Wednesday 19th February 2025 - arrive from 2pm onwards for a 2.30pm start

The MARY ROSE and her Men, by Michael Shaw

In July 1545 Henry VIII’s favourite ship, the Mary Rose, sank near Portsmouth during a battle against a French invasion fleet. Rediscovered in 1971 and raised from the seabed in 1982, she now forms the centrepiece of a major museum in Portsmouth, dedicated to the memory of the 500 men and boys who died in the sinking. This talk will cover the history of the ship and her subsequent rediscovery, and introduce several members of the crew, whose remains have been recovered together with the tools, weapons, and domestic utensils that they used in their everyday lives.

Dr Michael Shaw is a retired medical writer with a lifelong interest in naval history originating from his childhood in
Portsmouth. In addition to writing and presenting on naval history, he is a volunteer guide at the Mary Rose
Museum in Portsmouth and a member of the Museum’s external speaker panel.