List of early warships of the English Navy

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This is a list of early warships belonging to the English sovereign, the precursor to the Royal Navy of England, and later of Great Britain, and the United Kingdom. These include major warships from prior to 1618 until around 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.

Contents 1 Glossary 2 List of Warships of the English Navy before 1618 3 List of Major Warships of the English Navy (1618-1642) 3.1 Major Ships Existing in 1618 3.2 New Ships, James I 3.3 New Ships, Charles I 3.4 Major Rebuilds, 1618-1642 3.5 Other Ships, provenance of data unknown 3.6 Captured Ships, provenance of data unknown 4 List of Ships-of-the-Line of the English Civil War, the Commonwealth and Protectorate (1642-1660) 4.1 Early Frigates (Fourth Rates) 4.2 Later Frigates (Fourth Rates) 4.3 Large Ships 4.4 Major Rebuilds 4.5 Captures of the First Anglo-Dutch War 4.6 Other Captures 4.7 Other Ships (data of uncertain provenance) 5 Footnotes

Glossary

• BU = broken up

The dates for ships before 1618 are probably listed using the contemporary English convention of the first day of the year being 25th March. In the sections listing warships in the English/Royal Navy from 1618 onwards, the dates have been quoted using the modern convention of the year starting on 1st January.

List of Warships of the English Navy before 1618

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.

• Trinity de la Tour (Trinity of the Tower) - Dismantled c. 1409, materials used for Trinity Royal
• Goodgrace (c. 1400)
• Le Carake (ex-Genoese Sancta Maria & Sancta Brigida, captured 1409)
• Christopher of the Tower 5 (1410/12) - Hulk
• Trinity Royal (c. 1412)
• Holyghost de la Tour (ex-Spanish Santa Clara, captured c. 1413)
• Jesus (c. 1416)
• George (ex-Genoese ?, captured 1416) - To Venice 1424
• Marie Hampton (ex-Genoese ?, captured 1416)
• Marie Sandwich (ex-Genoese ?, captured 1416)
• Andrew (ex-Genoese Galeas Negre, captured 1417)
• Christopher (ex-Genoese Pynele, captured c. 1417) - Sold 1423
• Peter (ex-Genoese ?, captured 1417)
• Paul (ex-Genoese Vivande, captured 1417)
• Agase (ex-Genoese ?, captured c. 1417) - Wrecked on mudflats c. 1418
• Grace Dieu (1418) - Lightning and fire, 1439
• Grace Dieu (c. 1437) - BU c. 1487
• Peter - Abandoned 1462
• Mary de la Tour (Mary of the Tower) 48
• George
• Edward Howard (c. 1466, ex-Portuguese ?, captured 1479)
• Sovereign 141 (c. 1488) - Rebuilt 1509, last mentioned c. 1520
• Grace Dieu 225 (1490) - Renamed Regent, burnt at the Battle of St Matthieu, 1512
• Margaret (1505; Scottish)
• Gabriel Royal (captured 1509)
• Peter Pomegranate (c. 1510)
• Mary Rose 78 (1510) - Sank 1545, port-side remains recovered 1982 and preserved at Portsmouth
• Michael 27 (1511; Scottish) - Sold to France 1514
• Great Bark 63 (c. 1512)
• Katherine Forteleza (captured 1512)
• Great Nicholas (captured 1512)
• John Baptist (captured 1512)
• Christ (captured 1512)
• Henri Grâce à Dieu ("Great Harry") 186 (1512) - Accidentally burned 1553
• Great Barbara (captured 1513)
• Great Elizabeth (captured 1514)
• Mary Gonson (c. 1514?)
• Jesus of Lubeck (ex-Hanseatic League Jesus von Lubeck, purchased 1544) - Sunk by Spanish 1568
• Grand Mistress (c. 1545) - Prototype of galleon
• Greyhound (c. 1545) - Prototype of galleon
• Anne Gallant (c. 1545)
• Antelope 38 (c. 1546)
• Bull 25 (c. 1546)
• Hart (c. 1546)
• Tygar (c. 1546)
• Minion
• Elizabeth (c. 1559)
• Triumph (c. 1561)
• Victory (c. 1562)
• White Bear (c. 1564) ^[1]
• Foresight 37 (c. 1570)
• Dreadnought 41 (1573) - BU 1645
• Swiftsure (c. 1573)
• Revenge (c. 1577)
• Swallow (c. 1580)
• Elizabeth Bonaventure (c. 1581)
• Ark Raleigh 44 - Renamed Ark Royal, renamed Anne Royal, rebuilt 1608 ^[2]
• Bonaventure
• Philip and Mary 38 - Renamed Nonpareil, renamed Nonsuch, rebuilt 1603 ^[2]
• Red Lion or Golden Lion 38 - Renamed Lion, rebuilt 1609 ^[2]
• Hart 56
• Rainbow 40 (c. 1586) – Rebuilt 1617 ^[2]
• Tramontana (c. 1586)
• Vanguard 40 (1586) - Rebuilt 1615 ^[2]
•  ? (ex-Spanish San Felipe, captured 1587)
• Mercury - Sold 1611
• Defiance 46 (1590)
• Madre de Dios (ex-Portuguese Madre de Dios, captured 1592)
• Adventure (c. 1594) - BU c. 1645
• Scourge of Malice (c. 1595)
• Warspite 29 (c. 1596) - Converted to lighter 1635 [this vessel is also listed under List of Major Warships of the English Navy (1618-1642)]
• Due Repulse 40/48 (c. 1596) – also known as Repulse', rebuilt 1610 ^[2]
• St Andrew (captured 1596)
• St Matthew (captured 1596)
• Hope 34/38 (c. 1601) - Renamed Assurance
• Destiny 34 (c. 1616) - Renamed Convertine

List of Major Warships of the English Navy (1618-1642)

Number of main guns follows name (see Rating system of the Royal Navy)

These ships listed in the order of p158-159 The Ship of the Line Volume I, by Brian Lavery, pub Conways, 1983, ISBN 0-85177-252-8

Major Ships Existing in 1618

• Ships Royal all the ships listed (except Prince Royal) were rebuilds of earlier ships
  • Prince Royal 55 (1610) ^[3]
  • White Bear 51^[4] (1599) – Sold 1629
  • Merhonour 40/44 (1615) - Sold 1650 ^[3]
  • Anne Royal 42 (1608) – ex-Ark Royal, wrecked 1636, refloated and BU 1638? ^[3]
• Great Ships all the ships listed (except Warspite) were rebuilds of earlier ships ^[3]
  • Due Repulse 40/48 (1610) – also known as Repulse', BU 1645 ^[3]
  • Defiance 38/40 (1615) - Sold 1650 ^[3]
  • Warspite 29 (1596) – Harbour service (converted to lighter) 1635 ^[3]
  • Red Lion 38 (1609) – also known as Lion, rebuilt 1640 ^[3]
  • Vanguard (1615) – Rebuilt 1631 ^[3]
  • Rainbow 40 (1617) – Sunk at Sheerness 1680 ^[3]
  • Nonsuch 38 (1603) – Sold c. 1645 ^[3]
• Middling Ships all the ships listed were rebuilds of earlier ships ^[3]
  • Dreadnought 30/32 (1614) - BU 1648 ^[3]
  • Speedwell 42 (1607) – ex-'Swiftsure, lost 1624 ^[3]
  • Antelope 34/38 (1618) - Burnt 1649 ^[3]

New Ships, James I

• Great Ships
  • Constant Reformation 42 (c1619) – Joined Royalists 1648, lost 1651 ^[3]
  • Victory 42 (1620) – Rearmed with 56 guns by 1660, rebuilt 1666 ^[3]
  • Swiftsure 42 (1621) – Rebuilt 1654 ^[3]
  • St George 42 (1622) - Rearmed with 56 guns by 1660, renamed George, hulk 1687 ^[3]
  • St Andrew 42 (1622) - Rearmed with 56 guns by 1660, renamed Andrew, wrecked 1666 ^[3]
  • Triumph 42 (1623) - Rearmed with 64 guns by 1660, sold 1688 ^[3]
• Middling Ships
  • Happy Entrance 30 (1619) - Burnt 1658 ^[3]
  • Garland 34 (1620) - Captured by the Netherlands at the Battle of Dungeness, 1652 ^[3]
  • Bonadventure/Anthony Bonaventure 32/34/36 (1621) - Captured by the Dutch Republic at the Battle of Dungeness, 1652, blown up 1653 ^[3]

New Ships, Charles I

• First Rank
  • Sovereign of the Seas 102 (1637) - Renamed Sovereign, renamed Royal Sovereign, rebuilt 1660 ^[3]
• Second Rank (Great Ships)
  • Charles 44 (1632) - Wrecked 1650 ^[3]
  • Henrietta Maria 42 (1633) - Renamed Paragon 1650, lost 1655 ^[3]
  • James 48 (c. 1634) – rearmed as 60 guns by 1660, sold 1682 ^[3]
  • Unicorn 46 (1634) - rearmed as 56 guns by 1660, sold 1688 ^[3]
• Third Rank (Middling Ships)
  • Leopard 34 (1635) - Captured by Netherlands 1653 ^[3]

Major Rebuilds, 1618-1642

• Vanguard 40 (1631) - Rearmed to 56, wrecked, sold 1667 ^[3]
• Lion 40 (1640) – Rebuilt 1658 ^[3]
• Prince Royal 70 (1641) - Rearmed to 80, rebuilt 1663 ^[3]

Other Ships, provenance of data unknown

Not listed in The Ship of the Line, by Brian Lavery ^[3]

• Mary Rose 25/26 (c. 1623) - Wrecked 1650 ^[3]
• St Esprit 42 ^[3]
• Swallow 34 (c. 1634) ^[3]
• Victory (1631) – [perhaps an error in the listing, as Victory of 1620 still existed]
• Roebuck 10 (1636) - Collision 1641 ^[3]
• Greyhound 12 (1636) - Blown up in action 1656 ^[3]
• Expedition 14/30 (1637) - Sold 1667 ^[3]
• Providence 14/30 (1637) - Wrecked 1668 ^[3]

Captured Ships, provenance of data unknown

Not listed in The Ship of the Line, by Brian Lavery

• Swan (ex-Dunkirker, captured 1635) - Sunk 1638
• Nicodemus (ex-Dunkirker, captured 1636) - Sold 1657

List of Ships-of-the-Line of the English Civil War, the Commonwealth and Protectorate (1642-1660)

The interregnum between the execution of Charles I 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.

Number of main guns follows name (see Rating system of the Royal Navy)

These ships listed in the order of p159-160 The Ship of the Line Volume I, by Brian Lavery, pub Conways, 1983, ISBN 0-85177-252-8

The frigates listed here are not the type of vessel known as frigates in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Early Frigates (Fourth Rates)

• The First English Frigate
  • Constant Warwick 32 (1645) - BU 1666 for rebuild ^[5]
• First Group
  • Assurance 32 (1646)- Sold 1698 ^[5]
  • Adventure 34 (1646) - BU 1688 for rebuild ^[5]
  • Nonsuch 34 (1646) - Wrecked 1664 ^[5]
• Second Group
  • Dragon 32 (1647) - BU 1690 for rebuild ^[5]
  • Elizabeth 32 (1647) - Burnt 1667 ^[5]
  • Phoenix 32 (1647) - Captured by the Netherlands at the Battle of Elba, 1652, recaptured 1652, wrecked 1664 ^[5]
  • Tiger 32 (1647) - BU 1681 for rebuild ^[5]

Later Frigates (Fourth Rates)

• Great Frigate (Third Rate)
  • Antelope 56 (c. 1651) - Wrecked 1652 ^[5]
• Speaker class Third Rate Frigates
  • Fairfax 52 (c. 1650) - Burnt 1653 ^[5]
  • Speaker 50 (c. 1650) - Renamed Mary 1660 ^[5]
  • Fairfax 52 (c. 1653) - Wrecked 1682 ^[5]
  • Plymouth 52 (c. 1653) ^[5]
  • Essex 48 (c. 1653) - Captured by the Netherlands at the Four Days Battle, 1666 ^[5]
  • Gloucester 50 (1654) - Rearmed to 54, rearmed to 60, wrecked 1682 ^[5]
  • Torrington 52 (c. 1654) - Renamed Dreadnought 1660, rearmed to 62, sank 1690 ^[5]
  • Newbury 52 (c. 1654) - Renamed Revenge 1660, condemned 1678 ^[5]
  • Bridgewater 52 (c. 1654) - Renamed Anne 1660, blew up 1673 ^[5]
  • Lyme 52 (c. 1654) - Renamed Montague 1660 ^[5]
  • Marston Moor 52 (c. 1654) - Renamed York 1660, wrecked 1703 ^[5]
  • Langport 50 (c. 1654) - Renamed Henrietta 1660, wrecked 1689 ^[5]
  • Tredagh 50 (c. 1654) - Renamed Resolution 1660, burnt at the St. James' Day Battle, 1666 ^[5]
• Other Third Rate frigates
  • Worcester 48 (c. 1651) - Renamed Dunkirk 1660 ^[5]
  • Monck 52 (c. 1659) ^[5]
• Phoenix class, Fourth rate Frigates
  • Portsmouth 34 (1650) - Blew up 1689 ^[5]
  • Sapphire 34 (1651) - Wrecked 1671 ^[5]
  • Hampshire 38 (1653) - Rearmed to 46 ^[5]
• Elizabeth class, Fourth rate Frigates
  • President 34 (1650) - Renamed Bonaventure 1660 ^[5]
  • Reserve 34 (1650) ^[5]
  • Advice 34 (1650) ^[5]
  • Pelican 34 (1650) - Burnt 1656 ^[5]
  • Centurion 34 (1650) - Wrecked 1689 ^[5]
  • Foresight 34 (1650) - Wrecked 1698 ^[5]
  • Assistance 34 (1650) ^[5]
  • Laurel 34 (1651) - Rearmed to 46, wrecked 1657 ^[5]
  • Gainsborough 38/40 (1653) - Renamed Swallow 1660, wrecked 1692 ^[5]
  • Preston 40 (1653) - Renamed Antelope 1660, sold 1693 ^[5]
  • Nantwich 38/40 (1654) - Renamed Bredah 1660, wrecked 1666 ^[5]
  • Jersey 38/40 (1654) - Captured by France 1691 ^[5]
  • Maidstone 40/48 (1654) - Renamed Mary Rose 1660, - Captured by France 1691 ^[5]
• Ruby class
  • Ruby 40 (1651) - Captured by France at the Battle at The Lizard, 1707 ^[5]
  • Diamond 40 (1651) - Captured by France 1693 ^[5]
  • Kentish 40 (1652) - Renamed Kent 1660, wrecked 1672 ^[5]
  • Sussex 38/40 (1652) - Rearmed to 46, blew up 1653 ^[5]
  • Portland 40 (1652) - Burnt to avoid capture 1692 ^[5]
  • Newcastle 44 (1653) - Wrecked 1703 ^[5]
  • Bristol 38/40 (1653) - Rearmed to 44 ^[5]
  • Yarmouth 44 (1653) - BU 1680 ^[5]
  • Taunton 40 (1654) - Renamed Crown 1660, rearmed to 48 ^[5]
  • Dover 40 (1654) - Rearmed to 48 ^[5]
  • Winsby 44 (1654) - Renamed Happy Return 1660, captured by France 1691 ^[5]
  • Leopard 44 (1659) - Scuttled 1699 ^[5]
  • Princess 34 (1660) - BU 1680 ^[5]

Large Ships

• First Rate
  • Naseby 80 (1655) - Renamed Royal Charles 1660, captured by the Netherlands, 1667, BU ^[5]
• Second Rates
  • Richard 70 (c. 1658) - Renamed Royal James 1660, burnt 1667 ^[5]
  • Dunbar 64 (c. 1656) - Renamed Henry 1660, rearmed to 82, burnt 1682 ^[5]
  • London 64 (c. 1654) - Blown up 1665 ^[5]

Major Rebuilds

• Sovereign 100 (1660) - Rebuilt 1685 ^[5]
• Swiftsure 60 (1654) – Captured by the Dutch 1667 ^[5]
• Lion 48 (c. 1658) – re-armed at 60 by 1677. Sold 1698 ^[5]

Captures of the First Anglo-Dutch War

Not listed in The Ship of the Line, by Brian Lavery

• Violet 44 (ex-Dutch, captured 1652) - BU 1672
• Bear 36 (ex-Dutch Beer, captured 1652)
• Welcome 36 (ex-Dutch, captured 1652) - Expended as fireship 1673
• Stork (ex-Dutch Ooievaar, captured 1652) - Sold 1663
• Ostrich/Estridge (ex-Dutch Vogelstruys, captured 1653) - Scuttled 1679
• Elias 36 (ex-Dutch Elias, captured 1653) - Wrecked 1664
• Mathias 38 (ex-Dutch Sint Mattheus, captured 1653) - Burnt 1667
• Great Charity 38 (ex-Dutch Liefde, captured 1653) - Captured by Netherlands 1665
• Indian 44 (ex-Dutch EI Roos, captured 1654) - Sold 1660

Other Captures

Not listed in The Ship of the Line, by Brian Lavery

• Guinea 30 (ex-Royalist Charles, captured 1649, ex-merchantman Guinea Frigate) - Sold 1667
• Convertine 40 (ex-Portuguese) - Captured by the Netherlands 1666

Other Ships (data of uncertain provenance)

Not listed in The Ship of the Line, by Brian Lavery

The listing of these ships is unreliable.

• Worcester 50 - Burnt 1653
• Globe 24
• John 28
• Fellowship 28
• Amity 30 (ex-merchantman) - Sold 1667

For ships-of-the-line of the Royal Navy, successor to the English Navy after 1660, see List of ships of the line of the Royal Navy

Footnotes