Chronicles of Blackwall Yard

^^^VlBEDi^,^ %»*i?'

^^

PART University of Calil Southern Regioi Library Facility^

•

1

£x C. K.

Libris

OGDEN

^î^-^-i^^

^

/

^

/st^

THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES

,

CHRONICLES OF

BLACK WALL YARD PART

I.

BY

HENRY GREEN

"

Nos

and

ROBERT WIGRAM.

....

nee

gravem

Pelidcc stomaclium, cedere nescii.

Nee ciirsus diiplicU per mare Nee sava»i Pelopis domiim Coiiannir, teniies grandia ;

.

U/ixei,

.

Hor., Lib.

"

.

I..

Car. IV.

PUBLISHED BY WHITEHEAD, MORRIS AND LOWE. lS8l.

2>0l

@^ronicIc6 of 'îackxxxxii âr6.

AT

the time

when our

and Blackwall,

to sketch

situated,

is

Mile End, included

in

which the dockyard whose history we propose

was,

in

Chronicles commence, the Hamlet of Poplar

together with

The Manor

the hundred of Ossulston. 1067.

the Survey of

Doomsday

to

1299. Lyson's Environs^

p. 678.

Stows P-

^48

per

Stebunhethe

Stepney, is

annum!

It

is

local

II.

in

there described as of large extent,

Marsh, but now the

Isle of

forms between Ratcliffe and Blackwall.

1307-

stated

in

In the year 1299 a Parliament was held

Dogs, was some years after

records

breaches

in

to the

them.

is

embankments

of

the

frequent

Continual reference this

marsh, and

to

In an inquisition taken in the reign of

this

Thames made in

described as a tract of land lying within the curve which the

319-

Edward

of

and

Ratclifie

now

by King Edward I., at Stebunhethe, in the house of Henry Walleis, Mayor of London, when that monarch confirmed the charter of liberties. Stebunhethe Marsh adjoining to Blackwall, which was subsequently called the South

Annals.

at

Hamlets of

have been parcel of the ancient demesnes

of the Bishopric of London.

and valued

the

the old Parish of Stebunhethe,

Edward

II.

embankments of Stebunhethe Marsh, it is stated that a former Lord of the Manor had recovered 100 acres of land from the river " by making of banks and ditches, which, when neglected to be repaired were liable to be overflown ;" that the same lord afterwards granted 42^ acres of this land in parcels to his freemen, and the residue to his bondmen, each person being required to repair the banks It appears that the freemen had done what was upon his own land. requisite on their parts, but that the bondmen had suffered the banks upon their lands to go to decay, in consequence of which they and the Bishop of London (as Lord of the Manor) were by the Sheriff of the County required to repair them, which was done accordingly. relating to the repairs of the

1371^23

Chronicles of Blackwall Yard.

Soon

1324'

afterwards, in the year 1324, a great flood happened, which

caused a breach upon

land

the

one of the

of

Bishop's

near

tenants

Shadwell,

when

should

only on the landowner where the breach happened, or whether

fall

a

question arose

whether the expense of

Manor should be

the other proprietors of marsh land within the to join

in

determined "

in

The

bearing the expense. in

matter came to a

favour cf the Bishop's tenant, as

this

may be

Dugdale on Draining and Embanking," where

repair

obliged

and was

trial

seen more at large

an account of several

is

commissions for viewing and repairing the banks of Stebunhethe Marsh.

Marsh stood an ancient chapel called the Chapel of St. Mary Stepney Marsh. It is mentioned by that name in a will of the 15th In this

in

The

century. that the it

object of

Marsh could

at

foundation does not appear.

its

that time

It is

not likely

have had many inhabitants.

Perhaps

was a hermitage founded by some devout person

saying masses for the souls of mariners.

converted

In 1821 this Chapel had been

neat farm-house, standing upon

a

into

for the purpose of

same foundation,

the

and was then the only dwelling place upon the Marsh.

It

described

is

as exhibiting no remains of antiquity, except in the lower parts of the

walls which are built of small stones and

removed about the year 135

1

citizen

Edward

John de Pulteney, an eminent of London, who had been four times Lord Mayor, and was founder

of Pulteney College, died seized

This still

Gothic window was

790.

In the 24th year of

1.

A

flints.

.Sir

John de Pulteney

existing

in

is

Coldharbour

III., Sir

Manor

of the

of Popeler (now Poplar).

said to have lived in a quaint old house, at

known "Artichoke" Tavern.

Blackwall, nearly opposite to the well-

same house it is also said that the celebrated discoverer Sebastian Cabot lived some years afterwards, when he

is

Pert,

In this

described as having been

in " strict

Vice-Admiral of England,

correspondence with Sir

who had

a house at Popeler, and promised

Sebastian Cabot a good ship of the King's in order to

same house a few years tenant than the great Sir Walter Raleigh. Tradition, further assigns the

The

1377. in

first

mention of Blackwall

an old record of 1377, when

embanking the 1396.

distinct

river

Thames

J.

is,

we

make

discoveries."

later to

no

less

a

are told, to be found

Milend and others obtained a contract

for

at Blackwall.

In the year 1396, the reversion of the after the

Thomas

Manor

of Popeler

was granted

death of Margaret, wife of Sir John Devereux, by William de

Wickham, Bishop

of Winchester, Sir

Aubrey de Vere and others

to

the


Abbey

Mary de

of St.

Graces, near the

By King

Charles

I,

it

of London.

After the

Manor remained long vested in the Crown, on Charles I. when Prince of Wales.

dissolution of monasteries, this

and was among the Manors

Tower

settled

year of his reign, granted to

was, in the fourth

whom

was afterwards sold to Sir John Jacob. In 1558 it was conveyed by Bridget Gardye to Sir Francis Jopson, in 1583 by John Hampson to Thomas Fanshaw, by the London, by

certain persons, trustees for the city of

latter

1588 to

in

Edward

Wyllams, who obtained a fresh grant of Robert Hooker.

we

now,

It

1620

In

Elliott.

it

believe, the sole property of

was the property of John

it

year

in that

many

has since passed through

it

1637 he sold

it

to

private hands, and

is

in

;

James Humphries, Esq.

Manor descend according to the custom of gavel-kind. The Manor House of Poplar has long been held separately from Lands

demesne

in this

;

it

was formerly possessed and occupied by

the

Sir Gilbert and Sir

William Dethick, successively Garter King-at-arms, and

it

was

still

the

in

possession of the Dethick family in 1709.

The

house, an ancient

side of the present East India state,

it

was

partially re-built

wooden

was situated on the south

building,

Dock Road, by Mrs.

but being

Wade

in

18 10,

in

a very dilapidated

and

is

now

the

in

occupation of Dr. F. M. Corner. ^5^5-

King Henry VIII., who virtually and who established the Navy Office

In the sixth year of the reign of

was the founder of the English navy, and the Royal Dockyards the following record from following

— "There year:

Controller of

all

at Deptford,

November

Woolwich, and Chatham, we

find

2nd, 1515, to the 20th of April in the

was paid by John Hopton, then being Clerk the King's Royal ships, &c., the cost of bringing the

'Mary George' from Blackwall George' being of portage 250

to

Barking,

17

— 300 tons lyeth

shillings.

The 'Mary

upon the south side of the

also she Dogs, and must be caulked within the board and without in Levant. The been hath she because must be searched for worm holes, Mary and John,' from Blackwall to Limehouse, 8 shillings." Isle of

;

'

1587.

We

now come

to the first

mention of the scene of these Chronicles, which

occurs in the twenty-ninth year of the reign of

Queen Elizabeth

— that

—

is,

in

the year preceding the arrival of the Spanish Armada when Henry, the third Lord Wentworth leased on November ist for five hundred years to Roger

A

1

Chronicles of Blackivall Yard.

Richardson " a parcel of ground called Blackwall, extending from Poplar to the landing-place there, in length

by estimation four hundred

and

yards,

a parcel of waste ground, extending from the said landing place to a sluice

towards the south-west,

The above term was

&c.

Andrews, and

Andrews (See

title

deeds.)

is

length six hundred and fourteen yards," &c.,

in

it

Roger Richardson

assigned by

to Nicholas

must have been during the tenure of either Richardson or

that one of them, or possibly the

supposed to have been

in

first

East India Company, which

occupation of this property a few years later,

commenced to lay out Blackwall Yard. At this time the greatest anxiety was experienced throughout

the

country with regard to the threatened invasion of the so-called " Invincible

Armada," and among the various preparations that were made to check its progress, the following order was issued for the protection of the River Charmck.

Thames

:

—

The manner how

"

the River of

" First

I.

thereabout

is

a pinnace to

Victory

that

to

'

lie

Gravesend

and

that

thereabout

the best place

in

the discovery of any galley,

between the two

be taken

order

upon

Hope, or

at Tilbury

lie

to give the alarm to the forts

and shoot her ordnance '

of Sir

appointed to the charge of that service.

this pinnace,

;

be kept assured

shall

by the care and good regard

against any attempts of the galleys,

Henry Palmer, who

Thames

forts of

certain

the

of

may be

alarm, to go with their furniture, in

all

and

shall

weigh

'\''ictory.'

The

Gravesend and Tilbury, and inhabitants

and

selected

of

town

the

upon

appointed

possible speed, aboard the

'

of the

Victory'

;

and that the barges and boats of the said town may set them on board Upon which alarm, and certain view the ship, albeit it be in the night. of the galleys, the said ships and forts are to shoot off their ordnance

give the alarm there to receive to

to the

the

'

Lyon.'

alarm

The

from the

'

'

Lyon

to ride about Greenhithe,

'

Victory

and

'

and

forts,

and thereupon

send away up to the Court the row barge, with some discreet person to

advertise,

and also

that they

may

In

ic88.

to give the

alarm to those ships that ride at Blackwall,

prepare."

1588, a plan,

now

in

the British

Museum,

entitled

"

Thamesis

by Robert Adams, surveyor of the buildings to Queen Eliza" On a small parchment roll, drawn with a pen, was published. showing lines across the river to mark how far and from whence cannon-

descriptio,"

beth,

balls

to

may

obstruct the passage of any ship on an invasion, from Tilbury

London, with proper distances marked

for placing the guns."

This

plan shows also a barrier, or stockade, across the river at Blackwall, but

^

•'

I

>s«s=5^=>s^

S)

;^'HAMES1S DESCRIPTION^' V^^V AlUlO 1,588

'iiji!Jr//

I'/y 7

(";

\^j,

-Koberto .Vlamo authore.

''

-:-°^

\:j?\.\

"^^'*\

fi

L ^

*^

l.^S^,.A?)

Ilu'^--

r i


it

is

considered doubtful whether this was ever really carried out, although

certain large

covered

many

graving-dock 1589.

really ful

piles

running apparently across the

years afterwards,

The

was constructed. and the

Drake had by

force collected

dis-

new

Armada, and the

it

success-

time aroused the energies

this

amounted

to resist the invasion

to

aggregate burden of nearly

descriptions, of the

197 vessels of various

of a

appear to support the idea that

fear of the Spanish

enterprise of Sir Francis

which were

foundations

laying the

Blackwall Yard, would

in

of the country,

when

river,

30,000 tons.

At

]6oo.

the beginning of the year 1600, the mercantile navy of England

most of the commerce being carried on in The incitement offered by the advantageous trade in foreign bottoms. which the Dutch had long engaged to India, at length, however, moved the

was reduced

nation,

to a

very low

state,

and on the 31st December

of several great

in this year, Elizabeth, at the solicitation

men and eminent

merchants, granted to them an exclusive

commerce

charter for fifteen years for the establishing of a

to

the East

thereby constituting them a body corporate, by the style of the Governor and Company of the Merchants of London trading to the East Indies,

This Company

Format'wn of

Indies.

First

India Company."

East India Company.

in raising

as the " First English East

commonly known

is

In consequence of this charter the

Company

lost

no time

a Joint Stock for promoting their design of carrying their project

immediately into execution,

in

which they were so successful as soon

themselves masters of ^72,000 (no small

sum

at that time)

determined to commence their trade, and gave beginning to

to find

with this they

;

it

by

fitting

out

Moluccas and Java, of which Dragon of 600 tons was admiral, the " Hector " of 300 squadron the tons was vice-admiral, the " Susannah " and " Ascension " of 200 tons each, and the " Guest," a store-ship of 130 tons burthen; the whole complement of five able ships for the

men was

voyage

to the

420, the expense of equipping

;^2 7,000 of their cash

1603.

first

"

"

was expended

them

in the

;^45,ooo, and the remaining

purchase of cargoes.

They sailed

from Torbay 2nd of May, 1601. The formation of this East India Company was soon followed by the building at Woolwich, in 1603, of the largest ship that had yet been constructed for the purposes of commerce, at least in

England

;

King James

I.,

in whom the Company found a powerful protector, dined on board of her, and gave her the name of the " Trades Increase " she is reported to have been of twelve hundred tons burthen. The king also named a pinnace of ;

two hundred and

fifty tons,

that

was

built at the

same

time, the " Pepper-

;

Chronicles of Blackball Yayd.

The impetus once having been

corn."

King James an important 1604.

In

East

1604 the

squadron of four 1605.

was

felt

British merchants.

Company fitted out and despatched a second under the command of Sir Henry Middleton, for

India

ships,

And

in the following year, the

throughout the country

building was further

growing

interest

matters connected with ship

in all

marked by the formation of the Shipwrights' Company.

In 1607 th^ East India

1607.

owned by

mercantile navy was

the Moluccas and Java. that

given, before the end of the reign of

Company undertook a

third expedition to the

East with three ships only, which they successfully performed, especially the Moluccas, and, though their treatment by the

yet

Downs May

remarkable instance of Providence that

home they had In 1610

16 10.

warre," built

we

at

Woolwich

teen hundred tons.

—

of great ordnance, and

double

is

England

;

and

unto his son, Henry Prince of Wales.

Queen, the

Prince of Wales, the

many

Elizabeth, with

called

it

the Prince

the

'

came

in

the

2.

and

Prince

Pett,

The

is

most sump-

of curious

carving,

and goodliest

Woolwich

it

named

it

to see

it

launcht

could not then be launcht.

by three after his

o'clock,

own

and

then,

dignity,

and

great workmaster in building this ship

gentleman, some time Master of Arts of

Emmanuel Navy

Cambridge," who continued Principal Engineer of the

during the reign of Charles 1

manner

the next morning

Royal Prince.'

was Mr. Phineas College,

built,

The 24th of SejJtcmber the King, Duke of York, and the Lady

because of the narrowness of the dock,

Whereupon

of the burden of four-

glorious ship the king gave

this

great lords, went unto

at the launching thereof,

16

all

is

rich gilding, being in all respects the greatest in

for

"

This Royal ship

ship that ever was built

but,

most goodly ship

The keel whereof was one hundred and cross beam was forty-four feet in length, she

:

tuously adorned, within and without, with

and

1610, "with

whole voyage out and

find the following description of " a

will carry sixty-four pieces

painting,

in this

loth,

not lost a single man."

fourteen feet long, and the

the

indifferent,

they could not hinder these ships from procuring a valuable cargo

of spice, which they brought safely to the this

Dutch was very

in

II.

May, 161 2, the Shipwrights' Company before alluded to was formally incorporated by a charter granted " to the Master, Wardens and Commonalty of the Art or Mystery of Shipwrights," the above-mentioned Mr. Phineas Pett being appointed the first Master. In

It

may

here be stated that the family of the Petts had held the ofiice

of architects to the Royal

Navy

for

two hundred years, and were the great

Chronicles of Blackioall Yard.

instruments

the improvement of our ships of war.

in

They modernized

them by divesting all their vessels of a great deal of the cumbrous top hamper entailed on them from the castellated defences which had been necessary in, and which yet remained from, the hand-to-hand encounter of the middle ages and it is probable that but for the taste for gorgeous ;

decorations which prevailed during the seventeenth century this ingenious

family would have been able to effect

much more. As

it

was, they decidedly

rendered England pre-eminently the school for naval architecture during the time they constructed

The

its fleets.

1612

year

a most

is

and important date

interesting

Chronicles of Blackwall Yard, or of the East India Yard, as called, for in this

year the Dwelling

House and

it

the

in

was then

probably the

Offices, with

dry docks, storehouses, and other buildings were completed, a tablet on the

above the gateway bore this date, while on the outside wall were placed the arms of the first East India Company. These arms heraldically inside wall

Azure three ships of three masts, rigged and under full pennants, and ensigns argent, each charged with a cross gules,

described are the

sail,

on

sails,

a chief

:

of the second, two roses gules seeded on barbed

out a frame bound with the zodiac in bend flotant argent,

each charged

these words

" :

Motto: It

Deus "

or,

nil

rest.

Crest

:

:

between two

and

first

two sea

all

a sphere withsplit

Over

with a cross gules.

Supporters

ducente

may be doubly

The The

in chief

indicat."

Deo

lions

pennons,

the sphere

or,

the

tails

nocet."

interesting in these Chronicles to mention that in

year the East India

this

the

In the second and third a lion passant quadrant

fourth a fleur-de-lys.

proper.

On

of the second a pale quarterly azure and gules.

The

Company

dispatched three vessels to the Indies,

The Thomas." was intended for a trading voyage, but through the treachery of the Dutch she did not return till nearly four years afterwards. May it not fairly be assumed that the well-known " Globe " Tavern adjoining to the yard, and apparently of about the same date was named viz.

"

:

Globe," "

Globe

"

Hector," and

"

after this long looked-for vessel

?

In this year the East India

1614. Gift,"

"

of 650 tons, the

"

Company

Hector," of 500 tons, the

of 300 tons, and the " Solomon," of 200 tons. not 16 1

5.

improbably have been

dockyard at Blackwall. state of the

dispatched the

built

In the

and

fitted

following

Some

"

New

Year's

Merchant's Hope,"

of these ships would

out in the

year,

"

Company's new

however, the depressed

merchant shipping interest of England had again reached

— :

8

of Blackiuall Yard.

Cliyonicles

Lindsay's

so low an ebb, that there were only ten ships belonging to the port of

History of

London

Merchant Shipping.

1616.

more than two hundred tons burthen. The work of up the new East India Yard at Blackwall was evidently not yet of

completed, for the dockyard bell "

God

my good

be

3 cwt.

I

3 cwt.

o

27

qr.

hundred and at top

I

ft,

I

lbs.,

fifty in.,

to William

162

30th,

Jeffery shillings

height

:

weight

weigh only

8 lbs. weight in

this,

is

to

its

i

ft.

6

in.,

two

breadth

in.

yard was leased by Nicholas Andrews

at a

peppercorn

for

And

rent.

on January

463 and sixpence payable (Isle of

Thomas Westrow

Smith, Robert Johnson,

from Lady-Day, 1620, at the rent of

years,

at

is

Dogs),

Michaelmas.

mention of a great breach made

when

the whole level,

it

is

appears by extracts from the Court books of the

in

the

stated,

was

Honourable

East India Company, that before the year 1632 the well-known Almshouses at Poplar, for invalided Petty Officers of the

1637-

and

;

to danger.

It

1632.

Thomas

to Sir

Kirby

South Marsh Wall exposed

6

464 years

In the year 1629 there

1629.

according to

size of this bell

initials

was found

it

William Burrell leased the same premises (reserving a certain

way)

right of

and two

ft.

i

1865

in

31st, 1620, the

Burrell for

1,

The

bottom

at

together with two

lost,

quite

bears the date of 16 16, with a motto

still

weighed

having

years.

On December

1620.

1621.

speed,"

When

qr. 7 lbs.

fitting

Navy Seas,"

Company's ships had been

In the year 1637, King Charles II. added to the Royal

already founded.

the largest vessel yet constructed, this was the

or

"

Sovereigne of the

"Royal Sovereign," a three-decked ship of nearly 150 guns

designed and built at Woolwich Yard by Captain Phineas Pett, one of the principal officers of the

Navy, shortly afterwards referred

to as Sir Phineas

and Mr. Peter Pett his son, who was the master builder, and had made the model of this ship before he was twenty-five years of age. Of this Pett,

young man a contemporary

writer says

bosome, and not only injoyned him

:

"

Pallas herselfe flew into his

to the undertaking, but inspired

him

in

manageing of so exquisite and absolute an architecture." This famous ship is said to have been in length, by the keel, one hundred and tlie

twenty-eight feet

;

in breadth, forty -eight feet

;

of the beak-head to the after-end of the stern, feet

;

and

from the fore-end

two hundred and

thirt)'-two

from the bottom of her keel to the top of her lanthorn, she bore five lanthorns, the biggest of which would hold

in height,

seventy-six feet ten

in length,

;

persons upright

;

she

had three

quarter-deck, and round-house.

flush-decks,

Her lower

tier

a

had

forecastle,

half-deck,

thirty ports

;

middle


tier,

thirty ports

;

third tier, twenty-six ports

deck, fourteen ports

;

forecastle,

;

twelve ports

;

ten

half

more within board besides right-aft and many loop-holes in

thirteen or fourteen ports

ten pieces of chace-ordnance forward

;

;

;

She had eleven anchors, one of four thousand hundred pounds weight. She was of the burthen of one thousand six

the cabins for musket-shot. four

hundred and thirty-seven

No

tons.

Yard is obtainable until Henry Johnson, whose name was for so many years pre-eminently associated with Blackwall. This Henry Johnson may have been connected with the Robert Johnson who leased the dockyard with Sir Thomas Smith, Thomas Westrow, and Jeffrey Kirby, in 162 1, but of this we have no certain information. He was the eldest son of Francis Johnson, Esq., of Aldborough, in the county of Suffolk, and of Mary his

we come

wife,

Sir

further special record of the East India

to the time of

daughter of Peter

Thomas

Pett, of

In the year 1639

1639.

si.xteen to his cousin Sir

and

it

Deptford,

county of Kent, brother of

in the

Pett, knight.

Henry Johnson was apprenticed

age of

at the

Phineas Pett, the well-known master shipbuilder,

was probably upon the famous

"

Sovereigne of the Seas " already

mentioned that young Henry Johnson learned

his first lessons in the art of

ship-building.

In the year 1642 the inhabitants of Poplar and Blackwall renewed

1642.

a request they had formerly

ground

made

to the

East India Company

for a piece of

and a house for the minister. It was then Court that the ground behind the almshouses already

to build a chapel on,

resolved by the

spoken of should be granted belonging to the

for that

Company, which

purpose

;

and that sixty loads of stones

lay there, should

be given

for the

purpose

of laying the foundation.

1648.

Ox December and

13th,

1648,

now completed

having

Henry Johnson, his

at

apprenticeship,

daughter and heiress of William Lord, of Milton, Esq.

;

the

age of twenty-four

married in the

Dorothy,

County of Kent,

time of her marriage, Dorothy Lord was only fifteen and a

at the

From Charnock's " Marine Architecture," we learn that in year, 1649, Henry Johnson, then of Deptford, where he doubt-

half years old.

1649.

the following

the

B


lo

had been led through the influence of

less

launched the

"

"

Assurance

his

cousin, Sir

I'hineas

I'ett,

"

of 44 guns and 478 tons, and the "Assistance

of 42 guns and 555 tons.

The "Assurance" was

once commissioned and formed part of the

at

sent to reinforce Admiral Blake then cruising off Lisbon, his special

rteet

down

object being to hunt

now

Rupert, who, the Royal

Prince

cause being

desperate on shore, was carrying on a guerilla, not to say piratical, warfare

own account, and seizing any British ships he came across. This known page of history is interesting, but to pursue it now would carry us too far from our subject. The " Assistance " took her full share in the action oft Portland in 1653, when she was taken and retaken in the course on his

little

of the day.

Engagements such

panel paintings

in

generally

sinking to

seen

as these are doubtless represented in the

the house in Blackwall Yard,

George's

St.

mentioned many years afterwards "

one of the old shipps It

may be

been experienced quently for

many

built in the

flag

The " Assurance " on the Navy dated 1703,

a report

is is

as

Parliament time."

well to mention here the great difficulty which has naturally in

obtaining reliable information as to the vessels built at

remote period.

this

in

where the Dutch

Cross.

The

years

all

records obtainable are most imperfect, and records have been

fre-

lost.

Returning now once more to Blackwall, we find by the Parliamentary 1650.

survey for

in

which a grant of land had been made

The

Company's Chapel,

1650, that the foundations of the East India

subscription for building this chapel

in

1642, were

by

laid.

was begun by Gilbert Dethick, Esq.,

The whole expense was above

with a benefaction of ^100.

time

this

and

/^2,ooo,

1652.

Henry Johnson, whose arms were placed on the front of the gallery, was among the chief contributors. In 1652, upon another petition of the inhabitants, the East India Company voted the sum of ;^200 towards

'653.

completing the work; and

Sir

in

second general voyage, on a 1654.

like petition,

chapel was opened for service

"the adventurers contributed another ^50."

the following year

in

1654,

the

in

The

when Thomas Walton was appointed

chaplain by William Greenhill, vicar of Stepney.

In the year 1653, Charnock 62 guns and 732 tons, was built by evident therefore that 1654.

built

learn that

Henry Johnson,

of Blackwall

it

is

Henry Johnson must have migrated from Deptford

to

Blackwall since the year 1649.

was

records that the " Dreadnought," of

In 1654, the "York," of 62 guns and 749 tons,

by Henry Johnson, and from an old record of some years *'

Many

line of

;

batde ships had been

built in Blackwall

later,

we

Yard from

1


We

the year 1654."

Johnson

may suppose

Henry

therefore that the arrival of

had infused a fresh

at Blackwall

1

into the building operations of

life

the establishment.

From

'^56-

neighbourhood. appearing 1660.

thg year

we learn that Henry Johnson was good deal in the welfare and improvement of the was very active in the affairs of the hamlet, his name

parish records of this date

interesting himself a

He

the minutes of nearly every meeting of the inhabitants from

in

1656, until the time of his death.

'661.

he served the

office of

churchwarden

On

166 1.

in

note

—

Wet

"

We

is

Hence to the

makes the following

made there, and a brave new merchantman, be launcht shortly and they say to be called the Royal Oake.' we walked to Dick Shoare,' [now called Duke Shore], and thence nearly

is

to

'

'

'

Toure,' and so home." In April of this year,

Marsh

we

in

the

is

probably the breach shown

wall

find an

in

"

January

Gascoyne's map, which was afterwards

in

16th,

Evelyn

1662,

accompanied the Duke of York

Blackwall, where

to

we had entertainment

spirituous drinks, as punch, &c., they to

and brought from the

On September

1665.

This

West

India

1867.

On

1662.

made

account of another breach

of Dogs) which cost ^16,000 to restore.

(Isle

enlarged into the City Canal, and eventually became the South

Dock

and

took barge and went to Blackwall, and viewed the Docke, [the

Dock], which

which

in 1647,

is

January 15th, 1661, the

celebrated Samuel Pepys, secretary to the Admiralty, :

name

In April, 1660, his

mentioned as a member of the Commission of Sewers, formed

account of a second

22nd,

observable what Johnson

Diary,

his

in

that

he

an East India Vessel that lay at of several curiosities.

gave us Canary

that

Amongst other

had been carried

which was indeed incomparably good."

Indies,

visit to

relates

1665,

Samuel

tells

us, that in

Pepys

He

Blackwall Yard.

says "

gives

following

the

At Blackwall

there

is

digging the late Docke, they did,

twelve feet under ground find perfect trees overcovered with earth, nut trees, with the branches and the very nuts upon them some of whose nuts he shewed ;

us, their shells

black with age, and their kernell, upon opening, decayed, but

their shell perfectly

hard as ever

was taken up whole about

it)

;

and a yew

visit to

(upon which the very ivy

which upon cutting with an addes, we found to

be rather harder than the living tree usually In this

tree,

is."

same year when the plague was

the neighbourhood, which he

Plague," and an extract from which

at its height,

Defoe paid a

describes in his " History of the

we venture here

to give at length.

B

I

Great

2


1

Much

"

Bow,

about the same time,

had a great mind and among the ships and as for

to

shipping,

in

had been one of the best ways of securing one's

it

have

point,

and musing how to

retired into a ship,

turned away over the fields from

I

self

Bow

to

I

the river,

in

had a notion

from the infection

my

satisfy

towards

fields

managed

things were

had some concern

I

;

that

how

to see

I

walked out into the

I

curiosity in that

Bromley and down

to

Blackwall, to the stairs that are there for landing or taking water.

saw a poor man walking on the bank or sea-wall as they at it, by himself, I walked awhile also about, seeing the houses all shut up First, I asked I fell into some talk at a distance with this poor man. "

call last

Here

;

how people sick

I

did thereabouts

Alas

?

here are very few families

:

says he, almost desolate,

Sir,

!

all

dead or

that village, pointing at

part, or in

this

in

them are not dead already, and the rest sick. Then one house, they are all dead, said he, and the house stands

Poplar, where half of he, pointing to

open, nobody dares go into

A

it.

something, but he paid dear for his

thief,

theft, for

says he, ventured

in to steal

he was carried to the church-

Then he pointed to several other houses. There, There, they are all dead, the man and his wife and five children. and of other door, so the they are shut up, you see a watchman at Why, says I, what do you here all alone ? Why, says he, I am a

)'ard too last

says he, says he, houses.

night.

poor desolate man, family

poor

and one of

is,

that

you are not

very

little

my

visited

I

children dead.

Why,

?

am

How

says he, that

not yet visited, though

my

do you mean then said is

my

I,

house, pointing to a

my poor wife and two children live, for my wife and one of the children are saw the tears And with that word

low boarded house, and there they

said he,

if

visited,

but

run very

God

hath pleased

it

I

may be

said to live,

do not come

plentifiilly

down

at

them.

his face,

I

and so they did down mine

too,

I

assure

you. " But, said

your own

flesh

I,

why do you

and blood

?

not

Oh,

come

sir,

at

them

?

How can

says he, the Lord

you abandon

forbid

I

;

do not

work for them as much as I am able and, blessed be the Lord I keep them from want. And with that, I observed, he lifted up his eyes to Heaven with a countenance that presently told me I had happened on a man that was no hypocrite, but a serious, religious, good man and his ejaculation was an expression of thankfulness that, in such a condition as he was in, he should be able to say his family did not want. Well, says I, But honest man, that is a great mercy as things go now with the poor. how do you live, then, and how are you kept from the dreadful calamity

abandon them,

I

;

!

;


that

my

now upon

is

us

I

sir,

says he,

am

I

a waterman, and there

is

and the boat serves me for a house I it in the night, and what I get, I lay it down upon that

boat, says he,

day, and

Why,

all ?

13

work

;

in

the

in

it

sleep in

showing me a broad stone on the other side of the street, a good way from his house and then, says he, I halloa and call to them till I make them hear, and they come and fetch it. " Well, friend, says I, but how can you get money as a waterman ? stone, says he,

;

Does anybody go by water these times

am employed

there does.

down

pointing

Do

Yes,

?

and owners and such

things for them, carry letters, and do what

not be obliged to

come on shore

am

friend,

I,

Why,

if I

;

and

merchants

their

and

up,

live

on

tend on them to fetch

I

absolutely necessary, that they

is

sleep

I

fasten

by myself

;

my

boat on

and, blessed be

this

let

you come on board

has been such a

you

after

terrible place,

and so

it is ?

deliver what

board

I

but will they

have been on shore here, when "

I

preserved hitherto.

Well, said

infected as

;

and every night

;

board one of the ship's boats, and there "

on board, of

who have locked themselves

like,

board, close shut in for fear of the infection

I

way

the

in

you good way below the town ? and do you see, says at the chain there, and at anchor yonder, pointing

All those ships have families

above the town.

God,

says he,

see there, says he, five ships lie at anchor,

the river a

he, eight or ten ships lie

may

sir,

I

as to that, said he,

very seldom go up the ship side, but

bring to their boat, or

did,

any house on

I

I

lie

by the

side,

and they

think they are in no danger from me, for

my own

shore, or touch anybody, no, not of

hoist

it

on

never go into

I

family

;

but

I

fetch provisions for them. "

sions of it is

Nay, says

somebody

I,

but that

or other

dangerous so much as

;

to

may be

worse, for you must have those provi-

and since

all this

part of the town

speak with anybody

;

is

so infected,

for the village, said

I, is,

it be at some distance from it. I you do not understand me right. That is true, do not buy provisions for them here I row up to Greenwich, and buy fresh meat there and sometimes I row down the river to Woolwich and buy there then I go to single farm houses on the Kentish side, where I am

as

it

were, the beginning of London, though "

added

he, but ;

;

;

known, and buy

fowls,

and eggs, and

butter,

and bring to the

direct me, sometimes one, sometimes the other.

I

seldom come on shore

came only now to call my wife and hear how my and give them a little money which I received last night. here

;

and

I

ships, as they

little

family do,


14

"

"

Poor man

said

!

and some Well, said

"

No, said

so

;

he, but

Poor woman

swelling,

and

will die

but

I

is

friend, said

my

yet

?

wife has answered that she

she hopes to come, and

but

will recover,

I,

I

am

waiting

she has had a

;

I

fear the child

and wept very much.

stopt

thou hast a sure comforter,

brought thyself to be resigned to the in

?

a great sum, as things

is

brought sadly down

hope she

Here he

!

them

a bag of bread, too, and a

them

it

and

in half-an-hour

the Lord

"Well, honest

called,

says he, she

broke, and

it is

it is

!

have

I

cannot come out yet, but for her.

me

for

helps out.

all

and have you given

I,

which

he,

but they have given

;

flesh

"

;

and how much hast thou gotten

;

have gotten four shilHngs, said

I

go now with poor men salt fish,

I

will of

God

mercy

if

;

He

thou hast

if

dealing with us

is

all

Judgment. "

am

I

"

And

Oh,

sir,

to repine

says he,

it

is infinite

Says't thou so, said

here

my

any of us are spared

;

and who

!

I,

and how much

heart smote me, suggesting

less is

how much

my

faith

than thine

?

better this poor man's

in the danger than mine, that he had nowhere to fly, that he had a family to bind him to attendance which I had not, and mine was mere presumption, his a true dependence and a courage resting on God, and yet, that he used all possible caution for his safety.

foundation was, on which he stayed

"

me

;

I

turned a

for indeed,

"At

I

little

away from

the man, while these thoughts

engaged

could no more refrain from tears than he.

length, after

some

and

further talk, the poor

woman opened

the door,

called, Robert, Robert he answered and bid her stay a few moments, and he would come so he ran down the common stairs to his boat, and fetched up a sack in which was the provisions he had brought from the ;

;

and when he returned he hallooed again, then he went to the great stone which he showed me, and emptied the sack and laid all out everything by themselves, and then retired, and his wife came with a little boy to fetch ships,

them away

;

and he

called

and said

:

such a captain had sent such a thing, and

such a captain such a thing, and at the end adds,

thanks to Him. she could not so she it till

left

When

carrj-

it

at

the poor

once

in,

woman had

God

taken up

has sent all,

it all,

give

she was so weak

though the weight was not much neither,

the biscuit which was in a

little

bag, and

left

a

little

boy

to

watch

she came again. " Well, but, says

I

to him, did

which you said was your week's pay

?

you leave her the four

shillings too.

•


" Yes,

you

yes, says he,

Rachel, Rachel, which

own

was

Four

said he.

it ?

Well, well, says he, the Lord keep you

said she.

So he

it.

calls again,

seems was her name, did you take up the money

it

How much

Yes, said she.

hear her

shall

15

and a

shillings

all

;

?

groat,

and so he turned

to

go away.

"As

I

could not refrain from contributing tears to this man's story,

so neither could

Hark thee, friend, may venture thee Here, says

I,

said

so

;

go and

so

;

the stone, and "

I

hither, for

my

pulled out

called

I

believe thou art in health, that

I

hand, which was in

my pocket

thy Rachel once more, and give her a

call

never forsake a family that trusts

will

gave him four other

him

shillings,

:

I

before.

more Him, as them on

little

in

and bid him go lay

call his wife.

have not words to express the poor man's thankfulness, neither

I

could he express his wife

for his assistance, so

charity

come

I, I

God

comfort from me; thou dost

my

refrain

I

and

himself, but

it

told her

them

all

Heaven

money

that year that

as to me, I

down

He

his face.

called

the heart of a stranger, upon hearing

money, and a great deal more such as

that

The woman

as well to all

tears running

God had moved

their condition, to give

that he said to her.

by

made

too

signs of the like thankfulness,

and joyfully picked

it

up,

and

parted with no

I

thought better bestowed."

In the year 1666, the " Warspight," of 60 guns and 492 tons, was

1666.

Concerning

launched from Blackwall Yard. following entry in his diary on

ment

May

to our navy, put in practice

19th.

by

Sir

"

Another great step and improve-

Anthony Deane, was

'Warspight' and 'Defiance,' which were to carry

and

Pepys makes the

this vessel

guns to be 4^ feet from the water." On June 2nd, 1666, Pepys recounts the

six

effected in the

months' provisions,

their

connection

with the

embarkation of troops at Blackwall,

expected attack from the Dutch

"Up come

to

to the office,

fleet

where

:

incidents

in

in

view of an

—

certain

news

is

brought us of a

letter

morning from the Duke of Albemarle, dated eleven o'clock as they were sailing to the gun fleete, that they

the King

yesterday at

were

and

following

in sight of the

this

Dutch

fleete,

and were

fitting

themselves to fight them,

so that they are ere this certainly engaged, besides, several do aver they

heard the guns yesterday

in

the afternoon.

This puts us

at the

Board

into

come orders for our sending away to the fleete a recruite So I rose from the table, and to the Victualler's of two hundred soldiers. Office, and thence upon the river among several vessels, to consider of

a tosse.

Presently

Chronicles of Blackiuall Yard.

i6

sending them away and yachts

to

be ready

Having

Blackwall.

shore with Captain

down

lastly

Greenwich and there appointed two

to

and did order the

for them,

Ewin

at

I

march to went on

I

Greenwich, and into the Parke, and there

We

walked

and there seeing the King and Duke come down

Greenwich House,

to

set all things in order against the next flood,

could hear the ginis from the fleete most plainly. side,

soldiers

in

their barge to

and did give them an account what

to them,

we

to the water-

I

was

They went up to the Parke to hear the guns of the fleete go off. All now are that Prince Rupert, with his fleete, is coming back, and

doing.

our hopes will

be with the

on Wednesday intend to

sail

fleete this even, a

last,

and a return

message being sent

come from him

is

from St. Ellen's point about four

in

which gives us great hopes, the wind being very

to

this

him

to that

purport

morning that he did

the afternoon yesterday,

fair,

that he

with them

is

makes us believe the same. Down to Blackwall, and there saw the soldiers (who were by this time But Lord, to see how the poor gotten most of them drunk) shipped off. fellows kissed their wives and sweethearts in that simple manner at their In the going off, and shouted, and let off their guns, was strange sport. evening come up the river the Katharine jacht. Captain Fazeby, who hath brought over my Lord of Alesbury (Robert Bruce, created earl of Alesbury 1663), and Sir Thomas Liddall (with a very pretty daughter, and in a pretty travelling dress) from Flanders, who saw the Dutch fleet on Thursday and ran from them, but from that hour to this hath not heard one gun, nor any news of any fight. Having put the soldiers on board, I home." Sir Thomas Brame in a letter dated September 29th, 1666, writes this even,

and the fresh going

off

of the guns

that " Blackwall hath the largest wet docke in England, to the

chiefly

East India Company."

"On

1667.

and belongs

June

Dutch

loth, the

fleet,

under Admiral de Ruyter, captured

Sheerness and burnt several ships of the stores valued

at

The

^40,000.

line,

with the magazine containing

English, apprehensive

might venture up to London Bridge, sunk thirteen four at Blackwall, and raised various platforms with

enemy Woolwich and

that the

ships at

artillery to

defend the

approaches to the City."

On

June

14th,

Pepys writes

come to Gravesend, which

is

:

"We

do not hear that the Dutch are

a wonder, but a wonderful thing

it

is

that to

day we have not one word yet from Brouncker or Peter Pett or Minnes of anything at Chatham. At night come home Sir W. Batten

this I.

and

W.

Pen, w-ho only can

tell

me

that they

have placed guns

at

Woolwich

—

;


17

and Deptford, and sunk some ships below Woolwich and Blackewall, and are in hopes that they will stop the enemy's coming up. But strange our

among them that are sunk, they have gone and sunk without "The Franclin," one of the King's ships, with stores to a very

confusion! that consideration,

considerable value, that hath been long loaden for supply of the ships the

new

ship at Bristoll and

they directed

it,

but do lay

Phineas Pett,

1677

he paid to

his

it

much wanted on Sir

in his journal,

W.

will

own

that

Rider."

at

with Sir Anthony Deane, Surveyor to the

May

and nobody

and

gives the following account of a visit which

nephew, Henry Johnson,

"Started, Tuesday,

there,

;

seat at Friston, in

his

company

Navy

29th.

On

Tuesday, 5th of June, from Wickham we went to Friston to desire Mr. Johnson to go with us to Aldborough to view the ground and harbour and to see if a ship might be built there, which we found could be done "

;

then

we

returned and lay at Friston

all

night.

—

Wednesday, 6th. W'e departed from Friston and went to Yoxford, where Mr. Henrj^ and Robert Cooper met us to treat about their timber "

Mr. Henry told us he had disposed of all his to Sir Henr)- Johnson, which would make about eighty load of 4-inch planks it was very good and large ;

timber." 1678.

The year 1678 appears

have been a very important one in the life of Henry Johnson, for in this year he was elected with Sir Henry Haddock to represent his native town of Aldborough, in the Parliament, 1678-1679. In this

year also he rebuilt the

to

fine old

red brick mansion which stands at the

entrance of Blackwall Yard, and which bears on a tablet the inscription "Built

1612,

Rebuilt 167S," with his

own monogram between

the dates.

This excellent specimen of domestic architecture

is worthy of remark. The rooms were panelled throughout with wainscot oak, richly carved after the fashion, if not by the hand of Grinling Gibbons and ornamented with the *panel paintings which have already been referred to. A large portrait of the " Royal Prince," built by Phineas Pett, at Woolwich, in 16 10, adorned one

principal

mantel-piece, while a second was decorated with a portrait of the

"

Soveraigne

of the Seas," launched from the same yard, 1637. These pictures had no doubt been placed here by Sir Henry Johnson in remembrance of his celebrated cousin, Phineas Pett, and of the ship on which he probably had learned his craft.

* These paintings are

now

in the possession of

Robert Wigram, Esq.

C

8

'


1

In 1679, "

1679.

The

62 gTjns and

Kent," of

in

own house

his

Henry King

the honour of knighthood from

This distinction was no doubt well merited, and from a

II.

who had

Sovereign

"

1069 tons, were built at Blackwall, and in this year

Johnson received Charles

Essex," of 62 guns and 1072 tons and the

paid such personal attention to the details of his navy,

and was himself an inventor

in

matters connected with ship-building,

was

it

a very natural token of sympathy and desire to foster and promote this

The

national industry.

following e.xtract from a letter, dated August 4th,

King Charles had

1673, which

which he took

interest

does so well, a gerdeling

this

built at

Woolwich

that

have

—

"

I

am

very glad the

when she comes

winter

best ship in England next summer.

were

shows the personal

written to Prince Rupert,

naval matters

in

I

my

believe

if

in will

'

Charles

make

her the

you try the two sloops that

invention in them, they will outsail any

of the French sloops."

The

1680.

sister ships, "

Exeter" and

"

Suffolk," of 70 guns, wêre this year

launched from Blackwall Yard.

On

1682. "

one thirty-second part of a ship now building

^100 had been

Johnson's dock, for which

second part

Company: Bengal

in

the

each of the following ships '

Defence,' Captain

Wilshere, on a similar voyage." Sir

J.

the 'Williamson,' Captain

;

Coromandel and Bay of Bengal

1683.

Moyer

April 7th, 1682, a certain Samuel

Henry Johnson's yard. Sir Henry Johnson died

in

to his son

in Sir

Henry

Also "one

thirty-

the service of the East

now on

'

India

Bay of

a voyage to the

Royal Resolution,' Captain Henry

These ships had at the

will

Dyk

Busse, on a voyage to the Coast of

and the

;

by

left

Captain

already paid."

Heath,

W.

for

age of

also probably

sixt)',

been

built in

and was buried

the

in

He ground adjoining the East India Company's Chapel on Nov. 19th, 1683. him, and William, who is left two sons, Henry, the eldest, who succeeded described in the records of Aldborough as a bailiff,"

burgess and once a

and who a few years later represented Aldborough

his brother,

died

" capital

and became ultimately Governor of Cape Coast

in 1718.

1688, Sir his son

By

his will,

Henry Johnson,

dated September

Parliament with Castle,

14th, 1683, but

of Blackwall, knight, devised

Henry, afterwards Sir Henry Johnson,

ever, " all that his

being at

in

his

and bequeathed

heirs

and assigns

messuage or tenement wherein he then dwelt,

Blackwall aforesaid,

and

all

where he

proved only

situate

in

to for

and

other his messuages, yards, docks,

cranes, wharfs, grounds, &c., with the appurtenances called the East India

Yard, situate at or near Blackwall

;

and

all

those three acres of land in the


19

South Marsh of Poplar, which he bought of Tweedie Crowder, upon trust to expend a sum of ^300 for the building and erecting six good and substantial messuages or tenements upon the ground then called Globe '

Each house to contain two rooms, with a chimney in each room the dwellinge and habitation of six poore aged shipp carpenters, either

Yard.' for

bachelors or widowers, every such shipp carpenter to be three score-years of age at least, each pensioner to receive two shillings and sixpence a week,

and sixpence extra on Christmas Eve, and a gowne of blue cloth of the value of thirty shillings, with his coat of arms in brass thereon, at least once a year." and two

shillings

Strype

in his edition of

Yard

of Blackwall

by one man, and he grew

men

"

Survey," gives the following anecdote

Henry Johnan horse was wrought there thirty-four years, driven

at this period

son, knight, ship-builder,

for the

Stow's :

"

In the time of the elder Sir

to that experience, that at the first

was

it,

and when the

rang to work, he would as readily come forth again to his labour, which

draw planks and pieces of timber from one part of the yard

to

A

another."

sign of the "

which took

to

public house in Blackwall, adjoining the yard, received the

Old Hob,"

honour of the horse which bore that name, and very independent mode of showing his importance.

this

The the

bell

yard to leave off work, he also would cease labouring and

in the

could not by any means be brought to give one pull after bell

sound of the

in

following description of the neighbourhood at this time,

same author

:

"

Of

Shipwrights and

late years.

(for the

Marine men have builded many large and strong houses

is

from

most part) othrr

for themselves,

and

smaller for saylors, from Radcliff almost to Poplar and so to Blackwall."

At Poplar

that lyeth within the Parish of Stepney, is a Chapel and an Alms House for poor Seamen, both belonging to the old East India Company. Here is the Isle of Dos^s, a fine rich level for fatning of cattle. Eieht oxen fed here of late, were sold for ^34 a-piece, and a hog fed here was sold for

A

_^20 and 6d. Blackwall

all

butcher

is

said to

the year round with

cut from a sheep in this marsh. called

Blackwall

Dock, belonging

have furnished a weekly club at

a leg of mutton

Here to

less,

in

breaking up

East Indies, they found a

also a well-known

vessel

remember

that

wet Dock,

Henry Johnson, knight, very ships. About twenty years ago,

an old ship that was returned from, the

solid piece

of

oak

the keel, pierced eight

in

inches deep, with a kind of horn that stuck fast in did

weight,

in

Sir

convenient for building and receiving of

more or

is

of 281b.

when they were on

it.

the

The master

of the

main sea the ship c

I


20

received a sudden shock which

At

full sail

made

it

stop for the present, tho'

were

it

in

they thought they had struck on a rock, but considering

first

where they were they concluded that could not be, and they found no harm tho' they went down and searched the bottom of the ship, but they observed But now the cause appeared that

the sea bloody.

struck the ship, and broke his horn in the side of It

is

1664:

"To

of the

fish

was some sea

it

it."

probably to this horn that Evelyn refers

in his diary,

which struck a dangerous hole

timber, preserved

1685

June

8th,

our Society to which his Majesty had sent that wonderful horn in the keel of a ship

Sea, which being broken off with the violence of the

Sir

fish that

it

and

fish,

the India

in

left

in

the

from foundering."

Henry Johnson was succeeded

Henry, who, two years

after his

at

Blackwall by his eldest son,

death,

father's

accordance with the custom of the time, which

we

was himself knighted

in

believe almost invariably

conferred this honour on the eldest sons of knights.

We

1688.

only the names of building,

year an apparently very accurate navy

find this all

list,

giving not

the Royal vessels, but also in most cases their place of

and are thus able

to

identify as

still

afloat the "

Dreadnought,"

"Exeter," "Essex," "Kent," "Suffolk," "Warspight," "York," "Assistance,"

and "Assurance," is

by Henry Johnson.

all built

important and very

difficult,

This matter of

identification

as ships lost or destroyed were frequently

replaced by others of the

i68g.

same name, and it is a matter of considerable difficulty to discriminate between the new and the old vessels. The second Sir Henry Johnson, of Blackwall, was also made an Elder Brother of the Trinity House, and in 1689 was, with William Johnson, returned to Parliament for Aldborough, which place they represented together until the

He

year 1714.

second son of Sir

married Anne, daughter of

Hugh

Smithson, of Stanwich,

Hugh

in

Smithson, Esq.,

the county of York,

By this marriage he had one daughter, Anna, who was married to Thomas Wentworth, Earl of Strafford.

baronet.

1690.

afterwards

In 1690, the "Strombolo" fireship of 8 guns and 260 tons was launched, and in the montli of October this year the " Dreadnought," 62

guns, built

Henry Johnson in 1653, foundered off the North memorandum of this date referring to the state of the navy

by the

Foreland.

A

first

Sir

is

interesting as having been written

it

suggests,

among

by Admiral

Sir Cloudesley Shovell

other things, "that the masts of the

Blackwall, 1679) should be shortened two

inches on a side, and to be

made

oval."

feet,

'

Kent'

;

(built at

and the tops widened eight

The

"

Warspight,"

"

Essex,"

THE

ST.

HAMLE

UUNSTAN, STEPNEY. .Ilim

One

STEBUA'HEJTH,

of the Ten Parishes

in

being

the County of

mldulesex, adjacent to the

Describing exa(5îy the Bounds of the Nine Hamlets HI ye

CHARI.ES WALKEU. WILLIAM WHliATLY,

Parilli.

IUtcl.ff.

-| |

j

THOMAS WALKER, lOHN

s^'

CImriliwarileii

Limehous.

|

Poplek

{

)-

,/'"

.MUMl'-onO.

I

End Old Town.

MiLF,

I

'

I.

WIIJ.IAM CAXIER,

ABKAM. MOM'ORT,

WILLIAM LEE, HU.MPII. C-OSTIOR,

j

Chiir.lmmh;,

^ I

./"

J

>

SriTTLE I'EiLns.

Bethnal Gkbbn.

IMileEki>Nk« I.

Taken .Anno Dom. 1703 by Engraven bv

j

-!

loEi.

TOWNK.

Gascovne.

Iihin I!.\hki>.


"York" were Beachy Head.

"Suffolk," "Exeter," and

Dutch

in the action off

all

engaged

1

this

year against the

In September, 1691, the "Exeter," of 70 guns, built

r69i.

Johnson's father, was blown up at Plymouth. date was found

in

An

Sir

Henry

made by the Midland

This was a brass two-foot

1878.

in

by

interesting relic of this

Blackwall Yard during the alterations

Railway Company

1

rule, similar to

the

— "Edward Gast, 1691." rules now used by shipwrights, with name and date 1695.

1694 the "Blaze"

In

1694.

and

year

in the following

November

fireship,

of 8 guns,

was

the " Burlington," of fifty

built at Blackwall,

On

guns.

the 25th of

of this year eleven acres of copyhold land at Blackwall were

surrendered to Sir Henry Johnson by Henry Dethick, Esq., one of an old

and

influential family,

The

this hamlet.

of

1703.

Arms,

still

whose name

is

frequently mentioned in the records of

portrait of Sir Gilbert Dethick, Garter

hangs

in the hall of the

Principal

King

College of Arms.

In 1703 Sir Henry Johnson married for his second wife Martha, daughter only and heiress of John Lord Lovelace, of Hurley, in the county of Berks, declared Baroness Wentworth, and so walked at the coronation of

Queen Anne,

1702.

She died a widow without

issue in 1745, at the age of

about eighty-five years. In this year was gained the important naval victory off Malaga, the

1704.

Trafalgar, as

it

has been called, of the i8th century; this was a great day for

George Rooke and Sir Cloudesley Shovell, the "Essex," "Kent," the "Old Assurance," and the " Warspight," which last suffered very severely. No such victory had been gained over the Spanish flag since the Armada indeed, with Malaga and the capture of Gibraltar at sea, and Blenheim on land, this year must the Blackwall ships present under the orders of Admirals Sir

;

unquestionably stand one of the foremost

in the

annals of England.

Returning once more to Blackwall we learn from Stow that 1705.

1706

year 1705

"were two whales of

Blackwall,

and

in this

different sorts

again indebted to Stow

:

brought and cut up at

Blackwall,' was For the following remarkable anecdote we are

year a 50-gun

captured by the French."

in the

"

A

frigate,

called the

'

person lately living in this hamlet [Poplar

and Blackwall] having a great concern for the safety of a ship that was like to break her back at Blackwall, had his blood and spirits set into such an extraordinary ferment, or ebullition rather, by the fear of her miscarriage, that

by the violence of

it

cast off to a great distance his death,

the tops of the nails of his hands and feet were

from their natural situation, and so remained to

and many persons now living have attested the same."


The

Deal Castle," of 24 guns, was captured by the Frencli this year, and the "Squirrel," of 24 guns, foundered off the coast of Holland. "

Both these ships had been

The "Kent"

1707.

"

56 guns; and the

Among

a number

Yard.

built in Blackwall

captured

the

new

French

"

frigate

Superbe,"

of

Suffolk" took the French frigate "Guillard," of 56 guns.

war belonging

of old plans of ships of

to this period,

and which are carefully preserved in the archives of the Yard, there is a unfortunately, however, very perfect drawing of the " Suffolk," 70 guns ;

many be

of these plans have neither

date,

and consequently cannot

identified.

The

" Essex,"

the

under

fleets

"

"

Kent,"

"

Warspight,"

Squirrel,"

Yard, are repeatedly mentioned about

built in Blackwall in

name nor

commands

the

of

and other vessels

this

Admirals Sir

time as serving

George

Rooke,

Sir Cloudesley Shovell, and Sir George Byng.

About

iyo8. certain

time the manager of Sir Henry Johnson's Yard was a

this

Philip Perry,

given as follows.

whose

history

and introduction

to Blackwall has

been

In or about the year 1690, Philip Perry was a carpenter

During a severe storm the vessel was in much danger of foundering from a bad leak, but in consequence of Philip Perry's skill and ingenuity the ship was saved and brought safely back on board of

one of His Majesty's

The Commissioners

to port.

his service,

ships.

of the Admiralty, to

gave him an important post

was transferred This position he

to is

their appreciation of

Plymouth Dockyard, whence he

at

where he greatly increased

Deptford,

have relinquished

said to

mark

his reputation.

to superintend Sir

Henry

Johnson's business at Blackwall.

The "Assurance" and

1709. in

"Assistance," with three other vessels, engaged

a bloody conflict with four French frigates

Channel, and victory to the capture, while into

much about

last

the

;

the battle was fought in the

remained doubtful, neither side making a

same time the

"

Kent" brought two

Plymouth. In this year too the " Suffolk" and "

Kent" formed part of the

The

which, under Admiral Byng, attempted the relief of Alicante. of this siege is

prizes

is

fleet

story

so remarkable an instance of English dogged courage, and

besides so litUe known, that

we

shall

make no apology

for giving

it

at length. "

citadel

The

garrison, driven

which from the top of a

by the besiegers lofty crag

into the almost

impregnable

overhangs the town, awaited there

the formation and firing of the mine which was to blow the whole fortress


Due notice of the event was given by commander, who himself escorted a deputation of the into the air.

2^

the chivalrous Spanish

beseiged over his work,

and earnestly hoped they would do him the honour of surrendering before 6. A.M. of the third day. All to no purpose. Major-Gen. Richards, while fully recognizing the skill with which the mine was laid, regretted his inability to meet the Don's wishes, and at 5.30 a.m. repaired to the west batter)^ where

He

he could see the fuse ignited. himself with his sentinels,

their

field officers,

women and

peasants,

had not long

to wait, punctual to time

company, ten guns, and about eighty

were blown

into the air

but thanks to a

;

counter-mine, enough of the castle yet remained to enable Lieut. Col. D'Albon

f

to

hold out until the arrival of the

remnants

his garrison, safely

of

"

Time

How

fleet,

on board which

he,

with the

embarked,"

preserves the Spartan story of Leonidas's glory,

with his brave three hundred Persia's swarms he held at bay

;

Fame records the Switzer's daring, who Burgundian overbearing, Tamed hundreds matched 'gainst thousands on Morgarten's bloody day

;

But Swiss nor Spartan annals contain no deed more glorious,

No 1

The

710.

fleet cruising off

the " Kent,"

chase "

;

stubborn hardihood o'er mightier odds victorious."

feat of

"

"

York

and

Assurance

"

these vessels were apparently good

Assurance

"

made

prizes, after a

obtained great credit superiority in guns.

were immediately ordered sailors, for both the "

to give

Kent

"

and

severe action, for which Captain Johnson

must, however, be admitted, that he had a real

it

;

In this year, too, the " Warspight " aided in taking

the French frigate, the 1713-

"

when

the Lizard sighted the French squadron,

"

Moor," and

this

is

the last performance of our

vessels before the Treaty of Utrecht, in 1713, put for a time an end to their

adventures. 1

Dagenham this who is supposed

In an account of the stopping of the great breach at

714.

year by to

Captain John Perry, the well-known civil engineer,

have been the eldest brother of the Philip Perry before-mentioned,

made

to a pontoon built expressly to assist in closing the breach

reference

is

the

attempt at closing did not, however, prove successful, and the

"

first

aforesaid machine," as

it

is

called, "

which was

built at Blackwall, rose

;

up

from the ground and broke and tore to pieces." Peace

1718.

we

in these

days was seldom of long continuance, and

in this

year

have again to record one of the great naval victories of the i8th century.

Admiral Byng encountered the Spanish

them with the

loss

of

some

fifteen

Cape Passaro, and defeated the " Essex " was Spanish vessels fleet off

;

—


24

engaged, and so of course was the

"

quondam enemy

Kent," who, with her

the " Superbe," especially distinguished themselves, capturing between the

Spanish

The Spaniards

Admiral's vessel.

them

taken they allege at a

disadvantage, for war had hardly been declared, offered no very formidable resistance,

" their

none of the

best,

On May

ships," says

and

seamen not

19th, 1718, Sir

health, devised his

to

being old, their artillery

be depended on."

Henry Johnson, being

in

a declining state of

Thomas Tooke

Blackwall property to William Guidot,

Tooke, their heirs and assigns upon trust for sale, for

and George 1719-

their

"

the chronicler,

payment

of his debts, legacies, and funeral expenses, and on September 24th, 17 19,

he died at Bath, and was buried at Tuddington.

Administration was

granted to Thomas, Earl of Strafford, the husband of his only child, Anna,

during the minority of their two daughters,

Many

years

Henry Johnson's

Sir

later

Anna and Lucy Wentworth. representative,

Agneta

Johnson, daughter of Henry Johnson, Esquire, of Berkhampstead, described as a great heiress, married in 1769 the

Honourable Charles Yorke, brother of

Lord Chancellor Hardwicke. Portraits of this lady and of are now at Wimpole, in Lord Hardwicke's possession. In

1723.

Hosier,

when

we

I

with thirty

Nothing then

it is

1724.

sail

commander complained

under Admiral

Henry Johnson June

17th,

so pathetically

attended, did the Spanish town affright,

their wealth defended, but

satisfactory to think that not

On

Indies,

are not able to trace any record of our Blackwall ships, and

the ghost of that ill-fated "

either

West

the unfortunate expedition to the

Sir Phineas Pett

my

orders not to fight,"

one of the thirty was the workmanship of

or Philip Perry.

Thomas Wentworth,

Earl of Strafford, and Anna, his

countess, with the concurrence of William Guidot

surviving trustees of Sir

Henry Johnson's will,

sold

and George Tooke, the

and conveyed

to

Captain

John Kirby, on behalf of himself and his partners. Captains E. Pierson, Jonathan Collett, and Richard Boulton, for the sum of ^2,800, all that capital messuage or mansion house at Blackwall, with garden terrace walk on east side of same, and the orchard on north side of the yard, three acres. All that yard called East India Yard.

and 4 launches in yard, storehouses on north and east sides of yard, 3 messuages or tenements and smith's shop in said yard, in occupation of Robert Wynne, Edward Hall, and John Also a wet dock,

Crowley, Esquires.

3 dry docks,

>'"'^

o Q W O CO iz;

K O w

H O

U H X W


Coach houses and

stables in said yard,

25

and other buildings belonging

to mansion and yard, 17 messuages in a row on south side of mansion. Messuage on north side of mansion house by the sign of the

Globe yard and appurtenances, slaughter house and 9 messuages in a row adjoining eastward to the same, 7 of which were used as almshouses, which capital messuage, and the 1 7 houses, and the "

Globe,"

"

Globe

"

with

contained

in front

westward

to Poplar

Marsh, from north to south

584 feet. Also causeway leading from east end of Poplar town southwards towards the Thames, in length from north to south on the west side 1,122

and on the east side 1,076 feet, in breadth from east to west 26 feet, and the toll of said causeway, and ropewalk, in length 1,122 and width 28 feet,

feet,

and smith's shop

at

north end of causeway, in possession of John

Harding.

Also the warehouse at south end of ropewalk.

And

three fields or closes of marsh land lying on the east side of

mansion, late

in

occupation of John Kirby, or his assigns, 8 acres, and the

same belonsrinCT. Coach houses and stables

forelanes to the

in

yard, and

3 acres of

marsh land on

south Poplar Marsh. All which premises are situate at Blackwall, together with

other

premises, and contained in the whole 20^ acres.

And all other hereditaments and premises of and said W. Guidot and George Tooke, and late situate in the

said Earl

of Sir

and Countess

Henry Johnson,

hamlets of Poplar and Blackwall aforesaid (except copyholds

which were intended to be surrendered).

This purchase was made subject to the bequest for building almshouses, which properly carried into

up

to

first

this

Sir

Henry Johnson's

time had not been

effect.

The

houses had been partially built, but appropriated to other uses, and the benefits of the bequest withheld under the pretence of a want of proper objects as described by the donor's

will.

In this year, however, the

inhabitants of the hamlet took the matter up, and the Earl of Strafford then

consented to allow the

sum

of

^300

out of the purchase

money

for building

other houses, without further litigation, the inhabitants remitting the arrears,

which they were induced the rather to do as Sir Henry Johnson the younger, though he had neglected to pay the pensions, had provided several poor carpenters with habitations rent free, and his ship yard had been of great service to the hamlet.

D

26

CJironicles

The "Kent"

1726.

of Blackwall Yard.

put a pleasing finale to the performances of this war

by carrying Admiral Wagers' flag to the relief of Gibraltar, into which place he was able to throw much needed succour and provisions. The peace which again followed in the succeeding year, leaves us for a time with nothing to record of the Blackwall frigates, and although this

we

did not last very long,

among

are not

been attempted and Spaniards is

in

are

bound

to

admit that the next thirty years

the brightest in our naval annals less

;

little

appears to have

done, and although various successes against the

the East Indies are an exception to the prevailing dulness,

not until the elder Pitt's accession to power

1757 that anything like

in

it

life

appears to have been reinfused into our navy. In this year the Rev. Gloster Ridley (so called from having been

1728.

born on board the " Gloucester" East Indiaman), minister of Poplar Chapel,

and

others,

applied to the then proprietors

of

Blackwall Yard, Captain

Collett and Captain Boulton, to have the six carpenters put into the alms-

houses as arranged.

The

reply received was, that

persons could be found they should be put

if

six properly qualified

in.

After the sale of the Blackwall Yard Estate by the Earl and Countess of Strafford,

business for Sir

who had

some years been managing the Henry Johnson, took a lease of the premises, and with his

Philip Perry,

for

son John continued the business on his P. Perry

and Co.

This firm

is

own account under

frequently referred

Marine Architecture," as constructing vessels 1732.

died on the 26th of September,

was buried near the

first

Sir

for the navy.

Henry Johnson,

in

this

the style ot "

Charnock's

Philip Perry

it

and

the ground adjoining the

was now

death the business was carried on by his son, who, as

had become by

in

1732, at the age of sixty-one years,

East India Company's, or Poplar, Chapel, as

records,

to

we

called.

After his

learn from local

time a person of considerable influence

in the

neighbourhood. 1

736.

1739.

A

very perfect drawing

still

remains

in

the

Yard of the " Weymouth,"

60 guns, launched 31st March, 1736, with a memorandum stating that she was lost on Sandy Island at Antigua, 15th February, 1744. Mr. Perry's eldest son Philip was born at Blackwall in this year.


27

In the year 1741, the "Leopard," of 50 guns and S72 tons, was

1741-

launched, and the ever active " Kent," under Captain Fox,

again heard of

San Domingo convoy, valued

intercepting a

at the conquest of Cuba,

is

at

nearly a million sterling.

In 1742,

1742.

time

*

"

we

as building slips for

from an old

many

Yard

of docks, that Perry's

list

at this

well

single, as

ships of war."

who

Perry's second son, John,

Mr.

1743-

find

had a wet dock, three dry docks, one double and two

afterwards became so widely

known in connection with Blackwall Yard, at the time when it was spoken of as "more capacious than any other private dockyard in the kingdom, or in the world,"

probably

and also as the constructor and

sole

Brunswick Basin and the adjoining Mast House, was born In 1745,

1745.

we

owner of the

this year.

have accounts of the " Norwich," 48 guns and 993 tons,

being rebuilt at Blackwall Yard.

An

1747.

old plan of this date speaks of the East India

Company

as

The

occupying part of the yard, Captain Collett being the proprietor.

drawings of a ship of 366 tons built

The

office.

in

Kent " again takes a share

this year are also preserved in the

in

Admiral Hawke's engagement

Finisterre, but here for the first time in her long

Cape

Kent

"

the gallant

Fox

"

"

at the request of the

distress,

Admiral,

was dismissed

attention to the advice of his fellows,"

adds Keppel,

who

court-martial

" for

his vessel

first

off

and adventurous career

was

called

on Captain

not doing his utmost to engage,

Though

and damage the enemy."

of cowardice, he

A

earns no laurel.

still

acquitted of the capital charge in

that he had paid too

lieutenant and master.

"

much

Two

bad

himself sat on the court-martial, " who,

I

verily

believe, did their best to ruin him."

The

j_cQ J7C2.

"

Falmouth," East Indiaman, was commenced by Mr. Perry on

the 22nd of August, 1750, and launched on the 14th of August, 1752, a

copy of one at Blackwall

of the elaborate plans of this vessel is

now hanging

In this year Mr. Perry's wife,

here given.

in

the office

Ann

Perry,

died at the age of thirty-six. Until the year, 1755, Sir

1755.

Henry Johnson's

remained uncompleted, but now, after some

charitable bequest

litigation,

had

a compromise took

and Keble Gray, a parishioner, bachelor, and ship carpenter, 60 years of age; George Trewitt, ditto, widower, 64; William Wentworth, Limehouse,

place,

ditto,

79

;

John How,

and Thomas

The

ditto,

"]•]

;

John Jackson, of Rotherhithe, widower, 63

;

Rising, of Woolwich, bachelor, 62, were admitted.

pensions were after this regularly paid by the proprietors of

D

I


28

Blackwall Yard

;

but instead of the

received the value

in

have since then been

The "Deal

1756.

"

goune of blue

the necessaries of

life

cloth " the inhabitants

The houses

every Christmas.

rebuilt.

of 20 guns and 407 tons,

Castle,"

was launched by

John Perry and Co. She was at once commissioned, and made her first cruise under Howe, aiding in the relief of the Channel Islands then threatened by the French.

The

1757.

"

Osterley," East

642 tons. Captain Vincent, was

Indiaman,

launched September 29th, 1757 this vessel was afterwards captured by the French, but again recaptured some years later. The '' Tilbury," East India;

man, 642 1758.

tons.

Captain Mainwaring, was launched October 14th.

"Valentine," East Indiaman, 655 tons, Captain Fernall, was launched September 19th, 1758, and the " Ajax," East Indiaman, 655 tons,

The

Captain Lindsay, on December i6th.

Essex" this year conveyed the Duke of Marlborough, together The troops were with a considerable body of men, to the coast of France. landed without difficulty, but very little else was attempted, and the

The

"

returned

expedition

Walpole, that

French.

it

is

Prior to

from

starting,

having proved, says

not every Duke of Marlborough who can conquer the this date, but after 1748, the old "Assurance," the

patriarch of the fleet,

1759.

one month

in

had been condemned

to

be broken up, having outlived

by many years both the Johnsons and Philip Perry. In 1759 the "Essex" and " Warspright," lately rebuilt, took part The in Admiral Hawke's dashing action with the French off Belleisle. weather was tremendous, so much so that one French vessel went down through the water she took

on shore

;

this shore

the

"

in at

her lower deck ports, and the wind was dead

but tousfh old Admiral

he succeeded

in

Hawke was

still

more tremendous, and on

driving several of the enemy, but unfortunately

Essex," together with the " Resolution," shared the same

fate.

"Duke

of Richmond," East Indiaman, 656 8th, 1759; the " Norfolk," September on tons, Captain Godfrey, was launched 662 tons, Captain Bonham, on October 2nd and the " Neptune," 656 tons

At Blackwall Yard,

the

;

The "Firm,"

Captain Purling, on December 6th. tons, wâs also

The

1701.

"

launched

this )'ear for the

of 60 guns and 1,297

government.

Earl of Elgin," East Indiaman, 687 tons. Captain Evans, was

launched January 22nd, 1761, and the "Royal Charlotte," 669 tons. Captain Clements, on October 29th.

was

also launched for the

The

"Africa," of 64 guns and

government.

1,354 tons,

—


The

1762.

" Clive,"

East Indiaman, 687

29

Captain Allen, was launched

tons,

January 26th, 1762. This year, when Spain joined

upon

pressure

the

resources

individuals, joined in contributing vessels

firm at Blackwall ever took this course,

been at

"

Fletcher was launched February 2nd,

Dethick, on February

October 24th

764.

as has

if,

been

not impossible that

stated, the

it

may have

Earl of Middlesex," East Indiaman, of 670 tons.

Captain Maitland, on

I

and

;

it is

even

this date.

The

1763-

many towns and

the country,

of

became one of unusual

in the war,

February 3rd;

and the

;

November 7th. The " Asia,"

the "Bute,"

670

of

"Talbot," 670 tons.

the

"Anson," 670

14th; the "

1763;

Captain

tons,

tons.

Captain

Captain Chick, on

Devonshire," of 670 tons. Captain Quick, on

of 670 tons, Captain English, was launched on Januarj' 4th,

1764; the "Salisbury," of 670 tons, Captain Bromfield, on October nth;

Thames," of 692 tons, Captain Harris, on October 24th. The Albans," of 64 guns and 1,380 tons, was also launched for the

and the " St.

"

government.

The

1765.

"

Harcourt," East Indiaman, of 688

tons.

Rodham,

Captain

was launched January 22nd, 1765 the "Duke of Cumberland," of 729 tons, Captain Glover, on August 2nd the " Prince of Wales," 729 tons, Captain Court, on September i6th; the " Duke of Kingston," 687 tons. Captain ;

;

Morrison, on

October

i6th;

and the "Hampshire," 709

tons,

Captain

Smith, on October 31st. 1

The

766. 5th,

the

"Hector," of 702 tons. Captain Williams, was launched September "

1766; the "

Europa," of 692 tons. Captain Pelly, on October 6th; and

Earl of Chatham," 692 tons. Captain Morris, on December

The

1767.

September

"Valentine,"

;

692

Captain

tons.

23rd.

with Blackwall, sailed as surgeon on board the for St.

"

"

Duke

in

connection

of Richmond," bound

Helena.

The same Robert Wigram was

1770.

was launched

692 tons. Captain Baddison, on 1767; the and the " Shrewsbury," 692 tons, Captain Jones, on

Mr. Robert Wigram, who was afterwards well known

1768.

1771.

Ogilvie,

7th.

" Verelst,"

25th,

October 9th

November

of

1

British King,"

bound

for St.

in

this

year surgeon on board the

Helena, Bancoolen and China.

Chamberlain's History and Survey of London gives the following description of the neighbourhood at this time

:

"

The hamlet

of Poplar and Blackwall, which forms a street upwards

of a mile in length,

a set

inhabited

is

in ship-building.

adjoining to which

service,

by seafaring people, and such as are

About the middle of Poplar, on the north side, of almshouses founded for the widows of seamen in the India

concerned is

of Blackwall Yard.

C/i roil ides

30

is

a large chapel of ease to this part of the

parish of St. Dunstan, Stepney." " Blackwall

and

remarkable for the mooring of Indiamen at the

is

for a considerable ship

up and

many East Indiamen

are both laid

built."

Perry died at

^^''-

1772.

yard where

stairs,

Blackwall, and was

buried with his wife and

His grandson, Mr. Richard Perry, grandfather was of a very religious turn, and was

father in the grounds of Poplar chapel.

writes of this

:

—

"

My

supposed by the family ('Beatus

ille!').

He

have passed away while engaged in his devotions had retired to his chamber one evening for that to

purpose, and was found dead upon the floor

;

the candle had fallen from his

Mr. Perry kft two

hand, and had providentially become extinguished."

His

sons and several daughters.

and

his

1772, to

"

eldest son Philip died shortly afterwards,

second son John succeeded him

in

Mr. John Perry, of Blackwall, shipbuilder,

be given half-yearly

The August

"

in

By

business. left

his will, dated

the interest of

bread to the poor of the hamlet."

West Indiaman, Captain Grossman, was launched

Jamaica,"

25th, 1774.

In this year the contract for building the

"Hornet"

1775

guns and 300

The

^

;|/"20o

and 429

tons,

was signed.

"\'csuvius"

tons,

sloop, of 14

and the

"

bomb

vessel of 298 tons, the "Ariel" of 20

Aurora" 28 guns and 583

tons,

guns

were contracted

for.

In this year Philip Perry, eldest son of the late Mr. Perry, died at the age of thirty-seven,

and

his

brother John became the head of the firm.

This John Harrow, where

Perry was a very remarkable man he had formed a friendship with the afterwards celebrated linguist Sir William Jones he was a strong politician, and a strenuous supporter of Mr. ;

he had been educated

at

;

Pitt,

he possessed great natural

shall refer

1777-

however more

The "Aurora,"

28

"Ariel," 20 guns, on July 7lh

guns, ;

and remarkable perseverance. works

it,

We

later on.

was launched June

7th,

1777,

also "in the seventeenth year of

III," as the contract expresses

1778

ability

particularly to his

and the

King George

the "Southampton," East Indiaman, of

758 tons, was contracted for with Mr. Gharles Foulis, of Woodford. War having now been declared, it will easily be understood that for

'31


this

and the next few years the yard was

The

Government.

for the

" Bonetta,"

of building

and repairing work

" Belliqueux,"

14 guns and 300 tons,

A

14 guns, was launched.

full

64 guns and 1376 tons, and the were contracted for; and the " Hornet,"

memorandum

of Mr. Perr)"'s at this date has

reference to the launching of the " Atlas," which vessel appears to have

stuck on the ways, and been with difficulty got this

mishap

to the grease not

having been boiled.

occurred this year from the bursting

Mr. Perry

off.

attributes

Another accident also

of the double dock gates, the rush of

in

water being so great as to carry the wing transom of an East Indiaman from the stern of the dock to a considerable distance.

Three merchant ships were also contracted for with Sir Charles Raymond, of \'alentines, Essex, in place of the " Duke of Richmond," " Clive,"

"

and

Company were and when such

Havannah."

It

may

here be mentioned that the East India

habit of chartering vessels practically for a lifetime,

in the

vessels wêre either

worn

out, lost, or otherwise

Company were

unserviceable, their privileges with the

rendered

transferred to other

vessels built to take their places.

This year another ship of war was launched, and the "Devonshire"

1779

Thames " were

same terms as Raymond." The " London," East Indiaman, of 753 tons, was contracted for with Mr. Webb on the same terms as the previous vessel, and the " Harcourt " was contracted for with and

"

contracted for with Mr. Foulis " on the

the three vessels built last year for Sir Charles

Thomas Newt, Esq.

the

;

cases, but the dimensions in

tonnage

not always

is

mentioned

in

these

do not vary much, being generally about 116

length and 36 feet in breadth, that

is

about

3|-

feet

breadths to length.

The "Crown," of 64 gims and 1387 tons, was also contracted for on same terms as the " Belliqueux." On September 7th, Mr. Perry purchased the whole of the Blackwall Yard estate from Henr}- Boulton, together with other property in Poplar, the

for the

sum

of ^8,000, " subject as to the three acres of copyhold enfranchised

to the Charity

The

1780.

"

under Sir Henry Johnson's

Colebrook

"

was contracted

and verbally Charles Foulis contracted "

Thames."

We

have also records

"

The

" Busbridge,"

with Robert Preston, building

the

Esq.,

"Venerable,"

to for

in this

effected to the " Maidstone," 28 guns,

1781.

will."

and

be built for

J. Boulton, Esq.,

another vessel to replace the

year of some heavy repairs being to the " Boston," 32 guns.

East Indiaman, of 771 tons, was contracted for

and

in

this

year was signed the contract for

"Victorious," "Hannibal,"

and "Theseus," of

—

CJifonicles

32

of Blackwall Yard.

74 guns and 1652 tons, vessels which became well known in the naval history of this stirring period, but before their fighting days began they had in common with the other vessels building at the time obtained a very noteworthy position in the financial records of the Yard.

The

declaration of peace in

the early part of 1783, before these contracts were completed, caused no

doubt a great and immediate the

Government was

and consequently were very 1782.

no

in

fall

in

the cost of

all

and labour new vessels,

materials

;

hurry to take possession of their

the profits

on

this

and similar transactions

at the time

large.

George Green, of whom we shall say more presently, came to Blackwall yard at the age of 15, and was apprenticed to his future The "Gorgon" and "Adventure," of father-in-law, Mr. John Perry. 44 guns, were contracted for, and in this year Mr. Perry constructed a this little dock small dock, just large enough to receive one whaling vessel In the year

i

7S2,

;

was many years afterwards altered into a building In an old memorandum book of this date we find the following entry: officers of Woolwich Dockyard two "J. Perry & Co. send to six different slip.

iy8,_

dozen of port and one dozen of Madeira," with the following delicate note and having taken the liberty to send Perry & Co.'s comps. to

:

"J.

acknowledgment for the trouble which they in the course of their engagements subject him to, hope he will excuse the indelicacy of " Victorious," their desiring to know whether it came safe." The 74 guns, was

some wine

as an

Mr. Edward Hunt being surveyor to the navy. The close of the war had naturally put an end for the time to all further contracts launched

this year,

with the

Government

for

new

ships,

and a memorandum book of

from which many of these particulars have been taken, has

J^

this

for the next

years no further entries of such contracts. The year 1784, which has been frequently referred to

in

date

few

connection

with the number of large ships building at this time, is described as having been a very important one in the history of the firm, the tide of business

and Mr. Perry is said to have been almost alarmed at his own success. There was a full revival of trade and prosperity after the accomplishment of American independence, which had been expected to was

at the

full,

ruin English trade entirely.

Mr. Perry Wadington, of Moor Hall, Harlow, the present seat of the Perry family, has

possession a picture of Blackwall Yard taken about

Seven ships are shown upon the stocks, the "Venerable," \'ictorious," " Hannibal," and "Theseus," seventy-fours, the "Gorgon" and

this "

in his

time.

rt

— Chronicles of Blackwall Yard.

"Adventure,"

forty-fours,

"

has just been

Busbridge

"

dock under repair

;

Money Wigram and In the year

1785. 1

786.

Duncan's future

33

and the West Indiaman, "Three Sisters;" the launched, and four other vessels are in dry

a similar picture

is

also in the possession of Messrs.

Sons.

1785 was launched the "Venerable," 74 guns, Lord

Camperdown, and in the following "Hannibal" and '-Theseus" were

flag ship at the battle of

year, her not less

famous

sister vessels

Thomas Slade being surveyor to the navy. The West Indiaman, " Three Sisters," was launched. The "Bombay Castle," of 74 guns, and 1,612 tons, was

launched, Sir 1788. 1789.

launched.

This splendid ship had been built at the sole expense of the Honourable East India Company, and by them presented to His Majesty King George

A

copy of the interesting print representing the launch of this vessel is here given. So magnificent and patriotic a gift significantly shows the noble liberality which has rendered the Honourable India East Company III.

for all time a type of the true

was subsequently engaged In

1789

we

first

The " Bombay Castle Cape of Good Hope.

merchant princes.

in the attack

on the

hear of a commercial dock

Blackwall yard, and the cause of

its

in

"

connection with

being undertaken was as follows

:

Ever

since the time of the great fire in 1666 the port of London had remained entirely unchanged in respect of dock accommodation. The merchants complained loudly of the great inconvenience which they were

forced to endure, and under these circumstances Mr. Perry determined to construct a dock himself.

whom

With the help of Mr. Pouncey, the engineer he employed, he commenced on the 2nd of March, 1789, at his own

expense, the construction of a basin, on the north-east boundary of his yard, intended chiefly for the accommodation and protection of the ships of the

Honourable East India Company. This basin, which in honour of King George he named the Brunswick basin, though by nearly everybody else it was called "Perry's Dock," has an area of about eight acres, and was divided into two parts, each part having its own entrance the one part was intended ;

to receive about thirty of the largest East India ships,

equal

number of smaller

vessels.

At

and the other an

the west end stood the well-known

Mast House, a building 120

feet high,

purpose for

and out of vessels and stowing the

lifting the

masts

in

which, in addition to

its

original

sails

rigging of East Indiamen, served for

and

many years as a conspicuous landmark, regarded with varying interest by the numerous outward and homewardbound vessels which passed continually up and down the river. E


34

The

first

ship masted here on the

25th October,

1791,

was the

"

Lord Macartney," East Indiaman. The whole suit of masts and bowsprit were raised and fixed in 3 hours 40 minutes. This mast house was taken down by the East and West India Dock

Company in 1862. The Southern

quay, which was eleven hundred feet in length, was

supplied with cranes for landing guns and heavy stores, and the East quay

had conveniences

At

blubber from the whale ships, and warehouses

whalebone.

for storing

Mr.

for receiving

the time of

Perr}',

its

construction, this dock, which belonged entirely to

was the only dock of

several at the out ports.

Its

its

kind

London, though there were

in

construction occupied two years, which were to

Mr. Perry two years of the deepest anxiety and but the trouble attending

some years

it

toil

the

;

work was

successful,

laid the foundation of a heart complaint

which

later terminated fatally.

In this year the frigates " Orpheus," of 32 guns, and " Flora," of 36

1790.

On the 8th of November, the was launched, and on the 30th of November the Brunswick Dock was opened for the reception of shipping.

guns, were extensively repaired in the Yard. " Friendship

1

"

The "True

79 1.

voyage is

Briton," of

to the Coast

800

tons.

Captain Farrar, sailed on her

and China, Mr. Robert Wigram being the owner.

reported to have sailed from the Downs,

moorings.

May

20th,

The East

1793.

and

to

3rd,

come

She to

her

have made satisfactory earnings.

India Company's ship,

This ship became famous

February

first

in the

"Warren

Hastings," was launched.

year 1806 on account of a most gallant

action which she fought against the French frigate, " Piedmontese," and

though

was captured, the enemy was forced several times during the engagement, which lasted four hours.

at last the

to haul off

"Warren Hastings

"

This ship was afterwards recaptured by the English.

The

1794.

" Belliqueux," 64, built

year as taking part in the

same

the capture of

;

the yard in

1778,

is

mentioned

San Domingo by Admiral

expedition the " Vêsuvius "

of Martinique of

in

in

bomb

Jervois,

this

and

vessel assisted at the taking

the affair was well planned and succeeded with but

little

loss

life.

This year,

too,

When Howe, upon the ist of June, put the Jacobin And with old England's loud huzzas brought down

he counted among

his line of battle the "

to flight. their godless might,

Theseus,"

74,

and

if

our vessel

is

CO

O X CO kidi

^

-^. ->J—"^*%^

J>^ 'm.'

THt EAST I^DIA DOC tin {raJ^r

mp^'^

>:'

lAtV'Myvn

fhm

licE