Chatham Dockyard, located on the River Medway in Kent, England, came into existence at the time when, following the Reformation, relations with the Catholic countries of Europe had worsened, and thus requiring added defences. 80 acres (324,000 m²) of the site now form a visitor attraction known as Chatham Historic Dockyard. The River Medway in England flows for 112 km from Turners Hill, in West Sussex, through Tonbridge, Maidstone and Rochester in Kent, to the River Thames at Sheerness. ... Kent is a county in England, south-east of London. ... Royal motto (French): Dieu et mon droit (Translated: God and my right) Englands location within the UK Official language English de facto Capital London de facto Largest city London Area - Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population - Total (mid-2004) - Density Ranked 1st UK 50. ... The Protestant Reformation was a movement which began in the 16th century as a series of attempts to reform the Roman Catholic Church, but ended in division and the establishment of new institutions, most importantly Lutheranism, Reformed churches, and Anabaptists. ... Chatham Historic Dockyard is a museum on part of the site of the former naval dockyard at Chatham in Kent, England. ...

Outline history

• The Treasurer of the Navy's accounts of the King's Exchequer for the year 1544 identifies Deptford as the Dockyard that carried out all the major repairs to the King's Ships that year. That was soon to change, although Deptford remained a dockyard for over three centuries.

• In 1547 Jillingham [Gillingham] water, as Chatham Dockyard was then known, is mentioned as second only in importance to Deptford; followed by Woolwich, Portsmouth and Harwich. In 1550 ships that were then lying off Portsmouth were ordered to be harboured in Jillingham Water, “by reason of its superior strategic location” .

• Chatham was established as a royal dockyard by Elizabeth I in 1567. She herself visited the yard in 1573. By the late 17th century it was the largest refitting dockyard, important during the Dutch wars.

• It was, however superseded first by Portsmouth, then Plymouth, when the main naval enemy became France, and the Western approaches the chief theatre of operations. In addition, the Medway had begun to silt up, making navigation more difficult.

• Chatham became a building yard rather than refitting base. In 1622 the dockyard moved from its original location (now the gun wharf to the south) to its present site. Among many other vessels HMS Victory was built here, launched in 1765.

• In the 1860s the yard had a large building programme and St Mary's basin was constructed for the steam navy.

• When the yards at Deptford and Woolwich closed in 1869, Chatham again became relatively important and remained so until 1983 when it closed.

• The site is now a museum, under the care of the Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust. The Trust has applied for the Dockyard to become a World Heritage Site.

A notable office in British government between the 16th and early 19th centuries, the Treasurer of the Navy was responsible for the financial maintenance of the Royal Navy. ... The Exchequer was that part of the government responsible for the management and collection of the royal revenues of the King of England. ... Events April 11 - Battle of Ceresole - French forces under the Comte dEnghien defeat Imperial forces under the Marques Del Vasto near Turin. ... Deptford is an area of the London Borough of Lewisham, on the south bank of the River Thames in south-east London. ... Events January 16 - Grand Duke Ivan IV of Muscovy becomes the first Tsar of Russia. ... Woolwich (pronounced Woolitch) is a town in south-east London, England in the London Borough of Greenwich, on the south side of the River Thames, though the tiny exclave of North Woolwich (which is now part of the London Borough of Newham) is on the north side of the river. ... This article is about the English city of Portsmouth. ... (This article is about the town in England. ... Elizabeth I Queen of England and Ireland Queen of France, nominal title Elizabeth I (September 7, 1533–March 24, 1603) was Queen of England and Queen of Ireland from November 17, 1558 until her death. ... Events The Duke of Alva arrives in the Netherlands with Spanish forces to suppress unrest there. ... Events January 1 - In the Gregorian calendar, January 1 is declared as the first day of the year, instead of March 25. ... This article is about the late 18th century ship of the line HMS Victory. ... World Heritage Site #86: Memphis and its Necropolis, including the Pyramids of Giza (Egypt). ...

Personalities

• Peter Pett, of the family of shipwrights whose history is so closely connected to the Chatham dockyard, was appointed first "Master Shipwright" for Chatham in about 1545.
• King James I used Chatham dockyard for a meeting in 1606 with Christian IV of Denmark.
• The Commissioner of Chatham Dockyard held a seat and a vote on the Navy Board in London. Among the Commissioners were:
  • Sir Edward Gregory, who was the last civilian to hold the office, and retired in 1703
  • Captain Charles Cunningham, retired 1829. His retirement led to the dockyard being placed temporarily under the inspection of Captain J M Lewes, Resident Commissioner at Sheerness.
  • Captain, (later Admiral), Sir Charles Bullen was the first Superintendent, being appointed in December 1831, and invested with the same power and authority as the former Commissioners, "except in matters requiring an Act of Parliament to be submitted by the Commissioner of the Navy".

The Pett Dynasty were a family of shipwrights who prospered in England from between the 15th and 17th centuries. ... Events February 27 - Battle of Ancrum Moor - Scots victory over superior English forces December 13 - Official opening of the Council of Trent (closed 1563) Battle of Kawagoe - between two branches of Uesugi families and the late Hojo clan in Japan. ... James VI Charles Stuart of Scots and James I of England and Ireland (Charles James) (19 June 1566–27 March 1625) was King of England, King of Scots, and King of Ireland. ... King Christian IV. Christian IV (April 12, 1577–February 28, 1648), king of Denmark and Norway, the son of Frederick II, king of Denmark and Norway, and Sophia of Mecklenburg, was born at Frederiksborg castle in 1577, and succeeded to the throne on the death of his father (April 4... For the international law of the sea, see Admiralty law. ... London is the capital city of the United Kingdom and of England. ... Events February 2 - Earthquake in Aquila, Italy February 4 - In Japan, the 47 samurai commit seppuku (ritual suicide) February 14 - Earthquake in Norcia, Italy April 21 - Company of Quenching of Fire (ie. ... Map sources for Sheerness at grid reference TQ919749 Sheerness is a town on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent, England. ... 1831 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ...

Descriptions

• William Camden (1551-1623) described Chatham dockyard as
  • stored for the finest fleet the sun ever beheld, and ready at a minute’s warning, built lately by our most gracious sovereign Elizabeth at great expense for the security of her subjects and the terror of her enemies, with a fort on the shore for its defence.
• From the will of Richard Holborne (1654), Shipwright, comes a description of the Dockyard area of Chatham :
  • It talks about his ould house...as it is now fenced with the brewing house and garden joyning it with the belle now standing...and the wharfe in the millponde...unto the fence of James Marsh...to have ingresse, egresse, and regresse through that way unto the waterside or water gate...and...the greate Gate Westward...and the...pumpe.
    • The Chatham Churchwardens’ accounts show that Richard, a cousin of Phineas Pett, was Churchwarden from 1634 to 1643. Further details under Peter Pett.
• Daniel Defoe visiting the yard in 1705, also spoke of its achievements with an almost incredulous enthusiasm:
  • So great is the order and application there, that a first-rate vessel of war of 106 guns, ordered to be commissioned by Sir Cloudesley Shovell, was ready in three days. At the time the order was given the vessel was entirely unrigged; yet the masts were raised, sails bent, anchors and cables on board, in that time.

William Camden William Camden (May 2, 1551 - November 9, 1623) was an English antiquarian and historian. ... Richard Hoborn was a shipbuilder of Kent during the 17th century. ... Phineas Pett (November 1, 1570 - August, 1647) was a shipwright and a member of the Pett dynasty. ... A Churchwarden is a lay official in an Anglican parish. ... Peter Pett, Master Shipwright, and 2nd Resident Commissioner Pett of Chatham Dockyard, the son of the Kings Master Shipwright Captain Phineas Pett is most commonly famous for the incident concerning the protection of his scale models and drawings of the King’s Fleet during the Dutch invasion of the... Daniel Defoe Daniel Defoe (1660 [?] â€“ 1731) was an English writer and journalist who gained enduring fame for his novel Robinson Crusoe. ... Events Construction begins on Blenheim Palace, in Oxfordshire, England. ... Sir Cloudesley Shovell c. ...

Defence of the dockyard

Upnor Castle

Dockyards have always required shore defences. Among the earliest for Chatham was Upnor Castle, built in 1567, on the opposite side of the River Medway. It was somewhat unfortunate that on the one occasion it was required for action in the Raid on the Medway, 1667, the Dutch fleet were able to sail right past it to attack the British fleet, to carry off the pride of the fleet the Royal Charles back to the Netherlands. Upnor is a small village on the western bank of the River Medway in England. ... Upnor is a small village on the western bank of the River Medway in England. ... Events The Duke of Alva arrives in the Netherlands with Spanish forces to suppress unrest there. ... The River Medway in England flows for 112 km from Turners Hill, in West Sussex, through Tonbridge, Maidstone and Rochester in Kent, to the River Thames at Sheerness. ... Dutch Attack on the Medway, June 1667 by Pieter Cornelisz van Soest, painted c. ... // Events January 20 - Poland cedes Kyiv, Smolensk, and eastern Ukraine to Russia in the Treaty of Andrusovo that put a final end to the Deluge, and Poland lost its status as a Central European power. ... The painting Dutch attack on the Medway, June 1667 by Pieter Cornelisz van Soest, painted c. ...

Chain defence

During the wars with Spain it was usual for ships to anchor at Chatham in reserve; consequently John Hawkins threw a massive chain across the River Medway for extra defence. Hawkin's chain was later replaced with a boom of masts, iron, cordage, and the hulls of two old ships, besides a couple of ruined pinnacles. This arrangement was again upgraded around 1645. John Hawkins You may be looking for Sir John Hawkins - the friend, attorney, executor and biographer of Dr. Samuel Johnson. ... // Events January 10 - Archbishop Laud executed on Tower Hill, London. ...

The Lines

With the failure of Upnor castle it was seen necessary to increase the defences. In the event, those defences were built in distinct phases, as the government saw the increasing threat of invasion. The building was as follows [complete details can be seen at the external link]:

• 1669 Gillingham and Cockham Wood forts built
• 1756 Chatham [or Cumberland] Lines built. This fortification, and its subsequent upgrading, were to concentrate on an overland attack, so that they were built to face the south. It included redoubts at Amherst and Townsend. The Lines enclosed the entire dockyard on its eastern side.
• 1805-1812 Amherst redoubt now Fort Amherst; new forts named Pitt and Clarence.
• 1860s Grain Fort, and other smaller batteries in that area
• 1870-1892 A number of forts built at a greater distance from the dockyard: Forts Bridgewood, Luton, Borstal, Horsted and Darland. These became known as the ‘’Great Lines’’. Forts Darnet and Hoo built on islands in the River Medway.

// Events Samuel Pepys stopped writing his diary. ... 1756 was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... 1805 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... 1812 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... This article is about the British fort. ... // Events and trends Technology The First Transcontinental Railroad in the United States is built in the six year period between 1863 and 1869. ... 1870 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... 1892 was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ...

Growth of the dockyard

The growing importance of the dockyard was illustrated between 1619-20 with the addition of two new mast ponds, and the granting of additional land on which a dock, storehouse, and various brick and lime kilns were planned. Events May 13 - Dutch statesman Johan van Oldenbarnevelt is executed in The Hague after having been accused of treason. ...

The renewed outbreak of war with Spain demonstrated the need for such readiness, and in 1710 land was ordered to be bought to improve the dockyard. // Events April 10 - The worlds first copyright legislation became effective, Britains Statute of Anne Ongoing events Great Northern War (1700-1721) War of the Spanish Succession (1702-1713) Births January 3 - Richard Gridley, American Revolutionary soldier (d. ...

By the year 1770 the establishment had so expanded that, including the gun wharf, it stretched a mile (1.6 km) in length, and included an area of in excess of 95 acres (384,000 m²), possessing four slip ways and four large docks. 1770 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ...

The officers and men employed in the yard also increased, and by 1798 they numbered 1664, including 49 officers and clerks and 624 shipwrights. Additionally required were the blockmakers, caulkers, pitch-heaters, blacksmiths, joiners and carpenters, sail makers, riggers, and ropemakers (274), as well as bricklayers, labourers and others. 1798 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Shipbuilding is the construction of ships. ... Blacksmith Blacksmith at work Blacksmith at work Blacksmiths fire Hot metal work from a blacksmith A blacksmith is an artisan specializing in the hand-wrought manufacture of ferrous (iron) metal objects, such as wrought iron gates, grills, railings, light fixtures, furniture, sculpture, weapons, decorative and religious items, cooking utensils... Joinery is the part of woodworking that involves the joining together of parts of wood. ... A carpenter is a skilled craftsman who performs carpentry -- a wide range of woodworking that includes constructing buildings, furniture, and other objects out of wood. ... In a canoe or bangca, an outrigger is a thin, long, solid, hull used to stabilise an inherently unstable main hull. ... Rope is also the title of a movie by Alfred Hitchcock Coils of rope used for long-line fishing A rope is a length of fibers, twisted or braided together to improve strength, for pulling and connecting. ... Masonry is the building of structures from individual units laid in and bound together by mortar. ...

When the Dockyard closed in 1984 its final task had been that of refitting nuclear submarines. HMS Hermione was the last ship launched from there. This page is about the year 1984. ... The word nuclear means of or belonging to the nucleus of something. ... Royal Navy Vanguard class submarine A submarine is a specialized watercraft that can operate underwater. ...

The dockyard covered 400 acres (1.6 km²). After closure this was divided into three sections. The easternmost basin was handed over to the Medway Ports Authority and is now a commercial port. Another slice was converted into a mixed commercial, residential and leisure development. 80 acres (324,000 m²), comprising the 18th century core of the site, was transferred to a charity called the Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust and is now open as a visitor attraction.

See also

Chatham Historic Dockyard Chatham Historic Dockyard is a museum on part of the site of the former naval dockyard at Chatham in Kent, England. ...

External links

• The Chatham forts
• The Historic Dockyard Trust