How a massive 13th-century shipbuilding project reveals the lives of ordinary people
In short: In 1295, King Edward I commissioned eight war galleys, leaving behind the earliest known significant English shipbuilding records. This lecture explores what these unique accounts reveal about maritime history and the working class.
Dr Ian Fict examines shipbuilding accounts from the 1290s, detailing how ports including London, Southampton, Ipswich, York, and Newcastle constructed eight war galleys for King Edward I. The project provides a rare historical snapshot of late 13th-century England.
Beyond the maritime engineering, the records offer a glimpse into the daily lives of various workers. The lecture covers the roles of shipwrights, blacksmiths, and even the women hired to clear wood chips from the construction sites. Notably, the City of London was responsible for building two of the largest galleys in the fleet.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: 1295: The Year of the Galleys - Dr Ian Friel FSA
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