English ship White Bear (1563)

White Bear[Note 1] was a 40-gun ship of the English Tudor navy, launched in 1563. She was repaired in 1585–86 at Woolwich, and recommissioned under Lord Howard of Effingham. In 1588 she took part in the actions against the Spanish Armada, under the command of Lord Edmund Sheffield. She was rebuilt in 1599 as a 57-gun royal ship.[2]

History
England
Name: White Bear
Builder: Woolwich Dockyard
Launched: 1563
Fate: Sold, 1629
General characteristics as built
Tons burthen:
  • 729 tons[1]
  • Tons and tonnage 972 tons
General characteristics after 1598-1599 rebuild[2]
Class and type: 57-gun royal ship
Tons burthen:
  • 732 tons[3]
  • Tons and tonnage 915 tons
Length: 110 ft (34 m) (keel)
Beam: 37 ft (11 m)
Depth of hold: 18 ft (5.5 m)
Sail plan: Full-rigged ship
Complement: 500
Armament:
  • 57 guns of various weights of shot (1603) - all brass,
  • comprising 2 cannon periers, 6 demi-cannon, 21 culverins, 16 demi-culverins and 12 sakers

The White Bear remained in service until 1627, when she was deemed unserviceable, and was sold out of the navy at Rochester on 12 June 1629.

The timbers from the White Bear were used to rebuild a burned-down alehouse on the Old Packhorse track running between Halifax and Leeds (now known as The Old White Beare in the village of Norwood Green near Halifax).[4] There is also another pub called "the White Bear" in Bedale (North Yorkshire), which is named after the vessel.[5] The pub sign is adorned with a ship.[6]

Notes

  1. The "HMS" prefix was not used until the middle of the 18th century, but is sometimes applied retrospectively

References

Citations

  1. Note that a burthen tonnage is a measurement of cubic capacity (volume), and not a measurement of weight. It thus cannot be converted to metric tonnes.
  2. Lavery, Ships of the Line, vol. 1, p. 158.
  3. Note that a burthen tonnage is a measurement of cubic capacity (volume), and not a measurement of weight. It thus cannot be converted to metric tonnes.
  4. Jenkins, Simon (15 March 2012). "Pub Review: The Old White Beare, Village Street, Norwood Green". Yorkshire Evening Post. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
  5. Wright, Gordon (2006). The dictionary of pub names. Ware: Wordsworth Editions. p. 472. ISBN 1-84022-266-2.
  6. Chalmers, Graham (13 December 2018). "What's new-look historic North Yorks pub like?". The Harrogate Advertiser. Retrieved 16 January 2019.

Bibliography



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