Once I was a clever boy learning the arts of Oxford... is a quotation from the verses written by Bishop Richard Fleming (c.1385-1431) for his tomb in Lincoln Cathedral. Fleming, the founder of Lincoln College in Oxford, is the subject of my research for a D. Phil., and, like me, a son of the West Riding. I have remarked in the past that I have a deeply meaningful on-going relationship with a dead fifteenth century bishop... it was Fleming who, in effect, enabled me to come to Oxford and to learn its arts, and for that I am immensely grateful.


Saturday 22 October 2022

Seeking to know more about the ‘Mary Rose’


The Daily Express website has an unusually informative article about hopes to raise the remains of the bow castle of the ‘Mary Rose’ from where it still lies in the silt of Portsmouth Harbour. Not only would this make more of the wreck available both for understanding the ship and for presenting the vessel to modern eyes but, it is thought, might also provide evidence as to why the ship sank so rapidly on July 19th 1545.

The article also uses material generated by the DNA and isotope analysis evidence from eight of the three hundred skeletons found on the ship. This has shown that four out of the eight sailors originated in the region of the Mediterranean rather than in England and revealed a lot about their health and changes to their physiology consequent upon their military service.


The ethnic background to the crew as indicated by the DNA and isotope analysis is also covered in a useful article, which includes facial reconstructions, and was published in 2021. It is from the Smithsonian Magazine and can be seen at Ethnically Diverse Crew of Henry VIII's Flagship Hailed From Iberia, North Africa


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