England: Mary Rose was constructed in the first year of Henry V111's reign. He was 18 years old. England was constantly at war with France. Henry began an intensive programme of naval rearmament including the building of shore defences such as Southsea Castle

In the summer of 1545 Henry V111 was in his 54th year and at war. Francois 1 of France had pledged to invade England with the aim of forcing Henry to surrender his lands in France. In mid July Henry travelled to Portsmouth, and on the 19th of that month he watched from shore as his ships sailed out to engage a menacing force of more than 230 vessels...

Holland: The VOC ( United East India Company) formed in 1602 was becoming the dominant power in world trade. Fleets of Retour Ships regularly left Holland on the arduous voyage to the Spice Islands. In 1629 their route took them south to Cape Town and then down to the roaring forties for a fast passage across the Indian Ocean before turning left for the Spice Islands. Their orders suggested they sail 1000 Dutch sea miles (around 7000 kilometres) before swinging north. Latitude was reasonably easy to calculate. Longitude was very much guesstimation and the consequences were the unwilling Dutch visitors to our western shores. Once loaded with spices the ships would return to Europe and sell the goods at a vast profit.

2. The Ships

Mary Rose: Built in Portsmouth as a 4 masted Carrack of 600 tons. Mainly oak with elm keel. Construction began in 1509. Named after king's favourite sister who was 13 at the time. A successful ship - in 1513, Sir Edward Howard who used the ship as his flagship during the French campaign, wrote the king a letter describing her as ' your good ship, the flower I trow of all ships that ever sailed. '

Extensive modifications in 1536 transformed Mary Rose into one of the first great gun ships. Rebuilt to 700 tons. 90 cannon of various sizes. Length between that of Endeavour and Batavia but carried around 700 crew. Batavia 316, Endeavour 96. Mary Rose on a ' day sail ' stacked with soldiers and crew. Batavia and Endeavour on long voyages; relatively less crew.

Commander, Vice Admiral George Carew.

Batavia: Built in Amsterdam 1628. Mainly oak with Baltic Pine sheathing (sacrificial skin). Pine masts. Named after the town she was heading for (now called Jakarta). Was a retour ship (return ship). East Indies trader but heavily armed with 28 cannon as protection . Maiden voyage, sailed from Holland 27 October 1628 under ballast with 12 chests of silver coin, jewels and other precious goods. Also supplies for the colony and trading goods.

Commander, Fransisco Pelsaert.

3. The Crew

Mary Rose: Soldiers - archers, gunners, footsoldiers - sailors. Very over crowded in preparation for man to man combat if another ship was boarded. All men. Of the 700 only about 40 survived.

Batavia: Sailors, some soldiers, women and children going out to join their husbands and fathers in the Indies. Of the 316 all but 40 survived the shipwreck although another 125 were murdered by mutineers on the Abrolhos Islands while they were awaiting Pelsaert to return with a rescue ship.

4. The Shipwreck

Mary Rose: Went down very quickly and very publicly about a mile from shore within view of the king as she manoeuvred to do battle with the French. Fine weather good visibility... very embarrassing... Overloading, top heavy, bad organisation, gust of wind and open gunports lead to the sinking. Only a few in the tops survived. Other crew trapped under anti boarding nets perished almost instantly. Nothing of consequence survived. Locked away in a time capsule of mud.

Batavia: Hit a reef in the Wallaby group of the Northern Abrolhos Islands. Early in the morning of the 4 June 1629. Masthead watch had seen the line of breakers illuminated by the moon hours before but after consultation with the officer on watch and following wind blowing the sound away, had been dismissed as moonlight on the water. By their dead reckoning they were still out in the Indian Ocean with many miles of searoom. Rather unlucky. Half a degree to starboard they would have missed the reef and at daylight seen the coast of New Holland in plenty of time to turn north for their destination. Most of the survivors struggled ashore. Many items rescued and drifted in. Ship broke open on the reef and objects scattered on the seabed.

5. The Recovery

Mary Rose: Some salvage work within weeks but not very successful. Re-discovered in the 19 century, some more objects recovered but lost again. Finally tracked down in 1971 by Alexander McKee journalist, scuba diver and military historian with an interest in historic ships. Used modern technology such as magnatometers, sub-bottom and side scan radar as well as charts and archival material. Decade of careful excavation before the remaining section of hull was raised in 1982. Remarkable variety of artefacts, over 17,000, recovered.

Very difficult diving conditions. Poor visibility, strong tide. Ship locked in mud and silt. A true time capsule of 19 July 1545.

Hull section lifted as one piece in a cradle on October 11 1982. Very public occasion broadcast around the world with Henry V111's relative, Prince Charles looking on.

Batavia: Some salvage work by Pelsaert when he returned with the rescue ship. Thought to have been discovered in 1840's in southern Abrolhos but found to be the Zeewijk another Dutch ship. Search turned to the northern Abrolhos group after archival studies by historian Henrietta Drake Brockman. Dived on for the first time 4 June 1963. Museum excavations in 1970's raised timbers, archway and over 8,000 artefacts.

Water very clear on calm days but turbulent, shallow nature of the site meant that objects were scattered over a kilometre on the sea bed. Timbers had to be lifted one by one after careful recording. Survivors meant that objects also found on shore. Wreck site in a remote part of the world and lifting of the timbers by contrast to the Mary Rose was not a dramatic single event with the world looking on.

6. The Display

Mary Rose: In Portsmouth very close to where she was built. Hull still being treated with PEG. Many objects on display; conservation work still being carried out. Mary Rose Trust is a private foundation. Section of hull over 20 times larger than the Batavia stern section. Almost the whole starboard side of the ship

Batavia: In Fremantle half a world away from her place of birth. Timbers could be fully immersed in PEG and so the conservation process on the hull has been much quicker. Section of the port side of the stern of the ship reconstructed. Many objects still being conserved and studied.

7. The Significance of these ships in history

Unique opportunity to observe how ships were constructed in a time when few plans were made and word of mouth was the dominant form of communication. By recovering parts of the hulls can see first hand how ships were constructed. Ship- wrighting was a trade passed down from father to son. Mary Rose one of the first gunships. Marked the transition from hand -to- hand combat to cannon fire. Batavia, only section of a 17 century VOC ship that has been preserved.

8. What they can tell us about History

Time capsules, particularly Mary Rose. What ever is found we know existed on 19 July 1545. Have provided absolute proof of the sorts of weaponry, clothes, games, personal items, medicines etc that were in use at that time. Mary Rose particularly significant for discoveries in archery and health/medicine.

Batavia provides a valuable cross section of the society because the crew represented people from all classes, men and women.A trading vessel, large variety of objects - paying ballast such as the archway, weaponry, personal items etc.

You can visit world wide web site of the Mary Rose Exhibition at Portsmouth.