Two new ships at Portsmouth

Building her

The earliest reference to the Mary Rose is 29 January 1510, in a letter ordering the construction of “two new ships”. These ships would become the Mary Rose and her sister ship, the Peter Pomegranate. They were built in Portsmouth, at the dockyard established by Henry VII. Mary Rose Trust The first account that names the Mary Rose is a letter from June 1511. Mary Rose Trust

The Trust’s timeline says that in 1510 the Mary Rose and Peter Pomegranate were ordered to be built at Portsmouth dockyard. Mary Rose Trust In 1511, that timeline says, both ships were transferred from Portsmouth to London for ‘fitting out’. Mary Rose Trust

Henry VIII’s fleet, the Trust says, grew from five ships at the start of his reign to 53 by the time of his death in 1547. Mary Rose Trust The Mary Rose was larger than her sister ship — 600 tons to the Peter Pomegranate’s 450. Mary Rose Trust It was the Mary Rose that the Admiral of the Fleet, Edward Howard, picked as his flagship at the Battle of St Mathieu on 10 August 1512. Mary Rose Trust

On 17 April 1512 the Mary Rose set sail under Lord Admiral Edward Howard. The Trust calls this her maiden voyage as a warship. Mary Rose Trust The Battle of Saint-Mathieu, in 1512, was the first battle for the Mary Rose, the same timeline says. Mary Rose Trust

A Trust timeline teaser describes her history as running from being built in 1510 to a 21st century museum. Mary Rose Trust Even though she was quite an old ship, having been built 34 years earlier in 1510, the Trust says, Henry VIII was eager to have his favourite ship re-floated. Mary Rose Trust That page also says the Mary Rose was built between 1509 and 1511, and rebuilt in 1536, and was Henry’s favourite ship. Royal Museums Greenwich

The rest of her working life, and the heading “The Mary Rose: 1511-1545” on a Trust raising page, are taken up on the what she was page and in the fact-check log.