Today began with sunshine pouring through the windows, so after our usual stop at the Wagon Works for breakfast, we headed into Portsmouth to do the Historic Dockyard, amazingly easy to find. We were pretty much allowed to wander about on all the decks and in most every corner of each ship.
Our first stop was at the HMS Warrior. This was the world’s first iron-hulled armoured ship. She had 4.5 inches of iron plate backed by 18 inches of teak. Within the ship was a 210 foot long armoured box to protect the guns and machinery. It was launched in 1860 and was the largest and fastest ship of the day. It had a crew of 705 and was both a sailing and steam ship. When under sail AND steam, she could travel at 17.5 knots. When under sail alone, the funnels were lowered so as not to obstruct the wind on the lower sails. She was built to counter the French developments in shipbuilding. It was amazing to me how elaborate the captain's quarters were on both of the bigger ships. Luxurious even.
All of the crew were volunteers, but there were cells to be used for crimes committed by them and a cat o’ nine tails hanging just outside for flogging if necessary. On long voyages, sheep were kept in pens on deck and chickens and ducks were kept in boats! Livestock was kept below in a manger. This was the first Royal Navy ship to have a laundry. We saw the washing machines with the mangles on top for squeezing water from the clothes. I remembered my mother having one of these that almost mangled my little hand as a child. This was my kind of ship—it never fired a shot in anger. : )
Next came the Harbour cruise tour of the harbour of Portsmouth where we saw many modern warships. Then came HMS Victory, launched in 1765, with a crew of 821. This is the famous ship of Admiral Lord Nelson. He was so famous in his day, that he would be mobbed as he walked the streets. He had a very public affair with the beautiful Emma, Lady Hamilton. His famous saying, “England expects that every man will do his duty,” was written everywhere in the displays. Admiral Nelson had lost and eye and an arm in earlier battles. At the most decisive sea battle ever fought, the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, he with his 27 ships, fought against the combined 33 ships of the Spanish and French (Napoleon) and crushed them. Nineteen of the 33 ships surrendered or were destroyed. &000 of the 30,000 French and Spanish were killed or wounded. Only 1600 British were killed or wounded. We saw the famous panorama painting by Wyllie of the battle.
Unfortunately, Admiral Nelson was one of these. He died when he was hit by a French sniper as he paced the deck during the battle. He held on until he heard that the British had won. They stripped his body and put him in a barrel filled with brandy to preserve it for the voyage back to England. It was said that he was so well loved by everyone on all his ships, that they cried when they heard the news and could not even take part in any celebrations of victory. Same goes for the people back home in England.
After this battle, the British Navy reigned supreme for 150 years and the British Empire grew.
Next came the ship, the Mary Rose. This was a galleon warship with heavy guns. She was Henry VIII’s famous ship with a crew of 415 including gunners, soldiers, and archers, and built around 1509-11 using oak and elm and oak treenails (pegs) to fasten her together. She was named after Henry’s favorite sister, Mary, and the family emblem, the Tudor Rose.
She capsized and sank in front of Henry in 1545 during a skirmish with the French fleet. Everyone in the crew was drowned. There is much speculation as to why she sank, including the failure to close the gun ports before she heeled over, causing her to fill with water. She sank so fast and the silt covered one side of the ship so completely that she was partly well preserved. After all the artifacts were removed from inside, she was raised from the sea floor. The dockyard is in the process of restoring her now, spraying her with a special wax that will penetrate the wood and preserve her forever. This process began in 1994 and takes 17 years, so she goes off viewing in September of this year and won’t return until the new museum for her opens in 2012, I think it was.
In the museum for the Mary Rose, there were many personal belongings and artifacts from the ship. Over 19,000 objects were removed from the wreckage before the ship itself was raised from the silt. They had may things on display: rope, tools, pewter ware and ceramics from the officers quarters, wooden cups and plates from the sailors, pouches, tiny sundials, rosary beads, combs for removing head lice, tankards, 137 longbows and 3500 arrows (these are the only ones left anywhere from the Tudor period), seeds, dice, coins, thimbles, quill pins, inkpots, and one rat!!! I also found fascinating the bronze guns that were aboard with Henry’s name or initials and the royal coat of arms. These were accurate to 385 yards and had a range of 2230 yards. And they were beautifully engraved! Each one was different for the mould would be broken after each one was cast.
We also saw the Monitor 33, a World War I gunship from 1915, and then, right on cue, the rains began—heavy downpours and wind. So we headed inside for a snack in Boathouse 7. After that, we decided our day was done and we headed back to the hotel. Altogether a very enjoyable day.
Went to Wagon Works for dinner--very relaxing. Gave Ray a haircut then relaxed and watched TV.
***pictures from top: (From HMS Warrior) the ship; below deck; Captain’s Quarters; figurehead at bow of ship; neat knot display.
