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IanHarryWebb -> For Hudson. Ships Scottish Navy (30 Aug. 2005 19:37:07 )

Navy SCOTTISH
It was not untill the reigns of James III and IV that Scotland possessed any ships for purely warlike purposes. This was the period of Sir Andrew Wood { who captured five english ships and brought tham back to Leith} and the brothers Barton.

Andrew Barton was slain in 1511; John died in 1513, and Robert was captain of the GREAT MICHAEL in 1511.
In 1482 Andrew Wood was knighted.
In 1489 Wood defeated the english off Dunbar.
In 1490 Wood was victorious again in the Firths of Forth and Tay.
1505 The Great Michael built at Newhaven. She was the biggest ship in the world and was built on the orders of Jame IV of wood from Fife forests which were extensively stripped for the purpose. There is a model of it in the museum in the castle.
1510 Wood was created 'Admiral of the Seas'
1511 Great Michael launched. Robert Barton was made her captain.
1513 The ship was sold to Louis XII of France after Flooden.
1515 Death of Sir Andrew Wood.

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GREAT MICHAEL
In the summer of 1506 James Wilson of Dieppe began conatructing a great ship of war for James IV's new navy at Newhaven in Midlothian. She was launched five years later in October 1511 and not finally completed intill early the following year at a total cost of £30,oooScots, a clossal sum.
Although later described as 'the greattest scheip...that ever saillit in Ingland or France' it is difficult to be certain of her exact dimensions-probably about 150ft {45m} in length displacing some 1000 tons and with a crew of 295 men. {Not what others say before read above}
Great Michael was sold to the French for just £18.000. She ended her days as a rotting hulk ar Dieppe.

Newhaven was founded in 1504 by James IV aso known as 'Our Lady's Port of Grace' after its chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary and St James in 1506-8


It is recorded that the length and breadth of James IV's battleship the Great Michael was 'planted in hawthorn at Tullibardine by the wright that helped make her'.

James had the idea of leading a crusade against the Turks which was why the Great Michael was built.

A model can be seen at the Scottish Museum.


The 'GREAT MICHAEL'
The most ambitious and cetainly the biggest project ever undertaken at the fishing village of Newhaven was the result of King James IV's decision to have his great four-masted flagship built there. Leith not having enough depth of water, it was decreed that a new royal dockyard be constructed just along the coast at the New Harbour.
James was determined to have a Scottish fleet of his own. and shipbuilding became one of his greatest extravagances. He spent more than £15.000 a year on building a navy- in the early sixteenth century this was a large proportion of the country's meagre budget.

It took six years to build the mammoth wooden flagship of the fleet. Named the GREAT MICHAEL,THE SHIP WAS LAUNCHED IN 1511, AT A COST TO THE KING OF £30.000.

Much of the money went abroad: she was designed by a Frenchman, Jacques Terrel, Norway supplied wood for the mists and spars, and the cordage came from France.
The guns and some of the gunners were Flemish, also the source of much of the minor detail, such as candlesticks and lantern sconces.
Even the craftsmen who built her were mainly of French origin.

The GREAT MICHAEL'S five decks had gun-ports pierced for 112 guns, and the open upper decks were provided with netting to shield the crew from falling debris and hopefully give some protection against boarding parties from enemy ships.

Crewed by 1,420 men, the ship must have given its catering officer some headaches.
Records tell us that when she sailed, she was provisioned with 3,000 gallons of ale, 200 stones of cheese, 5,300 fish, and 13, 000 loaves. Rather spartan rations for a fighting force.

Unfortunately, this dignified ship had a somewhat undignified career. When war was declared between Scotland and england in 1513, James IV's navy was ordered to support the French, already at war with england.
Arriving too late to assist their French allies, most of the ships returned to Scotland; GREAT MICHAEL, however, was bought by the French.
From then on, the flagship's name disappears from history, and it is likely that she was left to rot in Brest harbour.

Newhaven did not forget its particpation in the shipbuilding industry, however. Still preserved near the post office is a sculpted stone showing five nautical instruments of the sixteeth century, surmounted by a representation of a ship which may or may not be the GREAT MICHAEL. Bearing the date 1588 and the words "In the Name of God", it is regarded by local legend as a reminder of Newhaven's possible contribution to the defeat of the Armada in that year.
The stone's obvious tribute to the village's maritime connections is repeated on the primary school wall, where an exact replica cast in bronze forms the memorial to those who died in the Second World War.

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IanHarryWebb



Hudson -> RE: For Hudson. Ships Scottish Navy (31 Aug. 2005 2:27:03 )

quote:

she was provisioned with 3,000 gallons of ale, 200 stones of cheese, 5,300 fish, and 13, 000 loaves


Reminds me of a US Navy sea story.
As you may know all good sea stories brgin with the following: "Now This Is No S**t"
So here goes

The U.S.S. Constitution (Old Ironsides)
As a combat vessel carried 48,600 gallons of fresh water for her crew of 475 officers and men.
This was sufficient to last six months of sustained operations at sea.
She carried no evaporators (fresh water distillers).
However, let it be noted that according to her log, "On July 27, 1798, the U.S.S. Constitution sailed from Boston
with a full complement of 475 officers and men, 48,600 gallons of fresh water, 7,400 cannon shot, 11,600 pounds of black powder and 79,400 gallons of rum."
Her mission: "To destroy and harass English shipping."
Making Jamaica on 6 October, she took on 826 pounds of flour and 68,300 gallons of rum.
Then she headed for the Azores, arriving there 12 November. She provisioned with 550 pounds of beef and 64,300 gallons of Portuguese wine.
On 18 November, she set sail for England.
In the ensuing days she defeated five British men-of-war and captured and scuttled 12 English merchantmen,
salvaging only the rum aboard each.
By 26 January, her powder and shot were exhausted.
Nevertheless, and though unarmed, she made a night raid up the Firth of Clyde in Scotland. Her landing party
captured a whiskey distillery and transferred 40,000 gallons of single malt Scotch aboard by dawn.
Then she headed home.
The U.S.S. Constitution arrived in Boston on 20 February 1799, with no cannon shot, no food, no powder, NO rum, NO wine, NO whiskey and 38,600 gallons of stagnant water.
GO NAVY!



PeteMarks -> RE: For Hudson. Ships Scottish Navy (31 Aug. 2005 3:03:44 )

Well, your piece was long Ian but I am still baffled. What are you trying to tell us? That Scotland built a big ship; stripped a forest bare and thus contributed to global warming; had to employ a load of foreign chappies to design and build the thing and then had a going-out-of-business, distress sale of a barely used boat. Ah, yes, at about the same time I believe you guys also attacked the North of England with an army of 40,000 but got trounced by half that number of English and got your king killed in the process.
I admire your humility Ian; takes a real man to 'fess up to a disaster like that.[:D]


Pete



Ron Hann -> RE: For Hudson. Ships Scottish Navy (31 Aug. 2005 9:13:35 )

Er, Hudson, why do I get the impression that you are trying to make a statement about the capabilities of the Crew of the "Ironsides", so far as the absorbtion of alcoholic liquor is conerned??[p][:D][6]



AngloSaxon -> RE: For Hudson. Ships Scottish Navy (31 Aug. 2005 23:13:27 )

Wow Hudson, sounds like a great cruise to me, can I book a place on the next trip??

Hey Ian, sounds like the Scottish navy wasn't up to much and spending £30,000 on a ship sems a bit far fetched, we are talking Scottish & money here....[;)]

Now if you wanna talk about a real Navy......English Navy that is...finest in the world, helped to run everything around the globe for 500 years...[p][;)]



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