Source Information for Chart 4

Below is a non-exhaustive list of the documents consulted in the production of this chart. It provides an advisory guide of relevant sources that, when combined, account for the growth and decline of the English and French fleets. For some years, namely the earliest years of this study, and during the late sixteenth century in France, the data presented is produced by estimates and is supported by statistical trends and manuscripts that account for a small part of the navy's whole.

Most oared vessels had only one deck and, therefore, did not have their tonnage recorded because of reduced capacity to store tuns of cargo. Tunnage typically applied to sailing craft, not oared. For consistency, all vessels that were primarily propelled by oar have been separated in this chart from other sailing craft.

Small vessels such as pinnaces, flutes, shallops and brûlots have not been included in the following charts when they are not typically referred to as part of the squadrons, but instead as an auxiliary to them. Their primary purposes were to transport troops and provisions, and to accompany the larger carracks and galleons. The majority were not armed with multiple heavy cannons because they were not designed to be so. The exceptions to this rule are galliots. These vessels were small-armed galleys and they are included when they are mentioned in source. Another reason for their inclusion is that it is only fair, bearing in mind that the lesser rowbarges of England for 1545 are also integrated because they were recorded in naval inventories of the time. Where there is evidence that these vessels were armed, and so could be used for purposes other than just to transport goods, they have been included.

The strength of both fleets for the years 1640 to 1650 is covered in chapter six.