Few stories are as captivating in Tudor England’s annals as that of Jacques Francis, the young Mauritanian diver who plumbed the depths of the Solent to rescue the treasures of Henry VIII’s beloved warship, the Mary Rose. This tale, set against the backdrop of 16th-century naval warfare and international intrigue, reveals a fascinating glimpse into a world far more diverse and interconnected than we might imagine.
The Pride of the Tudor Navy
The Mary Rose was no ordinary vessel. Built between 1510 and 1511, this 400-ton battleship was the apple of Henry VIII’s eye, a floating fortress that had served with distinction in numerous campaigns. Her crowning moment came in 1512 when she played a pivotal role in the sack of Brest, cementing her place in the king’s affections.
A Monarch’s Horror
But on that fateful day of July 19, 1545, disaster struck. As the French fleet threatened England’s shores, the Mary Rose sailed out to meet them in the Solent. King Henry VIII, ever the warrior at heart, watched from the battlements of Southsea Castle, eager to see his prized ship vanquish the enemy. Instead, he witnessed a nightmare unfold before his very eyes.
The Mary Rose suddenly keeled over and sank beneath the waves in a moment that must have seemed like an eternity. The king could only watch in horror as nearly 500 men, the cream of his navy, were dragged down with the ship. Less than 30 souls would survive this watery catastrophe.
The Salvage Operation Begins
Henry VIII, never one to accept defeat, immediately ordered salvage operations to begin. The loss of the ship was bad enough, but the thought of all that valuable weaponry and treasure lying at the bottom of the Solent was simply unbearable. The first attempt, led by a group of Venetian salvage experts in August 1545, ended in failure.
Enter Jacques Francis
It was then that Henry turned to a most unexpected savior. In 1546, an 18-year-old Mauritanian diver named Jacques Francis arrived in England. Born on an island off the coast of West Africa, in an area the Tudors knew as ‘Guinea,’ Francis possessed skills that were legendary among European mariners.
African divers like Francis were renowned for their ability to stay underwater for extended periods, a talent honed through years of rigorous training from early childhood. These free-diving experts could reach depths that seemed impossible to their European counterparts.
Treasures from the Deep
Under the employ of a Venetian named Peter Paulo Corsi, Francis and his team set to work. Using ropes to secure sunken objects and likely aided by primitive diving bells, they began the painstaking process of recovering the Mary Rose’s lost treasures.
Their efforts did not go unrewarded. By 1547, Corsi was receiving payments from the English government for the recovery of “certain anchors and ordnance out of the Mary Rose.” Bit by bit, the riches of Henry’s prized warship were being returned to the surface.
A Legacy Beyond Salvage
The tale of Jacques Francis and the Mary Rose is more than just a story of sunken treasure. It offers us a window into a Tudor England that was far more cosmopolitan than we often imagine. Here was an African teenager, valued for his exceptional skills, working to salvage the pride of the English fleet.
Francis’s story doesn’t end with the Mary Rose. He would go on to make history again as the first known African to give testimony in an English court, further cementing his place in the annals of Tudor history.
The image of a young African diver braving the cold waters of the Solent to recover an English king’s treasures is a powerful reminder of the diverse tapestry of our shared past. It challenges our preconceptions and invites us to look deeper into the rich, complex world of Tudor England.