Sovereign of the Seas

An English three-decked 100-gun ship built by Phineas Pett in 1637. Dimensions: 127'×46.6'×19.4' and tonnage 1522 tons.

The Sovereign of the Seas, which was the most powerful ship of her time, was also the first true three-decked ship. Was orginally planned as a 90-gun ship. Two smaller vessels, the Greyhound of 120 tons and the Roebuch of 90 tons, were built of the chips or waste from the building of the Sovereign of the Seas.

The decoration of the ship was designed by the playwright Thomas Heywood and made by John and Matthias Christmas at a total cost of £ 6691.

Rigging

Payne's engraving, which was made before the ship was actually rigged, indicates that she was equipped with royal sails. This is confirmed by a Ms formerly at Petworth House and now in the Science Museum:

Equipment

Equipped with three boats:

Armament

Originally planned for 90 guns at a cost of £20.592, but this was changed to 102 when the King visited the ship on December 7, 1638. The estimated cost for the new armament was £24.447 8s 8d, to which should be added £ 1700 for the last four guns.

Career

1634 December 21

The intial design in the form of a model was submitted by Phineas Pett to the King at Hampton Court. It called for a three-decked ship of 124 ft length of keel, 46 ft beam, and 22 ft draught.

1635 April 7

In discussions between Admiral Sir John Pennington, Vice-Admiral Sir Robert Mansell, the Storekeeper at Deptford John Wells, and Phineas Pett the proposed design was revised and the new dimensions to be length of keel of 127 ft, beam 46 ft 2 in.

1635 April 17

The designed was again modified and the keel was shortend one foot and the beam was increased by four inches.

1635 December 21

The keel laid at the Woolwich Dockyard.

1637 September 25

The first attempt to launch the ship failed.

1637 October 14

Launched at spring tide.

1638 July 12

Weighed anchor from Greenhithe to conduct her sea trials.

1651

The superstructure was reduced in height and the topgallant poop was removed.

1652 September 28

Participated in the Battle of Kentish Knock and grounded at the end of the battle. Spent the rest of the First Dutch War in harbour.

1659-1660

Rebuilt at Chatham Dockyard by the Master Shipwright Captain John Taylor. Given a new head.

1660

Renamed Royal Sovereign at the Restoration.

1666 June 1-4

Participated in the Four Days' Battle against a Dutch fleet.

1666 July 25

Participated in the Battle of St. James's Day.

1672

Participated in the Battle of Texel agains a Dutch fleet.

1673 August 11

Participated in the Battle of Solebay agains the Dutch Navy.

1685

Rebuilt at Chatham Dockyard by the Master Shipwright John Lee. The keel was increased to 131 ft and the beam to 48 ft 8 in. The orginal equestrian figurehead was replaced with a lion.

1690 June 30

Participated in the Battle of Beachy Head against a French fleet.

1692 May 19

Participated in the Battle of Barfleur against a French fleet.

1696 January 27

Accidently burnt while laid up at Chatham.

Illustrations

• Castro, L.A.: Painting, c1637. Sold c1920 by Messrs. Knight, Frank, and Rutley. Current location unknown. Reproduced in MM 6 (1920), p 289.
• Unknown artist: Painting, c1637. Trinity House, London. Reproduced in MM 3 (1913), p 169.
• John Payne: Engraving, 1637.
• Unknown artist: The Sovereign of the Seas built 1637 from an Original Picture by Vandevelde in Charnock: History of Marine Architecture, 1800-1802, Vol. II, p 286.
• Unknown artist: Painting on panel, before 1660. Boston Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA. Reproduced in Richard B.K. McLanathan: Ship Models, 1957.
• Willem van de Velde, Elder: Drawing in pencil and wash, before 1660. In the possession of Junius S. Morgan, Jr. in 1930. Current location unknown. Reproduced in large scale in Callender: Portrait of Peter Pett and the Sovereign of the Seas, 1930.
• Willem van de Velde, Elder: Drawing in pencil and wash, c1661. National Maritime Museum, Greenwich. #67.
• Willem van de Velde, Elder: Drawing in pencil and wash, c1663. Boymans - van Beuningen Museum Museum, Rotterdam. MB 1866/T 398.
• Willem van de Velde, Younger: Broadside. Stern in outline only. Drawing in pencil and wash, c1675. National Maritime Museum, Greenwich. #488.
• Willem van de Velde, Younger: Drawing in pencil, 1701. National Maritime Museum, Greenwich. #733.
• Willem van de Velde, Younger: Drawing in pencil, 1701. National Maritime Museum, Greenwich. #734.
• Willem van de Velde, Younger: Three broadside views. With launching flagstaffs. Drawing in pencil, 1701. National Maritime Museum, Greenwich. #735.
• Willem van de Velde, Younger: Figurehead. Drawing in pencil, 1701. National Maritime Museum, Greenwich. #736.
• [Attributed to] Sir Peter Lely: Painting of Peter Pett. National Maritime Museum, Greenwich. The stern of the ship is seen in the background of the portrait. Reproduced in Callender: Portrait of Peter Pett and the Sovereign of the Seas, 1930. Sometimes incorrectly attributed to Willem van de Velde, Younger.
• Unknown artist: Painting of Peter Pett. National Portrait Gallery, London. Probably a copy of the painting in the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich. Reproduced in Callender: Portrait of Peter Pett and the Sovereign of the Seas, 1930.

Select Bibliography

• The Cutting Down of the Sovereign in 1651.
  The Mariner's Mirror Vol. 14, London, 1928. pp 62-63. Document contributed by L.G. Carr Laughton.
• Anderson, R.C.: The Midship Section of the Sovereign.
  The Mariner's Mirror Vol. 5, London, 1919. pp 125-126.
• Anderson, R.C.: The Royal Sovereign of 1637.
  The Mariner's Mirror Vol. 3, London, 1913. pp 109-112, 168-170, 208-211, >2 plates.
• Busmann, Hendrik: Sovereign of the Seas. Die Skulpturen des britischen Königsschiffes von 1637.
  Convent Verlag, Hamburg, 2002. 4to, 280 pp, ill. Schriften des Deutsches Schiffahrtsmuseum, Band 54.
• Busmann, Hendrik: Nachträge zu H.J. Günther Die Sovereign of the Seas.
  Das Logbuch 18. Jg, Heidesheim, 1982. pp 89-90.
• Callender, Geoffrey: The Portrait of Peter Pett and the Sovereign of the Seas.
  National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, 1930. +4to, 52 pp, 19 plates.
• Charnock
• Clowes, G.S. Laird ed.: The Lengths of Masts and Yards, etc, 1640. Containing also Sizes of Cables, Anchors, Standing Rigging, Boats and Sails.
  The Society for Nautical Research, Greenwich, 1931. 8vo, 35 pp. Occasional Publications No. 3. From a manuscript formerly in the Petworth House and now in the Science Museum.
• Clowes, G.S. Laird: The Portrait of the Sovereign.
  The Mariner's Mirror Vol. 17, London, 1931. pp 168-173.
  Criticism of Geoffrey Callender's Portrait of Peter Pett and the Sovereign of the Seas.
• Feige, Thomas: Nachtrag zu die Sovereign of the Seas.
  Das Logbuch 18. Jg, Heidesheim, 1982. pp 74.
• Günther, Hans-Jürgen: Die Sovereign of the Seas.
  Das Logbuch 17. Jg, Heidesheim, 1981. pp 76-82, ill.
• Gröbner, Johann: Galion und Heckspiegel von Sovereign of the Seas. Versuch einer Rekonstruktion, Detail eines Modells.
  Das Logbuch 22. Jg, Heidesheim, 1986. pp 13-17, ill.
• Heywood, Thomas: A True Description of His Majesties Royall Ship, Built this Yeare 1637. at Wooll-witch in Kent. To the great glory of our English Nation, and not paraleld in the whole Christian World.
  Printed by Iohn Okes for Iohn Aston, London, 1637. -4to, 16,5×8,5-10,5 cm, frontispiece, (6), 48 pp.
  Early English Books 1475-1640, reel 1144.
  With an engraved frontispiece of the Sovereign of the Seas. Second edition 1638, the third 1653 and a fourth in the 18th century.
• Heywood, Thomas: A True Description of his Majesties Royall and most stately Ship called the Soveraign of the Seas, built at Wolwitch in Kent 1637 With the names of all the prime Officers in Her, who were appointed by his Majesty since the time of her launching at Wolwitch. Also a briefe Addition to the first printed Coppy, worthy your observation and Reading.
  I. Okes, London, 1638 (2nd). 4to, 16,5×8,5 cm, (6), 50 pp.
  AMS Press, New York & London, c1990. Edited by Alan R. Young.
  Early English Books 1475-1640, reel 1310.
  Also with "A Brief Addition to the first Coppy …, 2 pp. This edition is a reprint of the first edition of 1637 with a new titlepage and a half leaf inserted listing the newly appointed ship officers' names.
• [Heywood, Thomas]: The Common-Wealths Great Ship Commonly called the Soveraigne of the Seas, built in the yeare, 1637. With a true and exact Dimension of her Bulk and Burden, &etc. With the names of all the Ropes, Masts, Sails, and Cordage that belong unto a Ship. As also the names of all our Commanders at Sea, the number of Men and Gunnes. &etc. With all the Fights wee have had with the Hollander, since the Engagement of Lieutenant-admirall Trompe neere Dover, against the English fleet under the command of General Blake &etc. With 8 illustrations.
  Printed by M. Simmons for Tho. Jenner, London, 1653. 4to, 16,5×9,5 cm, 32 pp, 8 ill., 1 plate & 1 table on 1 fold. sheet.
  Reprinted in Nautical Research Journal, Vol. 28, pp 195-196 from an original in the Huntington Library.
  The original woodcut frontispiece showing a highly decorated four-masted ship has been replaced by a somewhat more accurate engraving by Thomas Jenner, appearently being a crude reversal of the Payne engraving on a much reduced scale to fit the small quarto page. First edition 1637 with the title A True Description of His Majesties Royall Ship.
  pp 1-7: Account of The Sovereign of the Seas.
  pp 8-10: Sea-terms from Manwayring.
  pp 11-32: Accounts of the First Dutch War.
• Heywood, Thomas: A True Description of His Majesties Royall Ship, Built this Yeare 1637 at Wooll-witch in Kent. To the Great Glory of Our English Nation, and not Paralel'd in the whole Christian World.
  London, 1653. -4to.
  With engraved frontispiece of the Sovereign of the Seas, built by Phineas Pett. First edition 1637, the third in the 18th century.
• Heywood, Thomas: The Common-wealths Ship, Commonly Called the Soveraign of the Seas, with her Bulke, and Burden.
  Nautical Research Journal Vol. 28, Bethesda, 1982. pp 195-196, ill.
  Reprinted from the edition printed 1653, originally published in 1637.
• Knight, C.: Royal Sovereign and Prince.
  The Mariner's Mirror Vol. 16, London, 1930. pp 87.
• Kriegstein, Arnold & Kriegstein, Henry: The Kriegstein Ship Model Collection. A Photographic Essay.
  Nautical Research Journal Vol. 27, Washington, 1981. pp 81-93, ill.
• Lavery, Brian: The Rebuilding of British Warships 1690-1740.
  The Mariner's Mirror Vol. 66, London, 1980. pp 5-14, 113-127, ill.
• McDonald, Charles O.: Piracy in the High "C's": Those (Much Too) Expensive Imported Ship Model Kits.
  Nautical Research Journal Vol. 28, Bethesda, 1982. pp 167-176, ill. About the Sergal's deficient model kit of the Sovereign of the Seas.
• McDonald, Charles O.: Reply to Comments on "Piracy …".
  Nautical Research Journal vol. 29, Bethesda, 1983. pp 87-89. See Piracy on the High C's, NRJ 28, pp 167-176.
• Manwaring, G.E.: Naval Relics.
  The Mariner's Mirror Vol. 5, London, 1919. pp 61. A semi-culverin gun which is thought have belonged to the Sovereign of the Seas existed at the Woolwich Rotunda in 1919.
• Manwaring, G.E.: An Unknown Painting of the Sovereign of the Seas.
  The Mariner's Mirror Vol. 6, London, 1920. pp 290-292, 1 pl.
• Manwaring, G.E.: Castro's Painting of the Sovereign.
  The Mariner's Mirror Vol. 8, London, 1922. pp 89-90.
• Marple, Edward F.: Sovereign of the Seas.
  Model Shipwright Vol. 14, London, 1986. pp 56:5-13, ill.
• Nance, R. Morton & Anderson, R.C.: Castro's Painting of the Sovereign.
  The Mariner's Mirror Vol. 6, London, 1920. pp 344-346. See Manwaring: An Unknown Painting of the Sovereign of the Seas.
• Rose, Robert M.: Sovereign of the Seas, additional notes.
  Nautical Research Journal, Bethesda, 1983. pp 49-50, ill.

Updated 2006-09-07 by Lars Bruzelius

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