Pirates & Privateers: John McKay's Books

Charles I ascended the English throne in 1625, to discover a navy in desperate need of revitalization. For an island nation, dependent on the protection afforded by armed ships capable of navigating the surrounding oceans, he needed to build England into a maritime power. This meant building new, more powerful ships that demonstrated not only his nation’s dominance of the sea but also its prestige to other countries. One outcome of this goal was the construction of Sovereign of the Seas, the largest warship of her time and the first to be armed with 100 guns.

She is a “ship of many superlatives,” and John McKay sets out to show why she deserves this description. (9) An architectural draftsman and an expert on the design and building of historical ships, McKay consults contemporary resources to craft the many different facets that make up a warship. Where primary materials don’t exist, he consults others and relies on knowledge of what is known about wooden ships of the period and somewhat later. There are aspects of the vessel that remain unknown, so his drawings include conjecture, but his plans are based on his expertise and experience to recreate Sovereign in as much detail and as closely as possible to the actual 17th-century ship.

The historical summary covers how she comes to be built, how people – especially the ship masters of Trinity House, who safeguard sailors and shipping – react to the idea of such a large vessel; the effect her building has on subsequent events in English history; and what happens to her during and after the Civil War and Restoration. Costs are also shared, from the initial estimate of £13,860 to her actual price tag of £65,586 16s 9½d (or in more digestible terms, the aggregate cost of ten average, newly-built ships of war).

The coffee-table-sized book is divided into fifteen chapters, the first three serving as an introduction to and a historical summary of the ship and those who have a hand in her design and construction, as well as a recap of the sources McKay consults. The remaining twelve chapters pertain to specific aspects of the ship: hull design and construction, pumps, steering, ground tackle, deck arrangements and accommodation, decoration, masts and yards, sails, rigging, ordnance, and boats. There are a host of illustrations, including a color section detailing the ship’s decoration, period portraits and paintings, and an extensive array of plates rendering all aspects of the vessel detailed above. Two appendices discuss Trinity House’s Protest and Sovereign’s Sail Carrying Capacity. Tables highlight specific details throughout the text. Unfamiliar nautical terms are discussed. A bibliography and index are included, while the endpapers portray overhead and side views of Sovereign without her masts and her outboard profile. The author also provides information on how to obtain large-scale copies of the renderings.

From her launch in 1637 to her demise sixty years later, Sovereign of the Seas is a ship worthy of this unique study. The book’s beautiful design and McKay’s artful renderings provide a fitting tribute to this amazing vessel and those who participate in her planning and construction.