English ship White Bear (1563)

White Bear^{[Note 1]} was a 40-gun ship of the English Tudor navy, launched in 1563. She was repaired in 1585–86 at Woolwich, and recommissioned under Lord Howard of Effingham. In 1588 she took part in the actions against the Spanish Armada, under the command of Lord Edmund Sheffield. She was rebuilt in 1599 as a 57-gun royal ship.^[1]

History
England
Name	White Bear
Builder	Woolwich Dockyard
Launched	1563
Fate	Sold, 1629
General characteristics as built
Tons burthen	729 tons
General characteristics after 1598-1599 rebuild[1]
Class & type	57-gun royal ship
Tons burthen	732 tons
Length	110 ft (34 m) (keel)
Beam	37 ft (11 m)
Depth of hold	18 ft (5.5 m)
Sail plan	Full-rigged ship
Complement	500
Armament	57 guns of various weights of shot (1603) - all brass, comprising 2 cannon periers, 6 demi-cannon, 21 culverins, 16 demi-culverins and 12 sakers

The White Bear remained in service until 1627, when she was deemed unserviceable, and was sold out of the navy at Rochester on 12 June 1629.

The timbers from the White Bear were used to rebuild a burned-down alehouse on the Old Packhorse track running between Halifax and Leeds (now known as The Old White Beare in the village of Norwood Green near Halifax).^[2]

There is also another pub called "the White Bear" in Bedale (North Yorkshire), which is named after the vessel.^[3] The pub sign is adorned with a ship.^[4]

Notes

1. The "HMS" prefix was not used until the middle of the 18th century, but is sometimes applied retrospectively