The Mary Rose carried a crew of naval officers and sailors, a fighting
force of gunners and soldiers, a Barber-surgeon, several ship's
carpenters and skilled navigators. Of nearly 500 men, fewer than 40
survived the sinking on 19th July 1545. Trapped by netting, or below
deck, they stood little chance, and their bodies and belongings went to
the bottom of the sea. Excavation of the hull and contents produced a
huge collection of objects that together make up a detailed picture of
what life was like on board.
Before the Mast explores how the men of the Mary Rose lived, through
their surviving possessions; how they were fed; their music and
recreation, medicine and provision for illness and injury, as well as
working practices: carpentry and maintenance, stowage, navigation and
ship's communications. The personal possessions of the crew included
religious items, books, fishing lines and weights, sewing kits, money,
hair combs, jewelry, knives, musical instruments and many items of
clothing. The Barber-surgeon, who had his own cabin, brought on board a
fine chest filled with canisters, bottles and pots of ointment and
medicines, a variety of surgical instruments and a fine set of razors.
Another cabin nearby was clearly occupied by the ship's carpenters whose
toolkit included planes, adzes, axes, hammers and drills, as well as
pitch pots and special mallets for patching up leaks in the ship's hull.
The ship's navigators had the best in sixteenth century compasses. The
ship's galley was in the hold and this area in particular produced many
examples of wooden and pewter plates, bowls, pots, bread troughs, and
tankards, as well as barrels and baskets still containing beef, pork,
fish and fruit. The volume also includes an analysis of the human
remains providing evidence for the stature and age range of the men most
were under 30 their health, and injuries sustained.
Before the Mast is now available again in a two volume edition
published by Oxbow Books.
