The almost complete skeleton of a small dog was recovered near the doorway of the carpenter’s cabin. This had a sliding door; perhaps she was trapped here as the Mary Rose heeled over and sank.
The animal was a healthy, young bitch, between eighteen months and two years old. She may have been on the ship as a mascot or a pet, perhaps the carpenter’s dog. She certainly would have helped get rid of the rats.
We have called her ‘Hatch’, she is the world’s oldest lost sea dog. She will go on display at Crufts® dog show at the NEC from 11th-14th March, before returning to take up a permanent home in the Mary Rose Museum for the first time since the ship mysteriously sank in 1545.
But funding is needed for her future home: We are on a journey to build ‘Hatch’s’ final home - the ambitious new Mary Rose museum project; that must be realised to secure the future of ‘Hatch’ and the Mary Rose.
So let’s make sure ‘Hatch’ isn’t homeless for another 500 years: Help ‘Give a Dog a Home’ and make a donation to ‘Hatch’s’ new home - £2, £5 or £10 – whatever is possible.
Click here to Donate directly to the Hatch Fund!
The new museum will provide an understanding of ‘Hatch’s’ life in Tudor times: A world class museum where many more previously unseen artefacts will be on view and visitors will be able to step back in time to understand the life of ‘Hatch’ and her crew mates on- board a Tudor warship – seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling, almost touching Tudor life.
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