NARRATIVE OF THE LOSS OF THE MARY ROSE AT SPITHEAD JULY 20 1545. FROM ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT. A Relic Of The Mary Rose.

Second edition. Bound in wooden boards salvaged from the 'Mary Rose', with black leather spine titled "A Relic Of The Mary Rose" in gilt. 96 pp. Measuring 9 x 6cm. All edges gilt. A very good copy, the binding firm, the wood boards a little bowed and the spine leather a little rubbed and scuffed. The contents, a little darkened to the margins and with a few small scuffs to the front pastedown, are otherwise clean throughout and without inscriptions or stamps. Scarce.

The second edition of this ninety-six-page narrative recounting the loss of the 'Mary Rose'. It follows the first edition of 1842 and precedes a third edition published in 1849. All three editions are identical except for the date on the title page. Upon his accession to the throne, Henry VIII initiated an ambitious shipbuilding programme. Among the vessels constructed was the 'Mary Rose', built between 1509 and 1511 and, at the time, one of the largest ships in the English navy. As the English flagship, she participated in numerous naval engagements throughout more than three decades of Henry's reign. Her final action took place in July 1545 in the Solent, during an engagement with a French invasion fleet. With Henry himself watching from Southsea Castle, the Mary Rose suddenly sank, resulting in the loss of approximately 500 men. The wreck remained undisturbed for nearly 300 years until its accidental discovery by fishermen in 1836. Seeking to remove the obstruction, they employed pioneering divers Henry Abbinett, John Deane, and William Edwards to investigate. Following the initial exploration, John Deane secured exclusive salvage rights to the wreck and recovered numerous artefacts, later selling items including longbows and several bronze and iron guns. The wood used for this binding was purchased on 12 November 1840 at Mr. Deane's public sale of articles recovered from the Mary Rose. In 1982, after eight years of extensive preparation and excavation, the remaining hull of the Mary Rose was raised from the seabed. Today, it is preserved and displayed at the Mary Rose Museum, located within the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard.