AccordingtoWheeler，attheaccessionoftheQueen，therewerenotmorethanfourshipsbelongingtotheriverThames，exceptingthoseoftheRoyalNavy，whichwereover120tonsinburthen；[12]
andafterfortyyears，thewholeofthemerchantshipsofEngland，over100tons，amountedto135；onlyafewofthesebeingof500tons。In1588，thenumberhadincreasedto150，“ofabout150tonsonewithanother，employedintradingvoyagestoallpartsandcountries。“TheprincipalshippingwhichfrequentedtheEnglishportsstillcontinuedtobeforeign——Italian，Flemish，andGerman。
Liverpool，nowpossessingthelargestshippingtonnageintheworld，hadnotyetcomeintoexistence。Itwaslittlebetterthanafishingvillage。ThepeopleoftheplacepresentedapetitiontotheQueen，prayinghertoremitasubsidywhichhadbeenimposeduponthem，andspeakingoftheirnativeplaceas“HerMajesty’spoordecayedtownofLiverpool。“In1565，sevenyearsafterQueenElizabethbegantoreign，thenumberofvesselsbelongingtoLiverpoolwasonlytwelve。Thelargestwasoffortytonsburthen，withtwelvemen；andthesmallestwasaboatofsixtons，withthreemen。[13]
JamesI。，onhisaccessiontothethroneofEnglandin1603，calledinalltheshipsofwar，aswellasthenumerousprivateerswhichhadbeenemployedduringthepreviousreigninwagingwaragainstthecommerceofSpain，anddeclaredhimselftobeatpeacewithalltheworld。JameswasaspeacefulasaQuaker。HewasnotafightingKing；-and，partlyonthisaccount，hewasnotpopular。Heencouragedmanufacturesinwool，silk，andtapestry。HegaveeveryencouragementtothemercantileandcolonizingadventurerstoplantandimprovetherisingsettlementsofVirginia，NewEngland，andNewfoundland。
HealsopromotedthetradetotheEastIndies。Attemptscontinuedtobemade，byHudson，Poole，Button，Hall，Baffin，andothercourageousseamen，todiscovertheNorth-Westpassage，butalwayswithouteffect。