Bill Horner | Devon 

A wonderfully detailed wall painting of a 16th century warship has been rediscovered in Tavistock (West Devon, England). The painting was first recorded in the mid-1980s when it was uncovered during works to 4 Market Street in the centre of the town. A recent refurbishment of the property has resulted in it becoming the centre of renewed attention. 

The painting is of a sizeable warship and is very similar to those depicted on the Anthony Roll – a colourful record of Henry VIII of England’s navy that was made in 1546, towards the end of his reign. Only part of the painting survives, but clearly visible are the warship’s bow, multi-decked forecastle, foremast with top castle, part of the ‘waist’ – the open deck between the forecastle and mainmast, and part of the mainmast itself. The detail is striking. 

The forecastle is decorated with crosses of St George. A streamer in the green and white of the Tudor dynasty overlain with a red cross of St George flies from the foremast. The top castle contains a supply of incendiary darts, ready to be hailed down on an enemy vessel in close-quarter fighting. There are two guns in the waist, both with the banding typical of wrought-iron ordnance. Over the waist there is anti-boarding netting. The rigging is detailed, with the foresail rigged and the mainsail apparently furled as if undertaking a battle manoeuvre. This strongly suggests, as Maritime Historian Dr Ian Friel believes, that "the artist either knew about ships or was working from a drawing prepared by someone with a sea-faring background".

Dr Geri Parlby, Chair of the Tavistock Heritage Trust, has coordinated the assessment and the context of the painting with the support of the TIDE project partner Devon County Council. This has included studies by Dr Ian Friel (Maritime Historian), Ruth McNeilage (McNeilage Conservation), Catherine Hassall (Paint Analysis) and Dr Stuart Blaylock (Historic Building Specialist).

Regarding the location of the painting, is on the wall of a first-floor chamber, with a moulded-beamed panelled ceiling. This was an extension to an existing late-medieval house and was jettied out over the ground floor into Market Street. A second storey was jettied out above that. Dr Blaylock believes that this extension dates to the late 15th or first half of the 16th century. The layering of original and later plasterwork suggest that the warship was painted relatively early in the life of the chamber.

Analysis by Ruth McNeilage and Catherine Hassall show that the paint was applied onto a white limewash layer, is outlined in black with detail filled in with red, yellow and green. The pigments used include indigo, carbon black, yellow iron oxide, green verditer, vermillion, red lead, yellow and red ochre. The painting was sealed with an organic varnish, now much degraded. The artificial pigment green verditer was first used in the 15th century but had become more common by the later 16th century. The style of the artwork and vessel type is strikingly similar to the Anthony Roll of 1546. Dr Friel writes that ‘big war carracks’ of this type were becoming obsolete by the 1560s and suggests a date range of 1509 to 1570 as the most likely period in which one would have been depicted.

It may seem odd that a warship should feature in the interior décor of a domestic residence in a landlocked town in the foothills of Dartmoor. However, Tavistock was a wealthy merchant town in the 16th century. Half of Devon’s tin production passed through the town and there was a thriving wool trade. Moreover, the major port of Plymouth, some 14 miles away down the River Tavy, offered merchants and adventurers ready access to the then known world. Famous citizens of Tavistock included Sir William Hawkins, who in the 1530s to 1550s contributed to the development of the ‘triangular trade’ between Europe, West Africa and the Americas. Hawkins went on to become Member of Parliament for Plymouth. The next generation, Sir John Hawkins and his second-cousin Sir Francis Drake, who was also born near Tavistock, were also famous (or infamous) merchants, slave traders, explorers and colonists. Both were Vice Admirals of the English Navy during the Armada Campaign of 1588.

It is interesting to note that in 1564 Queen Elizabeth I leased the ageing 700-ton royal carrack (or galleon) the Jesus of Lubeck to John Hawkins for use in an expedition that took him and Francis Drake to West Africa and Venezuela. The Jesus was a former German merchant vessel that came into English naval service in 1545 and is depicted on the Anthony Rolls, bedecked in Tudor flags. It was still Hawkins’ flagship when it was captured by the Spanish at the Battle of San Juan de Ulúa, Mexico, in 1568.

Sadly, there is no direct link from 4 Market Street and its warship to a specific vessel or to these great historical figures and events. However, 16th century Tavistock was clearly proud of its associations with the sea and the navy. With the rediscovery of this fantastic painting we again have the chance to celebrate Devon’s rich maritime heritage – wherever it may be found!