Hello everyone and welcome to the history of England, episode 249, The Sot of Naves,

I Cannot Rule. I tried to resist making too many appeals for members, but it's been

a few weeks, so let me make one now. Being a member of the history of England brings

you great power and great responsibility, immediate access to a library of 56 podcast episodes

and 31 hours of listening. Plus, you get at least 90 minutes worth each month of new podcast

topics, covering topics like wheels or biographies like Thomas Moore, there's a series of, on

the history of Scotland, and we're now approaching the Wars of Independence, William Wallace,

Robert Bruce, the Declaration of our Broth. We're just starting an occasional series of podcasts

about Britain and the Sea, and I'm working on a serialisation of the Lides of William

Marshall and Eleanor of Aquitaine. So, one reason to join is to get jolly good podcasts,

if I say so myself, at jolly good value. But if that's not enough, I'll give you another

reason. Your membership will support me doing the history of England which remains the

love of my life. So, sign up at the website, the history of England.co.uk and choose the

Become a Member option. Last time, I irritatingly rather left you hanging, with the French

fleet sighted in the eastern approaches of the Solent in July 1545. The Solent, for those

of you who do not know, is a stretch of water off the South Coast, running about 20 miles

between the mainland and the Isle of White. The origin of the name, the Solent itself,

is unknown, but it's old, old, old, old, very old. First written down, as far as we know,

in 731, but it is pre-English. It contains the Celtic Went element, that is the same as

the element in names such as Gwent. The Solent can be a tricky and dangerous stretch of water,

especially if nautical idiots like me, it'd be found on it. Fortunately, the last time I'd

been sighted on the Solent, I was in the hands, or at least, the reasonably competent,

...