An extraordinary piece of one of British history’s most famous warships, Henry VIII’s Mary Rose, is for sale at a British collectibles dealer.
The Mary Rose sank during the Battle of the Solent in 1545.
The vessel became a national icon again more than 400 years later when its discovery, in extraordinarily well-preserved state, and raising was the focus of major media coverage.
Henry VIII is one of the founding figures of the Royal Navy, which he started to expand as soon as he came to the throne in 1509.
Mary Rose was the flagship of Henry’s new navy, designed to keep French, Scottish, Breton and other potential invaders off England’s shores.
Silt encased the sunken ship, helping to preserve its timbers, like this remarkably complete 16th-century fragment that is for sale now 480 years after it went down. Image courtesy of Paul Fraser Collectibles.
Paul Fraser Collectibles is now selling a fragment of the ship that came up during its 1982 raising.
The 11” by 5” oak timber is, according to the company, probably the largest piece of the ship not in a museum collection.
It spent 440 years under the waters of the Solent Channel, one of the gateways to the south coast ports, which it was defending against more than 200 French ships in July 1545.
Sadly for the ship, and the around 350 men who drowned, her battle didn’t last long. Water poured through open gunports as she prepared to fire a volley of her pioneering heavy cannons.
Henry could only watch as his prized naval asset went under at frightening speed.
Paul Fraser, chairman of Paul Fraser Collectibles, says: “Thanks to some extraordinary preservation work, the Mary Rose now survives as a spectacular museum exhibit.
“And when you know her story, the existence of this piece of wood feels almost miraculous. It should never have survived.
“And yet after more than 500 years, here it is.
“An exceptionally large piece of Henry VIII’s favourite battleship, that helped protect the nation from French invasion.”
Naval history enthusiasts love physical remnants that illuminate their passion. Tiny fragments (less than 2 inches across) from a flag said to have been flown on HMS Victory sold for £4,465 in 2000. In 2018, a section of a Union Jack flown on that ship during the Battle of Trafalgar realised £287,000 against a top estimate of £100,000.
It seems to be a growing market, and this piece of Tudor history is an exceptional addition to it.
