'The Lord of the Sea' - The English Navy in the Reign of Edward III

The purpose of this thesis is to evaluate the English fleet in the reign of Edward III. Edward Ill's reign is usually portrayed by historians as being of some importance in the later development o~ pr<?fessional fleets and the later royal navy. In this thesis I have evaluated the fleet as it was in 1327, to examine the state of naval practice in the early . . fourteenth century. The navy at t)1e end of Edward Ill's reign has also' been examined to assess the various innovations occurred between 1327 and 1377. In addition the thesis is intended to provide an overview of how Edward Ill's fleets were formed and maintained. Fleets by Edward Ill's reigns were made up of shipping from a variety of sources. I have examined these in detail to determine their relative importance to the king's fleets and to explore the mechanisms by which these were integrated into a whole. I have also looked at the command structures of fleets, and how English forces were manned and equipped, in relation to their French adversaries. This also involves discussions of related matters such as the mechanisms by which English fleets were commanded, including studies of both Edward Ills admirals an~ the masters on his royal ships. There is also some investigation of naval custom and tradition in order to detennine the <?rigins of the naval traditions that provided the King of England with ships between 1327 and 1377. I have also included considerable discussion on ~he sbjects of contemporary naval strategy and tactics. This thesis is also intended to fit naval needs into the wider political framework of Edward Ill's government, al1.d to try to identify the impact naval needs had on English political and strategic thinking. Perhaps most importantly this thesis assesses the ways in which naval forces were employed by Edward Ill's government. It has peviously been asserted, particularly by Prince, that English forces were only used for defensive purposes or for supply. This view is contradicted by much of the evidence presented here. I have also attempted to identify the real uses to 'which the king's naval assets were put.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo