if (month<10) month="0"+month [132], A Royal Commission of 1861 (set up in the wake of the Crimean War to improve the sanitary condition of Britain's Army barracks and Hospitals)[133] was scathing in its judgement of facilities at Chatham; in the years that followed several alterations were made to Chatham Barracks (which had changed little over the preceding century): an additional storey was added to several of the barrack blocks to help alleviate overcrowding, and new buildings were inserted among the old, containing improved facilities for cooking, washing and recreation. Read more: All the latest news from Medway. In the years of peace after 1815 Chatham continued to serve as a major embarkation port for troops serving overseas. Anchor Wharf, The Historic Dockyard, 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. My grandad was an electrician working on the submarines and my dad was an engineer. var mydate=new Date() 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. dailyinfo[13]=' Gefreiter Richard STROEBER 12./R.I.R.22 German Army who died 13/04/1918 ERQUINGHEM-LYS CHURCHYARD EXTENSION France ' The decision established Chatham as the country's premier naval industrial complex; nevertheless, concerns were already being raised over its river being prone to silting. [23], Following the appointment of Robert Seppings as Master Shipwright in 1804, iron began to be introduced into the structure of ships being built at Chatham; the following year work began on a new, much larger smithery, commissioned by Samuel Bentham, designed by Edward Holl and fitted out by John Rennie. Clocktower building 1723. 17781783 Further improvements were carried out, to the designs of Captain Hugh Debbeig at the bequest of General Amherst. Use our catalogue to search within the records series listed below. The fire-fighting displays were actually good education for us, as were all the displays of engineering, diving and damage control.Later I went in a group of school cadets to see the launch of the submarine HMS Onslaught, built at Chatham.Whilst a member of the Kent Police Force, I acted as an interpreter for a party of visiting French police officers and their wives and we were shown through the rope-making loft where HMS Victory's ropes had been made. [41] The Georgian site is now a visitor attraction under the care of the Trust: Chatham Historic Dockyard. Chatham dockyard closed in 1984, and 84 acres (34ha) of the Georgian dockyard is now managed as the Chatham Historic Dockyard visitor attraction by the Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust. dailyinfo[5]=' CH/316(S) Private Jack WILSON Chatham Bn. It was completed in 1903. The first battleship to be built on the new No 8 Slip was HMS Africa, launched in 1905; however it also proved to be the last, as it was announced (controversially) that Chatham Dockyard would be unable to accommodate Dreadnoughts. Fred Cordier has worked in the ropery at Chatham Dockyards for over 40 years. The southern building, Store House No 3, completed in 1785, is subdivided with timber lattice partitions as a "lay apart store", a store for equipment from vessels under repair. Starts from. [125], With the failure of Upnor Castle, it was seen necessary to increase the defences. In 1550, a decree was issued to the Lord High Admiral that: all the Kinges shippes should be harborowed in Jillyngham Water saving only those that be at Portsmouth[5], Even prior to this, there is evidence of certain shore facilities being established in the vicinity for the benefit of the King's ships at anchor: there are isolated references from as early as 1509 to the hiring of a storehouse nearby[6] and from 1547 this becomes a fixed item in the Treasurer's annual accounts. Set sail on a voyage of discovery through the Age of Sail at one of Britain's leading maritime herit . Royal Engineers who died 17/04/1916 ARRAS MEMORIAL France ' [120], After the demise of the Board of Ordnance (1855), Ordnance Yards passed under the control of the War Office, and were eventually (in 1891) apportioned to either the Army or the Navy. In 1758, there were 43 pairs of. Dockyard apprentices reunited after 50 years ), 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.Wed Apr 1 19:45:59 2009, Chris Townsend - Now from ChathamI clearly remember visiting Chatham Navy Dockyard during the 1970s as a boy. The Dock would be filled with all types of Naval ships, decked out with flags & crew dressed in their dress uniforms. 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. WIPS & CSR TEAM - Handing over of Old clothes, Books & Toys To Tata Power Mahila Bachat Gat - 20.01.2022. Just ties. [19], Seeking to alleviate this less-than-satisfactory situation, the Navy Board explored options for developing a shore facility with direct access from the open water of the Thames Estuary. 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. He very often told us grandchildren about the work and circumstances during the WW2. [18], One of the disadvantages of Chatham (and also of the Thames-side yards) was their relative inaccessibility for ships at sea (including those anchored in The Nore). Dr. Gilbert Share this specific contribution. As no muster books survive after the mid-19th century you will need to consultsalary and pension records for dockyard workers after that period. Chatham Naval Dockyard, Kent | Educational Images | Historic England Royal Welsh Fusiliers who died 23/04/1918 WARLOY-BAILLON COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION France ' Dockyard personnel documents are usually arranged by yard, so for most searches it is vital to know the name of the yard where the person worked. [128], Within the space of 20 years, Chatham Barracks had taken on an additional role as the Army Dept of Recruits and Invalids: accommodating 'a mixed mass of people, viz. It remained thus until 1958 when the yards were closed (the Army depot having served latterly as an atomic weapons research laboratory). The BBC reserves the right to edit comments submitted. It was envisaged that Basin No 1 would serve as a "repair basin", No 2 as the "factory basin" and No 3 as the "fitting-out" basin; a newly launched ship could therefore enter via the west lock, have any defects remedied in the first basin, have her steam engines and heavy machinery installed in the second, and then be finished, and loaded with coal and provisions, in the third before leaving via the east locks. The grandfather-of-three said: Apart from working together, we used to go out to nightclubs together where most of us met our partners.. Built on the site of what had been the convict prison, the barracks complex could accommodate 4,742 officers and seamen in a series of large blocks built along the length of a terrace. [20] Much of the excavation and building work had been done by convict labour (a convict prison having been built to the north of the dockyard, with the expansion project in mind, in 1853). Recommended Posts. var year=mydate.getYear() Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Chatham Dockyard | Military Wiki | Fandom 09:00 to 17:00. The weekend event was organised by Tony Gray, who at 66 is still working part-time as a consultant. Documents are usually arranged by yard, so for most searches it is vital to know the name of the yard where the person worked. As a result, it was acknowledged by 1771 that Chatham had no future as a front-line fleet base;[20] nevertheless, following a visit by the Admiralty Board in 1773, the decision was taken to invest further in Chatham, and to develop it as a building yard rather than a refitting base. (The covering of Chatham's slipways and dry docks, to protect the woodwork of ships as they were built or repaired, had begun with No 2 Slip and No 1 Dock in 1817). The boys would notice lots of people walking past the phone box, and if someone answered the random call, the group's friend would shout: "Nosy parker!" [21] Building works at Chatham did not compare with the substantial expansions underway at Portsmouth and Plymouth at this time; but the southern part of the yard was significantly redeveloped, with construction of two new storehouses on Anchor Wharf and a major reconfiguration of the ropery. Twelve houses built for senior officers in the Dockyard. Many homes have views of the River Medway. Another top story for the boys is the countless times in 1960s and 70s when their friend would randomly phone a phone box on the site, says Keith Dowrick, 82 from Keyham. We collect and preserve objects related to the Dockyards past and also carry out specific research into the Dockyards rich and varied history. In 1717 the original Storehouse was replaced with the Grand Store (a much larger three-storey building, contemporary with and of a similar style to, the Main Gatehouse in the Dockyard). v3.0, Coopers and Labourers, 1797-1816, yard unknown, Caulkers, Coopers and Ropemakers, 1798-1831, Registers of protections from being pressed, 1794-1815, Civil Establishment of Admiralty and Navy Board (including yard officers), 1694-1832, clerk of cheque and storekeeper responsible for finance and administration, master shipwright responsible for building and repairs, master attendants and boatswain supervised yard craft and boats in ordinary (on reserve), master ropemaker responsible for the ropeyard, the agent victualler (in larger establishments only), Plymouth from 1824 known as Devonport Dockyard (1690-present), Pembroke Dockyard at Pembroke (1815-1947), Jamaica Dockyard also known as Port Royal (c.1675-1905), Kingston Dockyard on Lake Ontario, Canada (1788-1853), Penang Island part of modern day Malaysia also known as Prince of Wales Island (1800s), Port Mahon Dockyard on Minorca (1708-1802). Both my Grandad and my Dad worked there. These are the first standardised industrial buildings. The dates shown represent the tax paid by the Masters for their Apprentices. 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 ledgers: employees, apprentices, etc . I later transfer to The Foundry and on it's closure I was sent to the training school in Kyber Road to train as a Engine Fitter. [25] For the time being, however, marine steam engines were not manufactured on site but were ordered from Thames-based private contractors (along with other associated equipment). Collections at The Historic Dockyard Chatham National World Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved. 20,900 were here. dailyinfo[29]=' 4547 Lance Corporal Albert FERGUSSON 1st Bn. Additionally required were the blockmakers, caulkers, pitch-heaters, blacksmiths, joiners and carpenters, sail makers, riggers, and ropemakers (274), as well as bricklayers, labourers and others. [127] Built on sloping ground east of the Dockyard, the rectangular site (enclosed within its own perimeter wall) consisted of a 'Lower Barracks' with accommodation for the soldiers and 'Upper Barracks' (later known as 'The Terrace') which housed the officers; between the two was a large parade ground. Nicholas, South Africa, last updated: 26/03/2009 at 15:36created: 26/03/2009. 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. [20], In 1897 a new, even longer dry dock was opened on the north side of No 1 Basin: at its opening, this (No 9 Dock) was the largest in the world at 650ft (200m) long by 84ft (26m) wide. This was a somewhat unusual . dailyinfo[1]=' 61365 Private James LAVIN 1st Garrison Bn. Following the success of such early trials with screw propulsion, several older sailing ships were taken into dry dock and retro-fitted with propellers, beginning with HMS Horatio. Lower Boat House circa 1820 built as a storehouse for squared timber, and later to store ship's boats.