The Relic of the Mary Rose

Published by Genesis Fine Limited Editions in association with The Mary Rose Trust

A Narrative of the loss of The Mary Rose from original manuscripts

Genesis is proud to announce the re-publication of a charming piece of Victoriana.

'one of the King's shippes, called the Mary Rose, was drowned in the myddest of the haven, by reason that she was overladen with ordinaunce, and had the portes lefte open, which were very lowe, and the great artillerie unbreeched, so that when the ship shoold tourne, the water entred and suddalnely she sunke.'

On 19th July 1545, the Mary Rose - second largest ship of Henry VIII's mighty fleet - set sail from Spithead to challenge the French invaders. In full view of the king and his assembled forces, the great ship keeled and then capsized. She sank rapidly to the bottom of the Solent taking with her almost 700 men.

More than four centuries later, in 1982, what remained of her hull was successfully raised from the seabed and the Mary Rose now rests, only a short distance from Lord Nelson's flagship HMS Victory in Portsmouth's naval dockyard.

The Relic of the Mary Rose is a delightful little (96mm X 60mm) book, first published in 1842 and devoted to the story of the sinking of the Tudor ship. It contains an eye-witness account of the tragedy of Sir Peter Carew, a near relation of the Mary Rose's ill-fated captain. Sir Peter, who was standing near his monarch when the tragic event took place, afterwards reported: 'The Kynge this meanewhyle stode one the lande and sawe this tragedie, as also the lady the wiffe to Sir George Carewe, who with that syght felle into a soundinge. The Kynge beinge oppressed with sorowe of every syde, comforted her...' The book also contains extracts from State papers relating to the earliest efforts to raise the ship; accounts of the disaster from contemporary and later eminent historians, both English and French; and an up-to-the-minute report of a new, Victorian attempt to raise the wreck of the Mary Rose.

This exquisite miniature volume is now available again: as a strictly limited edition of 750 copies, each numbered and signed. A new Foreword, by Margaret Rule, Archaeological Director of the Mary Rose Trust, is included; and the hand-made book has been produced with the full approval of the Mary Rose Trust. A donation in respect of each copy sold will be made towards the Trust's vital restoration fund; for, in a very real sense, the Trust's work has only just begun.

A limited edition of 750 numbered, hand-bound copies, signed by Margaret Rule. The binding is in full leather with gilt decoration and an inlay of beautifully polished and lacquered fine English Oak from the Mary Rose. The book is presented in an exquisite solander box.

The piece of timber inlaid into the front cover of this limited edition is thought to be 900 years old as Tudor shipwrights used only seasoned English Oak which had grown to an age of more than 400 years.

ISBN: 0 904351 27 0
Price: £225/$385 plus shipping