramatically in size.

Glossary

The dates for ships before 1485 are probably listed using the contemporary English convention of the first day of the year being 25 March.
In the sections listing warships in the English/Royal Navy from 1485 onwards, the dates have been quoted using the modern convention of the year starting on 1 January, where this information is available. All dates are given in the Julian Calendar.

List of English warships before 1485

The following list is based extensively upon that provided in Michael Oppenheim's History of the Administration of the Royal Navy and in Volume 1 of William Laird Clowes's The Royal Navy: A History from the Earliest Times to 1900.
The lists for the Tudor period are taken primarily from Arthur Nelson's The Tudor Navy and David Childs's Tudor Sea Power.

Henry VII (additions 1485–1509)

The number of guns listed in various sources is not really relevant; most of the large number quoted in contemporary records were small anti-personnel weapons, and the number of these would vary from time to time. Accordingly, the figures have been omitted.
Heavy guns mounted on carriages only appeared during this reign. The concept of cutting gunports into the lower deck emerged early in the period, and relatively few heavy guns were carried. Even the largest would only have heavy guns numbering in single figures, the remainder being small anti-personnel weapons.

Ships

These were described simply as ships, most were probably carracks)
These were specifically mentioned as such, although most of the "ships" above were probably carracks also.
The galleass was a compromise between the sleek lines and underwater shape of the galley and the broadside guns of the carrack; in this sense it was the predecessor of the galleon. Primarily sailing warships, with oars as ancillary means of propulsion. Twelve were built for Henry VIII in three groups between 1536 and 1546, and two further vessels of the type were captured from the Scottish Navy and added to the English fleet. As the oars were found to detract from their sailing performance, they were removed by the time of Henry's death and in 1549 all fourteen galleasses were re-classed as 'ships'. Those in good condition were rebuilt as small galleons in 1558 or 1570.
First group
These four vessels were three-masted galleasses, each with a low forecastle and three pairs of gunports set along the rowing deck.
Second group
The four ships built to this type were four-masted galleasses with a higher forecastle. They also had three or four pairs of gunports on the lower deck, but also a couple of smaller pairs on the half-deck above.
Last group
Also four-masted, these were flush-decked vessels, with the forecastle joined to the half-deck to form a continuous upper deck.
These were classed as pinnaces
Also in 1546, thirteen armed rowbarges of 20 tons each were built - Double Rose, Flower de Luce, Sun, Harp, Cloud in the Sun, Hawthorne, Three Ostrich Feathers, Falcon in the Fetterlock, Portcullis, Rose in the Sun, Maidenhead, Roseslip and Gillyflower. The first three of these were rebuilt in 1557–58 and classed as pinnaces, the next five named above were sold in 1548–49 and the last five were condemned in 1552.

Edward VI (additions 1547–1553)

Notwithstanding the considerable number of minor additions below, few significant vessels were added during this brief reign, and the majority of those that were added are prizes. Except where a fate is stated below, all the following were only listed as king's ships in the year quoted in brackets, and did not appear subsequently in records.
Contrary to the subsequent Elizabethan propaganda that Mary's reign neglected the Navy, this brief reign saw the addition of the first real galleons - the first three detailed below - and the rebuilding of six former galleasses to the galleon concept, as well as the commencement of a larger vessel ordered under the name Edward, which was to be launched as Elizabeth Jonas in the first few months of Elizabeth's reign.
Note the number of guns given above is nominal. The much greater figures usually quoted include small/light cast-iron weapons, whereas the figures quoted here reflect the approximate number of carriage-mounted heavy bronze guns positioned on the lower or upper deck for anti-ship fire.

Elizabeth I (additions 1558–1603)

Note that the Primrose and Victory, purchased in 1560, were originally classed as "ships" rather than galleons, but the latter was rebuilt as a galleon in 1586.

Major ships existing in 1618

For the first time, under the Stuart monarchy, a division of the Navy into different categories was initiated. The largest of the great ships were categorised as ships royal, while the remainder were grouped as middling ships or small ships.
Note that ships royal would under Charles I become the first rank ships; similarly, great ships would become the second rank ships; middling ships would become the third rank ships; and small ships would become the fourth rank ships - later to be further sub-divided into fourth, fifth and sixth rates.
Originally with 32-34 guns, by 1660 this had increased to 56 guns.
Originally with only 28 or 30 guns, this was raised to 30-34 by 1633 and 40 guns by 1652.
Note that this list only included the first part of Charles's reign preceding the English Civil War, Subsequent acquisitions are listed in the following section.
Early frigates
The interregnum between the execution of Charles I in 1649 and the Restoration of royal authority in 1660 saw the full emergence of the ship-of-the-line and its employment during the first Anglo-Dutch War. During this period the English navy technically became first the Commonwealth Navy, later the Protectorate Navy and subsequently the Commonwealth Navy again; the prefix "HMS" is thus not applicable to any English warship during the Interregnum.
The following lists include ships of the line, i.e. vessels of the first, second, third and fourth rates which were judged fit to stand in the line of battle. Smaller warships of the fifth and sixth rates, and the even smaller unrated vessels, appear in the subsequent section.
Under the categorisation as amended in late 1653, the rates were based on the number of men in the established complement of a ship, as follows:
However, there were numerous exceptions, and ships changed their Rating from time to time.

First and second rates (three-decked ships)

A programme comprising four second rates of 60 guns each was adopted in 1654. However, of these four ships the Naseby was completed as a first rate, while the Richard was reclassed as a first rate in 1660.
The following list covers only the major vessels, all taken from the Dutch and added to the Commonwealth Navy as fourth rates; several dozen further small vessels were also captured from the Dutch during this war, and added to the Protectorate Navy, usually as fifth rate or sixth rate vessels.
For ships-of-the-line of the Royal Navy, successor to the Protectorate Navy after 1660, see List of ships of the line of the Royal Navy

List of smaller English warships of the English Civil War, the Commonwealth and Protectorate (1642–1660)

In principle, vessels with an established complement of fewer than 150 were classed as fifth rate, sixth rate, or as unrated. However, there were numerous exceptions, and a large number of vessels changed categories during their service lives.