Life on Board - Introduction

This section of the site takes a brief look at some aspects of life on board the Mary Rose, and at some of the artefacts discovered on the wreck. A much more comprehensive overview can be obtained from the Mary Rose publication, "Before the Mast", Edited By Julie Gardiner With Michael J. Allen. This is available from the Shopping section of the website or directly from the Mary Rose shop.

Many of the artefacts found on the ship were personal possessions of the crew. Gaming appears to have been very popular, dice were found in chests and leather pouches and a splendid backgammon set was discovered in the carpenter's cabin.

There are numerous letters written by the commanders of the Mary Rose in the historical archives, and quill pens and inkwells of the type used to write them were found on the wreck. Leather book covers survived in the silt but the pages have unfortunately deteriorated. The illiterate members of the crew often marked their possessions with graffiti.

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