‘though we have already written you divers letters to prevent the inconvenience which we suspected would follow this journey that it would be rather an action of honour and virtue against the enemy and particular profit by spoil to the army than any way profitable to ourself yet now we do plainly see by the return of our whole fleet that the actions of hope are fully finished without as much as surety of defraying the charge past or that which is to come.[500]
The blow to Spanish power and prestige, or an ‘action of honour and virtue,’ counted for nothing if a fleet did not pay its expenses and make some profit over and above.
It may be asked then in what respect was Elizabeth personally deserving of praise? The answer is that it fell to her to use for the first time an untried weapon—untried in the sense that never before had England relied on it as the right arm of attack or defence. For centuries the defence of the country had depended on the mail-clad horseman and the yeoman archer; from the first days of her accession she recognised that the enemies of England were to be fought at sea, a doctrine which is a commonplace now, but was then being only slowly evolved in minds even yet dazzled by memories of invasions of France. She accepted and proved the truth of the theory on which the policy of Henry VIII was grounded, and, if she failed to carry it out fully, it was perhaps more from ignorance of the might of the weapon in her hand than from want of statesmanship. Notwithstanding her niggardliness, which nearly ruined England in 1588, she expended money—for her lavishly—on the Navy, while the military and other services were remorselessly starved. Sooner or later the naval authorities obtained at least part of their requirements, in striking contrast to the fortune of other officials who thought, and whose contemporaries probably thought, their needs of equal or more importance. If she did not use the fleet as some of the great seamen who served her would have had her use it, she at anyrate extended its field of action in a manner hitherto unknown, and sealed the direction of future English policy.
The following abstract, compiled from the pay and victualling lists and the State Papers, will show the number of vessels of the Royal Navy in commission each year, that it was used continuously as never before, but also that it was seldom used up to its possible capacity. In every case there were hired merchantmen as well if a fleet was engaged in an over-sea expedition, but unless there was a prospect of plunder the brunt of the work always fell on the men-of-war. As an arbitrary division, for the purpose of the table, first-rates are taken as those above 600 tons; second-rates from 400 to 600 tons; third-rates from 200 to 400 tons; fourth-rates from 100 to 200 tons; fifth-rates from 50 to 100 tons; and sixth-rates under 50 tons. Owing to technical difficulties connected with the lists used it is probably not exactly correct but is sufficiently so to give a just impression:—
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | Galleys. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1559 | 2 | 4 | |||||
| 1560[501] | |||||||
| 1561 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | |||
| 1562 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 5 | |||
| 1563 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 7 | 4 | 3 |
| 1564 | 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||
| 1565 | 2 | ||||||
| 1566 | 1 | 2 | |||||
| 1567 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||
| 1568 | 2 | 1 | 1 | ||||
| 1569 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 2 | |||
| 1570 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | |||
| 1571 | 2 | 1 | |||||
| 1572 | 2 | 2 | |||||
| 1573 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | |||
| 1574 | 2 | 1 | |||||
| 1575 | 2 | 1 | |||||
| 1576 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | |||
| 1577 | 1 | 2 | 2 | ||||
| 1578 | 2 | 3 | 1 | ||||
| 1579 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 1 | |||
| 1580 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 1 | |||
| 1581 | 2 | 5 | 1 | ||||
| 1582 | 1 | 2 | 1 | ||||
| 1583 | 2 | 1 | 1 | ||||
| 1584 | 2 | 1 | 1 | ||||
| 1585 | 1 | 2 | 4 | ||||
| 1586 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 7 | 1 | |
| 1587 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 6 | ||
| 1588[502] | 5 | 10 | 5 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 1 |
| 1589 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 4 | ||
| 1590 | 8 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 5 | ||
| 1591 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 4 | ||
| 1592 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 | ||
| 1593 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | ||
| 1594 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 4 | ||
| 1595 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | ||
| 1596 | 4 | 9 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 | |
| 1597 | 6 | 11 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 2 | |
| 1598 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 4 | ||
| 1599 | 6 | 10 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 1 |
| 1600 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 5 | |
| 1601 | 2 | 11 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| 1602 | 3 | 9 | 5 | 1 | 1 |
From this it is evident that vessels of from 400 to 600 tons were the favourites; they were handier, better seaboats, and represented the latest improvements in shipbuilding. Of the eleven first-rates on the navy list in 1603, two were Spanish prizes of 1596, four dated from the beginning of the reign, while the remaining five were of 1587 and later years; it was these latter that were used from 1596 onwards. The four earlier ones, built before Hawkyns came into office, were of an old type and seem never to have been commissioned unless the services of the whole Navy were required. The Victory, for instance was only at sea in 1563, 1588, and 1589, although she is not entered in the foregoing table under 1589, because lent to the Earl of Cumberland for a private venture. The stress of the work fell therefore on the smaller vessels. The Bonaventure, for instance, was at sea every year from 1585 to 1590 inclusive. During the greater part of 1591 she was in dock at Woolwich for repairs, but at Portsmouth in October, and then sent to sea. Again in 1592, 5, 6, 7, and 1599. The Dreadnought, launched in 1573, was commissioned during each of the six years 1575-80, and in 1585, 7, 8, and 1590. She was then, for nearly a year, in dry dock, recommencing service in 1594, continuing it in 1595, 6, 7, 9, 1601, 2, and 1603. It must also be noted that many of these years included more than one commission. Excluding the fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-rates, which were serviceable for privateering purpose, but could not take a place in any form of attack requiring ships of force, it will be seen by how very few vessels the naval warfare was really carried on, and that a succession of serious descents on the Spanish coasts and transatlantic settlements, such as were urged on Elizabeth, would have necessitated very large additions to the Royal Navy.
Shortly after the Queen’s accession she possessed, according to one account thirty-five,[503] and according to another thirty-two[504] vessels of all classes and in good and bad condition. Some ships had been under repair before Mary’s death,[505] but the dockyards were working with redoubled vigour since Elizabeth’s succession. At Deptford, in March, 228 men were at work on five ships; at Woolwich 175 men on eight others, and at Portsmouth 154 men on nine more.[506] Some of these were rebuildings, others could have been but trifling repairs, but the list shows with what energy Elizabeth and her Council applied themselves to the maintenance of the fleet. From that time the yards, with the exception of a few years, were kept fully occupied, and the following is a list of the new ships built at them or otherwise added to the Navy. The dates are New Style:—
| Built | At | By | Rebuilt | Bought | Prize | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elizabeth Jonas[507] | 1559 | Woolwich | 1597-8 | |||
| Hope[508] | 1559 | 1602-3 | ||||
| Victory[509] | 1560 | |||||
| Primrose[510] | 1560 | |||||
| Minion[511] | 1560 | |||||
| Galley Speedwell[512] | 1559 | |||||
| Galley Tryright[513] | 1559 | |||||
| Triumph[514] | 1561 | 1595-6 | ||||
| Aid[515] | 1562 | |||||
| Galley Ellynor[516] | 1563 | |||||
| Post[517] | 1563 | |||||
| Guide[517] | 1563 | |||||
| Makeshift[517] | 1563 | |||||
| Search[517] | 1563 | |||||
| White Bear[518] | 1564 | 1598-9 | ||||
| Elizabeth Bonaventure[519] | 1581 | 1567 | ||||
| Foresight[520] | 1570 | |||||
| Bull[521] | 1570 | |||||
| Tiger[522] | 1570 | |||||
| Swiftsure[523] | 1573 | Deptford | Peter Pett | 1592 | ||
| Dreadnought[524] | 1573 | do. | Math. Baker | 1592 | ||
| Achates[525] | 1573 | do. | Peter Pett | |||
| Handmaid[526] | 1573 | do. | Math. Baker | |||
| Revenge[527] | 1577 | do. | ||||
| Scout[528] | 1577 | do. | ||||
| Merlin[529] | 1579 | |||||
| Antelope[530] | 1581 | |||||
| Golden Lion[531] | 1582 | |||||
| Brigantine[532] | 1583 | |||||
| Nonpareil[533] | Deptford | 1584 | ||||
| Galley Bonavolia[534] | 1584 | |||||
| Greyhound[535] | 1585 | Wm. Pett | ||||
| Talbot[536] | 1585 | R. Chapman | ||||
| Cygnet[537] | 1585 | Tho. Bowman | ||||
| Makeshift[538] | 1586 | Limehouse | Wm. Pett | |||
| Spy[539] | 1586 | do. | do. | |||
| Advice[540] | 1586 | Woolwich | M. Baker | |||
| Trust[541] | 1586 | |||||
| Sun[542] | 1586 | Chatham | M. Baker | |||
| Seven Stars[543] | 1586 | |||||
| Tremontana[544] | 1586 | Deptford | R. Chapman | |||
| Moon[545] | 1586 | do. | Peter Pett | |||
| Charles[546] | 1586 | Woolwich | M. Baker | |||
| Vanguard[547] | 1586 | do. | do. | 1599 | ||
| Rainbow[548] | 1586 | Deptford | Peter Pett | 1602 | ||
| Ark Royal[549] | 1587 | do. | R. Chapman | |||
| Popinjay[550] | 1587 | |||||
| Nuestra Señora del Rosario[551] | 1588 | |||||
| Mary Rose[552] | 1589 | |||||
| Merhonour[553] | 1590 | M. Baker | ||||
| Garland[554] | 1590 | R. Chapman | ||||
| Defiance[555] | 1590 | P. & Jos. Pett | ||||
| Answer[556] | 1590 | M. Baker | ||||
| Quittance[557] | 1590 | do. | ||||
| Crane[558] | 1590 | R. Chapman | ||||
| Advantage[559] | 1590 | P. & Jos. Pett | ||||
| Lion’s Whelp[560] | 1590 | |||||
| Primrose Hoy[561] | 1590 | |||||
| Black Dog[562] | 1590 | |||||
| French Frigott[563] | 1591 | |||||
| Flighte[564] | 1592 | |||||
| Mercury[565] | 1592 | Deptford | M. Baker | |||
| Eagle[566] | 1592 | |||||
| Adventure[567] | 1594 | Deptford | M. Baker | |||
| Mynikin[568] | 1595 | |||||
| Warspite[569] | 1596 | Deptford | E. Stevens | |||
| Due Repulse[570] | 1596 | |||||
| St Mathew[571] | 1596 | |||||
| St Andrew[571] | 1596 | |||||
| Lion’s Whelp[572] | 1601 | |||||
| Superlativa[573] | 1601 | Deptford | ||||
| Advantagia[573] | 1601 | Woolwich | ||||
| George Hoy[574] | 1601 | Adye | ||||
| Gallarita[575] | 1602 | Limehouse | ||||
| Volatillia[575] | 1602 | Deptford |