Ships and Shipwrecks of the Late Tudor Dynasty
I am glad to announce the publication of Ships and Shipwrecks of the Late Tudor Dynasty.
The late Tudor era was a dramatic period in maritime history and the history of England and Western Europe, as sailors ventured far from shore seeking treasure and glory. This unique collection of logs and data includes unpublished narratives, maps of possible wreck sites, accounts of storms and battles, and lists of ship names and types, cargos, and crew compliments.
English ships plied the seas laden with precious spices, Spanish silver, and weapons for the fight against the Spanish Armada, with soldiers, explorers and colonists. At the same time trade ships from Germany, Poland, France, Holland and Italy headed to England with their wares. Many hardy souls and irreplaceable cargos went to the bottom. We have records and legends of some of these, but only hints and clues about other vessels that left port and never showed up again.
This book contains three parts.
Part I: Contains the only collection of logs and notes on ships related to England originally recorded in documents from 1547-1603.
Part II: Contains firsthand accounts of voyages, battle with Spain, storms, shipwrecks, and lost treasures, plus ship complements-crew and ordnance-of the English navy.
Part III: Contains the first and only comprehensive list of shipwrecks related to England in that period.
This publication is valuable for many reasons and certainly belongs in reference libraries of maritime history. References shared not just for the valuable cargos that may reside on some of these ships, but the knowledge gained if a wreck can be identified located with information contained in this book. Yes, of course there is still undiscovered Spanish gold and silver to be located and I sincerely hope the information I have accumulated from years of archival research helps to recover treasure, no matter what your definition of treasure may be.
Please, if a ship is located, honor and respect those brave men that went down with their ship.
Ships and Shipwrecks of the Early Stuart Dynasty
As a sequel to the well-liked Ships and Shipwrecks of the Late Tudor Dynasty, I am happy to announce the release of the eagerly awaited Ships and Shipwrecks of the Early Stuart Dynasty, 1603–1647 by Algora Publishing, New York, New York.
Ships and Shipwrecks of the Early Stuart Dynasty, 1603–1647 will aid in the identification of historical wrecks from around the United Kingdom including the siege of Duncannon during the Irish Confederate Wars in 1645, to Hudson Bay and to the coast of India, while shedding light on the state of the English navy and other aspects of sea-faring in this era.
This unique volume encompasses data including lists of ships and ship types in the service of King James I and Charles I, as well as the East India Company. Not surprisingly, I found that many facts have been distorted on informative websites as a result of incomplete and embellished information. This book attempts to correct those errors. For each of the wrecks contained in this book, I have attempted, if the wording of the documents is ambiguous, to determine the fate of these ships based on only the facts as they were recorded at the time. Painstakingly piecing together a wealth of details that were hidden away in archival records, old correspondence, and other rare documents, he brings back in vivid color outstanding individuals whose flamboyance, character, and stalwart dedication to their causes enabled them to shape the events of their times.
Furthermore, my diligent, time-consuming research reviewing hundreds of electronic and hard-copy manuscripts in archival collections and traveling to view rare and wonderful, sometimes hand-illuminated manuscripts that have not been digitized, yielded some new information on a few treasure ships such as the Royal Merchant, The Morris, The Phoenix of Hamburg, the Swallow and the Charles, that still may contain large quantities of gold, silver, and gems and other items of great value.
This book is certain to please, inform, and even possibly aid in the location of treasure that would be the highlight of any museum’s collection. This publication is valuable for many reasons and certainly belongs in reference libraries of maritime history. References shared not just for the valuable cargos that may reside on some of these ships, but the knowledge gained if a wreck can be identified located with information contained in this book. Yes, of course there is still undiscovered Spanish gold and silver to be located and I sincerely hope the information I have accumulated from years of archival research helps to recover treasure, no matter what your definition of treasure may be.
Please, if a ship is located, honor, and respect those brave men that went down with their ship.
