Great Harry
Encyclopedia
Henry Grace à Dieu ("Henry Grace of God"), also known as Great Harry, was an English
carrack
or "great ship" of the 16th century. Contemporary with Mary Rose
, Henry Grace à Dieu was even larger. She had a large forecastle
four decks high, and a stern castle two decks high. She was 165 feet (50 m) long, weighing 1,000–1,500 ton
s and having a complement of 700–1,000. It is said that she was ordered by Henry VIII
in response to the Scottish
ship Michael, launched in 1511.
She was originally built at Woolwich Dockyard
from 1512 to 1514 and was one of the first vessels to feature gunports and had twenty of the new heavy bronze cannon, allowing for a broadside
. She was fitted out later in the Naval Dockyard in Erith
. In all she mounted 43 heavy guns and 141 light guns. She was the first English two-decker
and when launched she was, at 1500 tons burthen, the largest and most powerful warship in Europe.
Very early on it became apparent that she was top heavy. She was plagued with heavy rolling in rough seas and her poor stability impacted gun accuracy and general performance as a fighting platform. To correct this, she underwent a substantial remodeling in 1536 (the same year as Mary Rose) where height of the hull was reduced. In this new form she was 1000 tons burthen and carried 151 guns of varying size, including 21 of bronze, and her full crew was reduced to between 700 and 800. Furthermore, she got an improved and innovative sailing arrangement with four masts each divided into three sections; the forward two square rigged
with mainsail, topsail and topgallants and the aft two carrying five lateen sails between them. This allowed for easier handling of the sails and spread wind forces more evenly on the ship, resulting in better speed and maneuverability and allowed better use of the heavy broadside. The only surviving depiction of the craft (from the Anthony Roll
) shows this rebuilt version.
Henry Grace à Dieu saw little action. She was present at the Battle of the Solent
against French forces in 1545, in which the Mary Rose
sank, but appears to have been more of a diplomatic vessel, taking Henry VIII to the summit with Francis I of France
at the Field of the Cloth of Gold
.
After the accession of Edward VI
in 1547 she was renamed for him. Her fate is uncertain; she may have been destroyed by fire at Woolwich
in 1553, or ended up as a discarded hulk on the bank of the River Thames
.
The tradition maintained by the Royal Navy
of "showing the flag" at seaside towns to uphold the morale of the Navy is said to have its origins in a service held at the Bradstowe Chapel
(Broadstairs
, Kent
) in 1514 with the crew of Henry Grace à Dieu in attendance, whilst the largest and latest addition to the King's Fleet was moored nearby.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
carrack
Carrack
A carrack or nau was a three- or four-masted sailing ship developed in 15th century Western Europe for use in the Atlantic Ocean. It had a high rounded stern with large aftcastle, forecastle and bowsprit at the stem. It was first used by the Portuguese , and later by the Spanish, to explore and...
or "great ship" of the 16th century. Contemporary with Mary Rose
Mary Rose
The Mary Rose was a carrack-type warship of the English Tudor navy of King Henry VIII. After serving for 33 years in several wars against France, Scotland, and Brittany and after being substantially rebuilt in 1536, she saw her last action on 1545. While leading the attack on the galleys of a...
, Henry Grace à Dieu was even larger. She had a large forecastle
Forecastle
Forecastle refers to the upper deck of a sailing ship forward of the foremast, or the forward part of a ship with the sailors' living quarters...
four decks high, and a stern castle two decks high. She was 165 feet (50 m) long, weighing 1,000–1,500 ton
Long ton
Long ton is the name for the unit called the "ton" in the avoirdupois or Imperial system of measurements, as used in the United Kingdom and several other Commonwealth countries. It has been mostly replaced by the tonne, and in the United States by the short ton...
s and having a complement of 700–1,000. It is said that she was ordered by Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
in response to the Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
ship Michael, launched in 1511.
She was originally built at Woolwich Dockyard
Woolwich Dockyard
Woolwich Dockyard was an English naval dockyard founded by King Henry VIII in 1512 to build his flagship Henri Grâce à Dieu , the largest ship of its day....
from 1512 to 1514 and was one of the first vessels to feature gunports and had twenty of the new heavy bronze cannon, allowing for a broadside
Broadside
A broadside is the side of a ship; the battery of cannon on one side of a warship; or their simultaneous fire in naval warfare.-Age of Sail:...
. She was fitted out later in the Naval Dockyard in Erith
Erith
Erith is a district of southeast London on the River Thames. Erith's town centre has undergone a series of modernisations since 1961.-Pre-medieval:...
. In all she mounted 43 heavy guns and 141 light guns. She was the first English two-decker
Two-decker
A two-decker is a sail warship which carried her guns on two fully armed decks. Usually additional guns were carried on the upper works , but this was not a continuous battery, so were not counted....
and when launched she was, at 1500 tons burthen, the largest and most powerful warship in Europe.
Very early on it became apparent that she was top heavy. She was plagued with heavy rolling in rough seas and her poor stability impacted gun accuracy and general performance as a fighting platform. To correct this, she underwent a substantial remodeling in 1536 (the same year as Mary Rose) where height of the hull was reduced. In this new form she was 1000 tons burthen and carried 151 guns of varying size, including 21 of bronze, and her full crew was reduced to between 700 and 800. Furthermore, she got an improved and innovative sailing arrangement with four masts each divided into three sections; the forward two square rigged
Square rig
Square rig is a generic type of sail and rigging arrangement in which the primary driving sails are carried on horizontal spars which are perpendicular, or square, to the keel of the vessel and to the masts. These spars are called yards and their tips, beyond the last stay, are called the yardarms...
with mainsail, topsail and topgallants and the aft two carrying five lateen sails between them. This allowed for easier handling of the sails and spread wind forces more evenly on the ship, resulting in better speed and maneuverability and allowed better use of the heavy broadside. The only surviving depiction of the craft (from the Anthony Roll
Anthony Roll
The Anthony Roll is a record of ships of the English Tudor navy of the 1540s, named after its creator, Anthony Anthony. It originally consisted of three rolls of vellum, depicting 58 naval vessels along with information on their size, crew, armament, and basic equipment. The rolls were...
) shows this rebuilt version.
Henry Grace à Dieu saw little action. She was present at the Battle of the Solent
Battle of the Solent
The naval Battle of the Solent took place on 18 and 19 July 1545 during the Italian Wars, fought between the fleets of Francis I of France and Henry VIII of England, in the Solent channel off the south coast of England between Hampshire and the Isle of Wight...
against French forces in 1545, in which the Mary Rose
Mary Rose
The Mary Rose was a carrack-type warship of the English Tudor navy of King Henry VIII. After serving for 33 years in several wars against France, Scotland, and Brittany and after being substantially rebuilt in 1536, she saw her last action on 1545. While leading the attack on the galleys of a...
sank, but appears to have been more of a diplomatic vessel, taking Henry VIII to the summit with Francis I of France
Francis I of France
Francis I was King of France from 1515 until his death. During his reign, huge cultural changes took place in France and he has been called France's original Renaissance monarch...
at the Field of the Cloth of Gold
Field of the Cloth of Gold
The Field of Cloth of Gold is the name given to a place in Balinghem, between Guînes and Ardres, in France, near Calais. It was the site of a meeting that took place from 7 June to 24 June 1520, between King Henry VIII of England and King Francis I of France. The meeting was arranged to increase...
.
After the accession of Edward VI
Edward VI of England
Edward VI was the King of England and Ireland from 28 January 1547 until his death. He was crowned on 20 February at the age of nine. The son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour, Edward was the third monarch of the Tudor dynasty and England's first monarch who was raised as a Protestant...
in 1547 she was renamed for him. Her fate is uncertain; she may have been destroyed by fire at Woolwich
Woolwich
Woolwich is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.Woolwich formed part of Kent until 1889 when the County of London was created...
in 1553, or ended up as a discarded hulk on the bank of the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
.
The tradition maintained by the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
of "showing the flag" at seaside towns to uphold the morale of the Navy is said to have its origins in a service held at the Bradstowe Chapel
Shrine of Our Lady, Bradstowe
The Shrine of Our Ladye Star of the Sea was an old chapel on the cliffs at Broadstairs . Dating back at least to the 1350s, the two towers of the chapel were a major landmark for sailors in the area...
(Broadstairs
Broadstairs
Broadstairs is a coastal town on the Isle of Thanet in the Thanet district of east Kent, England, about south-east of London. It is part of the civil parish of Broadstairs and St Peter's, which includes St. Peter's and had a population in 2001 of about 24,000. Situated between Margate and...
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
) in 1514 with the crew of Henry Grace à Dieu in attendance, whilst the largest and latest addition to the King's Fleet was moored nearby.