Twelve houses built for senior officers in the Dockyard. It was completed in 1903. [10], From the very start of the 18th century, however, Chatham began to be superseded in both size and importance, first by Portsmouth, then Plymouth, when the main naval enemy became France, and the Western approaches the chief theatre of operations. Chatham Dockyard ledgers: employees, apprentices, etc It was not until 1837, however, that steam power was first introduced into the ropery, and the smithery received its first engine (for blowing the forges and powering tilt hammers) in 1841. The main 1930s barracks building is being retained, along with the remaining earlier structures. He was Petty Officer Evan Thomas Ellis MZ205. The building functioned as a "present use store" except for the upper floor, which was a, Sail and Colour Loft 1723. Captain of the Dockyard's House 19th century. dailyinfo[20]=' 3/1423 Private John QUINN 2nd Bn. From projects focused on Dockyard workers to the tragedies suffered during the First World War, we are building up a picture of the role and impact the Dockyard has had over four hundred years. Thus deliveries of victuals, ordnance and other supplies were made by small boats, sailing regularly between Chatham and The Nore. // Stop Define Variables for days of the month Contact Plymouth Live reporter Molly Dowrick: molly.dowrick@reachplc.com, and she'll put you in contact with a member of the group. [134] In 1865, following the opening of new and enlarged hospital facilities in Fort Pitt, the old Garrison Hospital was closed; its buildings (on what is now Maxwell Road) were converted into barracks and named 'Upper Chatham Barracks'[135] (later 'Upper Kitchener Barracks'). Some post-1920s service records for dockyards personnel are held by the Ministry of Defence. The site was first used in 1547, but its busiest period was in the 19th century when 2 ships every year were being launched. It was somewhat unfortunate that, on the one occasion when it was required for actionthe Raid on the Medway, 1667the Dutch fleet were able to sail right past it to attack the English fleet and carry off the pride of the fleet, HMS Royal Charles, back to the Netherlands. Co Live Sunrise Narendra 1, Purnima Niwas, 3rd Main Rd, Doddanekundi, Doddanekkundi, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560037, India. Brian said: "Chatham was more strict, you'd have to do your tie up and you couldn't roll up your sleeves.". 09:00 to 17:00. that I have asked my family to see that my ashes are scattered on the Medway besides the Dockyard,using a trip on the Paddlesteamer-"Kingswear Castle" to carry out this task. PDF This list of apprentices, both craft and technician, was extracted from Early History of the Royal Yards and the original Dockyard of Chatham chap 1 1 The New Dockyard 7 Ship List, 1586- 1660 13 Notes on the Rating and Tonnage of Ships 15 Estimate of Costs for a 3rd-rate 16 . var year=mydate.getYear() The subalterns were given one room each, the captains two, and field officers four. The White Yarn House to store the yarn before it was tarred to prevent rot. Mr Elgar, 66, who lives in Hoo St Werburgh, was transferred to the naval base at Devenport after the Chatham closure in March 1984. [35] During World War I, twelve submarines were built here, but when hostilities ceased, uncompleted boats were scrapped and five years passed before a further ship was launched. Another member of the group, Brian Booker, 76, moved to Plymouth from Chatham in the South East and joined the dockyard in 1984, working there for six years before taking early retirement to care for his wife. Of his cartoon he adds: I hope it brings a little humour to what was the sad demise of a truly much-loved local radio station.. dailyinfo[10]=' 837119 Gunner Alexander BROOKS Military Medal "A" Bty. dailyinfo[29]=' 4547 Lance Corporal Albert FERGUSSON 1st Bn. In 1782, an, 18701892 A number of forts built at a greater distance from the dockyard: Forts, Resident Commissioner, Cadiz Yard, (1694), This page was last edited on 18 March 2023, at 23:48. My Grandad had already retired by the time the Dockyard was due to close." In addition, the Medway had begun to silt up, making navigation more difficult (especially as the Navy's ships were getting larger). Buy from bookshop. ), electric & acetylene welding and the Blacksmiths shop.In travelling along Dock Road my memories go back to the check-in booths where we were checked against our photo and a recent trip along Luton Road recalled the many hours spent at the Dockyard Apprentices Club.At one stage in my Naval career, I served as a Shipwright Training Instructor at H.M.S Caledonia at Rosyth in Scotland where the Naval Shipwright training was subsequently transferred I have many more memories, too many to relate here but I hope these will be sufficient to remind others reading this of happy times spent in the Dockyard. Under his supervision the site was developed to include sawpits, workshops, storehouses and a wharf with a treadmill crane (completed in 1580). [24] Among other things, the use of iron in ship construction enabled larger vessels to be built, and between 1836 and 1851 Chatham gained five new covered slipways, much larger in scale than the ones they replaced. Royal Field Artillery who died 10/05/1918 VIEILLE-CHAPELLE NEW MILITARY CEMETERY, LACOUTURE France ' Poland, 5 September 1950 May 1951, Rear-Admiral John Y. Thompson: October 1958 February 1961, Rear-Admiral I.William T. Beloe: February 1961 December 1963, Rear-Admiral George M.K. dailyinfo[11]=' Reservist Paul GROLIK 5./I.R.62 German Army who died 11/05/1917 EBBLINGHEM MILITARY CEMETERY France ' These records are not available to view online so to see them you willhave to either visit us in Kew or, if you can locate document references, order copies. Daniel Defoe (c. 1660 1731), visiting the yard in 1705, also spoke of its achievements with an almost incredulous enthusiasm: So great is the order and application there, that a first-rate vessel of war of 106 guns, ordered to be commissioned by Sir Cloudesley Shovell, was ready in three days. [42], The easternmost basin (Basin No 3) was handed over to the Medway Ports authority and is now a commercial port (Chatham Docks). Powered by Invision Community, Chatham Dockyard ledgers: employees, apprentices, etc, The West Africa squadron in the 1840s; naval medicine; First World War, especially in poetry, art and fiction, GWF is free to use so please support the Forum. Chatham Dockyard Apprentices Careening took place on the river, according to a Privy Council instruction of 1550;[7] for more specialised repairs and maintenance, however, ships would have had to travel to one of the purpose-built royal dockyards (the nearest being those on the Thames: Deptford and Woolwich). Most significantly, Chatham's first dry dock was opened in 1581 (for repairing naval galleys). Among the earliest for Chatham was Upnor Castle, built in 1567, on the opposite side of the River Medway. [34] Also with the 20th century came the submarine. [24] By 1861, No 1 Dock had been filled in and a machine shop constructed in its place for heating, bending and planing armour plate for HMS Achilles which was being built alongside. The 'old boys' who were recorders in the Dockyard and still meet up for a pint. The first steam-powered ship to be laid down at Chatham was HMS Phoenix, one of four paddle steamers built concurrently across the royal dockyards in the early 1830s, each designed by a different leading shipwright. [20], Among the vessels built in this Dockyard which still exist are HMSVictory (launched in 1765 and now preserved at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard)[22] and HMSUnicorn (a Leda-class frigate), launched in 1824 and now preserved afloat at Dundee). The Marines were withdrawn from Chatham in 1950, and the buildings were later demolished. R.N. Visit Of 26th Sub LT Tech (LOG) Course of SriLankan Navy on 22 . [37] (In the event, the barracks were reprieved and repurposed rather than being closed at this stage. The yard would have received, stored and issued cannons and gun-carriages (along with projectiles, accoutrements and also all manner of small arms) for ships based in the Medway, as well as for local artillery emplacements and for army use. The Queens (Royal West Surrey Regiment) who died 15/04/1915 CHOCQUES MILITARY CEMETERY France ' They went to work the day after the new rule, with 'no shirt and no vest'. It made do with a single shipbuilding slip for much of the 17th century (a second slip, dating from the same period, had fallen out of use; it was replaced in the 1730s). [110], On 5 September 1971 all Flag Officers of the Royal Navy holding positions of Admiral Superintendents at Royal Dockyards were redesignated as Port Admirals. Ron Edwards. The first submarine to be built at a royal dockyard was HMSC17, launched from the covered No 7 Slip in 1908 and then fitted out in No 2 Dock; five more of the same class followed, C18, C19, C20, C33 and C34. What's for dinner? Use our catalogue to search within the records series listed below. The chances of finding someone by name within this series are steadily improving as details are added to the online catalogue as part of the Navy Board cataloguing project. [17] In 1686 two new dry docks were built, in addition to the old single and double dry docks; all four were rebuilt and expanded at various points in subsequent centuries (the double dock having been converted into a single dock in 1703). Honourable Artillery Company who died 29/04/1917 ARRAS MEMORIAL France ' There was space for some 500 horses and 1,000 men. Lancashire Fusiliers who died 25/04/1915 HELLES MEMORIAL Turkey (including Gallipoli) ' [124], During the wars with Spain it was usual for ships to anchor at Chatham in reserve; consequently John Hawkins threw a massive chain across the River Medway for extra defence in 1585. We'd like to use additional cookies to remember your settings and understand how you use our services. The ground floor were built as offices, the first floor contained reception rooms with bedrooms above. Three decades after the last tradesmen laid down their tools, three ex-workers tell their story. He said: It was second to none. [10], The renowned Tudor shipwright Mathew Baker was appointed to Chatham in 1572 (though he was primarily based at Deptford). [20] Holl's smithery was itself enlarged with the addition of a foundry in the 1850s, and its courtyard was roofed over for a steam hammer shop in 1865. Regards Roger Haffenden. Amazingly, a group of Plymouth grandads meet every six weeks at the pub to catch-up with each other, remember their friends who are no longer here and reminisce about the incredible camaraderie they experienced in the dockyard. This website and its associated newspaper are members of the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). For Joe, being in the dockyard was tradition. When Achilles, for example, had been completed and floated out of dry dock, she spent almost a year moored in Gillingham Reach, where not only her engines, boilers, funnels and a 2.5-long-ton (2.54t) propeller, but also masts, sails, rigging, guns, coal, food, ammunition and furnishings were either loaded or installed. [20], No 1 Basin was officially opened in 1871, with HMS Invincible being brought into No 5 Dock for repairs, with great ceremony. For England this will usually mean one ofthe following six Royal Navy dockyards (the years in brackets are opening and closing dates): For details of more Royal Navy dockyards, both in the UK and overseas, see the Appendix. Pembroke Royal Navy who died 18/04/1918 GILLINGHAM (WOODLANDS) CEMETERY, KENT United Kingdom ' A lot of the 'boys' worked in the dockyard for over thirty years, from the 50s to 80s, but still remember their times fondly, as if they were last week. var daym=mydate.getDate() Paul Makin | Engine Fitter Apprentice Apprentices of Chatham Dockyard - Particularly 1956 to 1961. The permanent residents were the dockyard men. In 1832 the post of commissioner was replaced by the post of superintendent, who was invested with the same power and authority as the former commissioners, "except in matters requiring an Act of Parliament to be submitted by the Commissioner of the Navy". Most of us went on to get good, highly-paid jobs.". Chatham's yard was split in two, the area south of the Storekeeper's House becoming an Army Ordnance Store, and the rest a Navy Ordnance Store. [20], At the same time, moves were being made towards the application of steam power to ship propulsion. At its height, it employed over 10,000 skilled artisans and covered 400 acres (1.6km2). Chatham Dockyard was a Royal Navy Dockyard located on the River Medway in Kent.Established in Chatham in the mid-16th century, the dockyard subsequently expanded into neighbouring Gillingham (at its most extensive, in the early 20th century, two-thirds of the dockyard lay in Gillingham, one-third in Chatham).. 'Everything had to be done by 4pm on Fridays', which made Fridays quite manic and stressful at times, they said. The dockyard closed in the 1980s and is now a museum. In its early days, dockyards such as Chatham were the largest industrial centres in the world. Div Royal Marine Light Infantry who died 05/05/1915 HELLES MEMORIAL Turkey (including Gallipoli) ' Our Collections Team has recently begun the process of digitising our collection and we are gradually adding new objects to our digital resources. These were designed by Captain, No 7 Slip is one of the earliest examples of a modern metal, No 2 Dry Dock 1856 was built on the site of "The Old Single Dock" where HMS, No 3 Dry Dock 1820, the first to be constructed of stone, was designed by, No 4 Dry Dock 1840 was built on the site of one of a parallel pair of docks built in 1686 (the second of which was converted into the adjacent slipway, No. We place some essential cookies on your device to make this website work. Brian and John remember their Devonport Dockyard wage: 2 6s 2d a week (about 2.32), with no overtime for apprentices, but said at the time they were well looked after. v3.0, except where otherwise stated, 3. This building retains it original structure and roof glazing. There was an Army hospital at Chatham too. BBC - Kent - Message Board - Chatham Dockyard remembered During their time together, he and his colleagues gelled and enjoyed years of "tomfoolery" and were sometimes reprimanded by trainers for their pranks. Today the range of buildings and structures . One of the boys' favourite moments is the time they bent the new uniform rules. n There was a great reaction to my picture here of some of the old Radio Victory presenters. [136] The new development has retained the name Kitchener Barracks. This is a story of the creation of the Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust and its history, from Elizabethan origins to fleet base and shipbuilding yard . Also, is it definitely RNH? Extended in connection with preparations for HMS, No 1 Machine Shop 1861. dailyinfo[21]=' Lieutenant Colonel John Michell CLARKE Royal Army Medical Corps who died 21/04/1918 BRISTOL (CANFORD) CEMETERY United Kingdom ' - Nicola, Chatham, "I entered the Dockyard on the 5th May 1967 as a Pattern Maker Apprentice. Some Great War periods covered in these newly-transcribed records: https://thedockyard.co.uk/the-collections/ledgers/. He knows some have passed away but apart from his mate, Trevor Woodhouse, he is having difficulty in tracing some of them. Ultimately they meet up to share their dockyard memories and amusing stories. It is, Commissioner's Garden dating from 1640. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. By chance, about 4 or 5 years ago, while on rota on the Visitor Operations team at The Historic Dockyard Chatham I had a conversation with a visitor who had been the Master of HL7025 in service. Chatham, [20], View down the length of the former No 7 Dock towards No 1 Basin (now Chatham Marina), Remains of No 8 Machine Shop with No 1 Boiler Shop behind it, Dock pumping station (its 80ft chimney, formerly on the plinth to the right, has been removed), The Commissioner of Chatham Dockyard held a seat and a vote on the Navy Board in London. Money was only made available for one such installation, however, and Chatham (as the principal building yard at this time) was chosen as its location. The development is called "Chatham Waters". My son got good qualifications and worked in Formula 1 racing. A good many were engaged in manning the defences, but some had other duties; others were accommodated there for convenience prior to embarking on ships for duties overseas, or following their disembarkation. Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust cares for over 70,000 objects in its collection ranging from archaeology, rigging, hand tools, machinery to fine art and photography. Nobody ever had it as good as we did - and nobody will ever have it as good as we did.". [20] The docks varied from 160ft (49m) to 186ft (57m) in length. Royal Engineers who died 17/04/1916 ARRAS MEMORIAL France ' Though I have been on visits it's just not the same!" Now complete, the project provides a new accessible Reading Room and much improved conditions for our books and archive collections, alongside new volunteer and conservation facilities. In spite of this in June 1981, it was announced to Parliament that the dockyard would be run down and closed in 1984. Initially a purpose-built 'steam factory' was planned, but following the closure of Woolwich Dockyard in 1869 a number of slip covers were removed from that site and re-erected at the head of the new dry docks to serve as factories for building and fitting engines and for boilermaking. I am 82 years of age and was a Naval Shipwright Apprentice (Dockyard number 21413) in Chatham Dockyard from 1941 until 1945. [115], An Ordnance Yard was established in the 17th century immediately upriver of the Dockyard (on the site of the original Tudor yard, vacated in 1622). It was 50 years ago these former Chatham Dockyard apprentices met for the first time. dailyinfo[3]=' 3747 Flight Serjeant Reginald Tom PARRY Air Force Medal 15th Aircraft Acceptance Park Royal Air Force who died 03/05/1919 WELSH NEWTON (ST. MARY) CHURCHYARD United Kingdom ' Prices may vary with room occupancy and attributes. Welsh Regiment who died 31/03/1918 KARASOULI MILITARY CEMETERY Greece ' London Regiment who died 08/05/1915 PLOEGSTEERT MEMORIAL Belgium ' Trying to find the right nursery, school, college, university or training provider in Kent or Medway? The Dock would be filled with all types of Naval ships, decked out with flags & crew dressed in their dress uniforms. Regards Roger Haffenden. Mr Gray, who lives in Portsmouth, remarked on the differences which have taken place at the dockyard over the decades. Chatham Historic Dockyard | Historic England - David, Germany, "From 1980-1984 I sold newspapers on board all the ships that docked in the yard, I was a young lad of 11 when I started, and only stopped after my father was transferred to Plymouth Dockyard in 1985. Wed Apr 8 12:02:25 2009. "The Dockyard holds lots of memories for me.. A primary school (St. Mary's CofE) and a medical centre provide facilities for the residents and there are attractive walks around the Island. Undoubtedly there are countless memories and stories from the dockyard, particularly 'the bygone era' of the 1950s and 1960s, when times were very different, but many of them don't get recorded or spoken about. Chatham Dockyard - Wikipedia [36] The Historic Dockyard Chatham: Views of a former apprentice 45 years on ! 1st Floor North, Fitted Rigging House See our research guides on Royal Navy ratings and Royal Navy warrant officers for more information. Back in the day, the gentlemen, who are aged between 79 and 86, were pranksters! It normally took place approx 4 . I remember being in awe of the sheer size of it and the amount of hustle and bustle that was all about. Not long afterwards a large new single-storey Carriage Store, with a long frontage parallel to the river, was constructed, adjoining the Storekeeper's House to the south.
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