The Anthony Roll of Henry VIII’s Navy: Pepys Library 2991 and British Library Add MS 22047 with Related Material (Navy Records Society Publications) - Hardcover

Knighton, C.S.; Loades, D.M.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0754600947 ISBN 13: 9780754600947

Publisher: Routledge, 2000

Synopsis

Here for the first time complete in print is the famous pictorial survey of Henry VIII’s navy compiled in 1546 by Anthony Anthony, a clerk in the ordnance office. Originally comprising three rolls of vellum, the MS features paintings of each of the king’s 58 ships, below which are set details of their guns, shot, and related equipment. Two of the original rolls were allegedly given by Charles II to Samuel Pepys, who had them cut to form a volume which is one of the treasures of his library, now at Magdalene College, Cambridge. The other roll remains in the British Library. Several of the illustrations have become familiar, especially that of the Mary Rose, herself already a wreck when Anthony presented his work to the king. The present edition re-assembles the three parts of the Anthony Roll, allowing the document to be seen in its original sequence for the first time in over 300 years. The fleet which Henry VIII created is revealed as the king saw it in the last year of his life. Because of the unusual format of the MS, a complete facsimile is not presented here. Anthony’s paintings at Magdalene and in the British Library are reproduced in full colour from newly commissioned photographs. Adjacent to each ship illustration is the relevant text, given in its original spelling. In the Introduction Anthony’s personal and professional career is set out for the first time, and the subsequent history of his MS is revealed as a subject of interest in its own right. In order to explore the many facets of this remarkable document, a work of art as well as an administrative record, the Introduction includes essays by experts in the field of ordnance, art history, heraldry and fabric, and on the oared vessels which were so distinctive a feature of the navy of the time. Marine archaeologists from the Mary Rose Trust examine the accuracy of Anthony’s representation and inventory of the Mary Rose in the light of the excavation of the ship. In the second part of this

About this title

About the Author:

C.S. Knighton and D.M. Loades C.S. Knighton, D.M. Loades, Stuart Vine, Alexzandra Hildred, Ann Payne, Timothy Wilson, Maria Hayward, John Bennell.

Review:

'...a visually impressive record. The editors succeed in balancing a wealth of pictorial and textual detail with essays that offer sufficient historical background and introduce a variety of possibilities for further research and analysis. This volume will be invaluable to scholars of the early Tudor navy and should also appeal to anyone with an interest in the history of sixteenth-century ships in general.' International Journal of Maritime History 'It is simply magnificent, beautifully produced on fine paper with clear print and abundant coloured illustration.' Cruising ' The book will be a delight to enthusiasts and an indispensable work of reference for naval historians. Praise be to the editors and to the Navy Records Society.' English Historical Review '... an extremely valuable source for naval warfare during the Renaissance.' Arquebusier, The Journal of the Pike and Shot Society '... a major contribution to scholarship that provides more than the title advertises.' Albion 'The editors and contributors should be proud of their achievement. The volume is handsomely produced and its editorial apparatus is superb. Scholars interested in the early modern navy will find the book indispensable.' Sixteenth Century Journal

About this edition

• Publisher: Routledge
• Publication date: 2000
• ISBN 10: 0754600947
• ISBN 13: 9780754600947
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 220