This is a list of early warships belonging to the English sovereign or the English Government, the precursor to the Royal Navy of England (from 1707 of Great Britain, and subsequently of the United Kingdom). 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 (before the Interregnum, English warships had been the personal property of the monarch and were collectively termed "the king's ships"). Between Charles I's execution in 1649 and the Restoration eleven years later, the Navy became the property of the state (Commonwealth and Protectorate), under which it expanded dramatically in size.
Prefix
While the prefix "HMS" (for His or Her Majesty's Ship) is often applied in connection with these ships, the term was not technically applicable, as it was only instituted with the establishment of the Royal Navy in 1660, following the Restoration of King Charles II of England.
Glossary
BU = broken up
The dates for ships before 1485 are probably listed using the contemporary English convention of the first day of the year being 25 March (Lady Day).
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 ("Old Style").
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. Note that almost every vessel listed had the words "of the Tower" (or "de la Tour" when inscribed in French, still an official language at the time) affixed to its name. This affix was simply the equivalent of the modern prefix "HMS" and is omitted below. The number of guns quoted in most sources comprised almost entirely small(ish) iron weapons created from wrought material bound into barrels by iron hoops. These were exclusively anti-personnel weaponry; very few heavy weapons were carried, and even these were rarely used for ship-to-ship fire. Trinity – Dismantled c. 1409, materials used for Trinity Royal Goodgrace (c. 1400) Le Carake (ex-Genoese Sancta Maria & Sancta Brigida, captured 1409) Christopher 5 (1410/12) – Holk (similar to a cog) Trinity Royal (1416) Jesus (c. 1416) George (ex-Genoese carrack ?, captured 1416) – To Venice 1424 Marie Hampton (ex-Genoese carrack ?, captured 1416) Marie Sandwich (ex-Genoese carrack ?, captured 1416) Agase (ex-Genoese carrack ?, captured 1416) – Wrecked on mudflats c. 1418 Andrew (ex-Genoese carrack Galeas Negre, captured 1417) Peter (ex-Genoese carrack ?, captured 1417) Paul (ex-Genoese carrack Vivande, captured 1417) Christopher Spayne (ex-Genoese Pynele ??, captured 1417) – Sold 1423 Marie Spayne (ex-Spanish ?, captured 1417) Holigost Spayne [Holy Ghost of Spain] (ex-Spanish Santa Clara, captured 1417) Grace Dieu (1418) – Lightning and fire, 1439 Grace Dieu (1449) – rebuilt 1473, BU c. 1487 Peter – Abandoned 1462 Mary 48 George Edward Howard (c. 1466, ex-Portuguese ?, captured 1479) Governor (1485)
List of English warships 1485–1603
The lists for the Tudor period are taken primarily from Arthur Nelson's The Tudor Navy and David Childs's Tudor Sea Power (cited in references at the end of this article). Where applicable, number of main guns follows name (see Rating system of the Royal Navy). Note that long-lived ships could be rearmed several times. Many earlier ships went through periodic repairs and rebuildings (many now unrecorded) during which their dimensions and their armament changed considerably.
Henry VII (additions 1485–1509)