Anthony Roll

by Anthony Anthony

A sample picture of the second roll, showing the layout of text and images used throughout the Anthony Roll. The information for each vessel is displayed in columns directly below its illustration.

Contents

• First roll — Carracks
• Second roll — Galleasses
• Third roll — Pinnaces and rowbarges

Notes on use of numerals and measurements

The numbers in the rolls are written in Roman numerals, though with more complicated formulas for certain large numbers than those used today. The letter "i", standing for one (1), is written as "j" when standing alone or at the end of a sequence of numbers, as in "viij" (8) or "xij" (12). Four (4) is written as "iiij" rather than "iv". The number five (5) is written as "v", ten (10) as "x" and fifty (50) as "l".

A superscript "c" means multiplication by one hundred (100), as in "iij^c" (3 x 100 = 300), though this is occasionally also written as "ccc". A superscript "ml" means multiplication by a thousand (1000), as in "v^mliij^c" (5 x 1000 + (3 x 100) = 5,300). The number eighty (80) is written as "xx" (20) multiplied by "iiij" (4), the former on top of the latter, as in "$\scriptstyle {\frac {xx}{iiij}}$". This can also included in more complex numbers such as "ix^c$\scriptstyle {\frac {xx}{iiij}}$ix" (9 x 100 + (4 x 20) + 9 = 989).

A superscript "lb" stands for pounds, used as a measurement only for gunpowder. Bowstrings are given in gross ("groce"), twelve dozens, or 144.