Great Harry
Preserved but no longer current.
The name popularly given to the Henry Grace de Dieu, the first double- decked warship m the English navy. Built in 1512, and named after Henry VIII, she was a three-master of about 1,000 tons, carried 72 guns and sailed with a crew of 700 men. She was burned accidentally at Woolwich, in 1533.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Great Harry” mean?
The name popularly given to the Henry Grace de Dieu, the first double- decked warship m the English navy. Built in 1512, and named after Henry VIII, she was a three-master of about 1,000 tons, carried 72 guns and sailed with a crew of 700 men. She was burned accidentally at Woolwich, in 1533.
Is “Great Harry” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.