The first English Captain: Valentine Tattnell

The first Valentine Tattnell served in the Commonwealth navy. He commanded the Dutch prize Rosebush (the ex-Amsterdam Directors' ship Rooseboom) from 1653 until 1654. In September 1653, the Rosebush was listed as carrying 24 guns and with a crew of 130 men. In December, the Rosebush was listed as carrying 34 guns, but this may have been in error. Still, Frank Fox credits her as carrying 34 guns. Brian Lavery says that she carried 30 guns in 1664 (12-12pdr, 8-8pdr, 8-6pdr, and 2-3 or 4pdr). The Rosebush's Dutch dimensions were:

• 118ft x 27ft x 12.5ft.

Her English dimensions were:

• 84ft on keel x 24.6ft outside of the planking x 11.5ft at the center

      Dutch   English   Factor  My standard factor
Length 118ft   84ft      1.405   1.33 (indicates a lot of rake)
Beam    27ft   24.5ft    1.102   1.13 (indicates thin planking)
Depth   12.5ft 11.5ft    1.087   1.13 (perhaps a lot of camber)

In 1656, Valentine commanded the Old President, a former 5th Rate which had been purchased in 1646. In 1656, the Old President served as a fireship. Sources:

1. R. C. Anderson, List of English Naval Captains 1642-1660, 1964
2. R. C. Anderson, Lists of Men-of-War 1650-1700: Part I English Ships 1649-1702, 1966
3. Frank Fox, Great Ships: The Battlefleet of King Charles II, 1980
4. Brian Lavery, The Arming and Fitting of English Ships of War 1600-1815, 1987.