English ship Mary Willoughby facts for kids
class="infobox " style="float: right; clear: right; width: 315px; border-spacing: 2px; text-align: left; font-size: 90%;"
| colspan="2" style="text-align: center; font-size: 90%; line-height: 1.5em;" |
|}
The Mary Willoughby was an important ship in the English Tudor navy. She first appeared in navy records in 1532, during the time of King Henry VIII. The ship was named after Maria Willoughby, who was a lady-in-waiting and close friend of Queen Catherine of Aragon.
In 1536, the Mary Willoughby was captured by the Scots and became part of the Royal Scots Navy. However, the English took her back in 1547. The ship was later rebuilt in 1551, becoming larger. Her size increased from 140 tons to 160 tons.
Contents
| History | |
|---|---|
 England |
|
| Name | Mary Willoughby |
| In service | Listed from 1532 |
| Captured |
|
| Fate | Sold in 1573 |
 Scotland |
|
| Name | Mary Willoughby |
| Acquired | 1532 |
| In service | 1536 |
| Captured | 1547 |
| Fate | returned to English navy |
| General characteristics | |
| Tons burthen |
|
| Sail plan | Full-rigged ship |
| Complement | 146 sailors 14 gunners |
| Armament | in 1548; a serpentine; 3 port pieces; 4 slings; a quarter sling; 13 bases; a hagbut. |
The Mary Willoughby in Scotland
Captured by Scottish Forces
The Mary Willoughby was captured by Scottish galleys in 1533. These galleys were led by Hector Maclean of Duart. After her capture, the ship was used by James V of Scotland, the Scottish king, for his trips to the Scottish Isles. Her captain at the time was Hans Anderson, who lived in Leith, Scotland.
Royal Voyages and Repairs
In July 1539, cannons from Edinburgh Castle were loaded onto the Mary Willoughby. This was for the first voyage of another ship called the Unicorn. A month later, in August 1539, King James V and his wife, Mary of Guise, took a trip to the Isle of May in the Forth. They sailed on three ships: the Unicorn, the Little Unicorn, and the Mary Willoughby.
Hans Andersoun repaired the ship in Leith that same year. Between November 1539 and June 1540, the Mary Willoughby had a major overhaul. This big repair project was done by Florence Cornetoun and cost a large sum of money for that time.
Adventures at Sea
In July 1541, Cardinal Beaton paid for the ship to be painted before he sailed to France. Later, in December 1542, the Mary Willoughby teamed up with two other Scottish ships, the Salamander and the Lion. They blocked a London merchant ship, the Antony of Bruges, in a small bay off the coast of Brittany. The Mary Willoughby fired on the Anthony, causing its crew to leave the ship.
War of the Rough Wooing
The Mary Willoughby, captained by John Barton, was part of a Scottish fleet in September 1544. Along with the Lyon, Andrew, and other ships, they attacked the port of Bridlington in England. They captured and burned a large ship there and sank another called the Valentine from Scarborough. People thought the Scottish ships might try to burn Lindisfarne, so defenses were quickly prepared. After causing trouble along the English coast for a few months, the fleet returned to Leith in December.
In July 1545, an English spy named Thomas Forster saw the Mary Willoughby arrive in Leith. She was with six other ships, bringing wine, brass cannons, and early firearms called arquebuses from France. They had sailed through the Irish seas. In March 1547, the Mary Willoughby and another Scottish ship were blocking the New Haven near Dieppe. The historian William Patten wrote that the Mary Willoughby was captured on the Forth near Blackness Castle on September 15, 1547. This capture was carried out by Edward Clinton and Richard Broke, who was the captain of the Galley Subtle.
Mary Willoughby's English Service
Ship's Equipment and Crew
After being recaptured by the English, an inventory of the Mary Willoughby's weapons was made on January 1, 1548. Her cannons included a serpentine, three port pieces, four slings, a quarter sling, nine double bases, four single bases, and a hagbut (a type of firearm). For hand-to-hand combat, she had 12 bills, 7 Moorish pikes, and three spears. The ship had a crew of 146 sailors and 14 gunners.
Attacks on Scotland
After being rebuilt in 1551, the Mary Willoughby joined a fleet of 12 ships in August 1557. This fleet, led by John Clere, tried to attack the town of Kirkwall on Orkney. They landed soldiers and six cannons on Orkney to attack Kirkwall Castle, St. Magnus Cathedral, and the Bishop's Palace. However, their attack was not successful. Other royal ships in this fleet included the Salamander, New Bark, Minion, Henry, Bull, Tiger, Greyhound, and Gabriel.
In October 1558, the English raided Campbeltown Loch and Kintyre in Scotland. This was because of the activities of the Clan MacDonald in Ireland. The Earl of Sussex sailed from Dublin on the Mary Willoughby with a small fleet. They burned farms and houses, including Saddell, a castle belonging to James MacDonald. They also burned Dunaverty and Machrimore, then continued to burn farms on the islands of Arran, Bute, and Cumbrae.
Final Years
In January 1560, the Mary Willoughby and other experienced ships from the Kirkwall raid helped the Scottish Protestants during the Siege of Leith. All these ships were under the command of Willam Winter.
The Mary Willoughby was eventually sold in 1573, ending her long career.
