men of invention and industry-第8章

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his　old　position。　　He　was　also　engaged　in　determining　the　best

mode　of　measuring　the　tonnage　of　ships。＇31＇　Four　years　later　he

was　again　appointed　a　commissioner　for　making　〃a　general　survey

of　the　whole　navy　at　Chatham。〃　　For　this　and　his　other　services

the　King　promoted　Pett　to　be　a　principal　officer　of　the　Navy；

with　a　fee　of　200L。　per　annum。　　His　patent　was　sealed　on　the　16th

of　January；　1631。　　In　the　same　year　the　King　visited　Woolwich　to

witness　the　launching　of　the　Vanguard；　which　Pett　had　built；　and

his　Majesty　honoured　the　shipwright　by　participating　in　a　banquet

at　his　lodgings。



From　this　period　to　the　year　1637；　Pett　records　nothing　of

particular　importance　in　his　autobiography。　　He　was　chiefly

occupied　in　aiding　his　son　Peterwho　was　rapidly　increasing　his

fame　as　a　shipwrightin　repairing　and　building　first…class　ships

of　war。　　As　Pett　had；　on　an　early　occasion　in　his　life；　prepared

a　miniature　ship　for　Prince　Henry；　eldest　son　of　James　I。；　he　now

proceeded　to　prepare　a　similar　model　for　the　Prince　of　Wales；　the

King's　eldest　son；　afterwards　Charles　II。　　This　model　was

presented　to　the　Prince　at　St。　James's；　〃who　entertained　it　with

great　joy；　being　purposely　made　to　disport　himself　withal。〃　　On

the　next　visit　of　his　Majesty　to　Woolwich；　he　inspected　the

progress　made　with　the　Leopard；　a　sloop…of…war　built　by　Peter

Pett。　　While　in　the　hold　of　the　vessel；　the　King　called　Phineas

to　one　side；　and　told　him　of　his　resolution　to　have　a　great　new

ship　built；　and　that　Phineas　must　be　the　builder。　　This　great　new

ship　was　The　Sovereign　of　the　Seas；　afterwards　built　by　Phineas

and　Peter　Pett。　　Some　say　that　the　model　was　prepared　by　the

latter；　but　Phineas　says　that　it　was　prepared　by　himself；　and

finished　by　the　29th　of　October；　1634。　　As　a　compensation　for　his

services；　his　Majesty　renewed　his　pension　of　40L。　（which　had　been

previously　stopped）；　with　orders　for　all　the　arrears　due　upon　it

to　be　paid。



To　provide　the　necessary　timber　for　the　new　ship；　Phineas　and　his

son　went　down　into　the　North　to　survey　the　forests。　　They　went

first　by　water　to　Whitby；　from　thence　they　proceeded　on　horseback

to　Gisborough　and　baited；　then　to　Stockton；　where　they　found　but

poor　entertainment；　though　they　lodged　with　the　Mayor；　whose

house　〃was　only　a　mean　thatched　cottage！〃　　Middlesborough　and　the

great　iron　district　of　the　North　had　not　yet　come　into　existence。



Newcastle；　already　of　some　importance；　was　the　principal　scene　of

their　labours。　　The　timber　for　the　new　ship　was　found　in　Chapley

Wood　and　Bracepeth　Park。　　The　gentry　did　all　they　could　to

facilitate　the　object　of　Pett。　　On　his　journey　homewards　（July；

1635）；　he　took　Cambridge　on　his　way；　where；　says　he；　〃I　lodged　at

the　Falcon；　and　visited　Emmanuel　College；　where　I　had　been　a

scholar　in　my　youth。〃



The　Sovereign　of　the　Seas　was　launched　on　the　l2th　of　October；

1637；　having　been　about　two　years　in　building。　　Evelyn　in　his

diary　says　of　the　ship　（l9th　July；　1641）：…　〃We　rode　to　Rochester

and　Chatham　to　see　the　Soveraigne；　a　monstrous　vessel　so　called；

being　for　burthen；　defence；　and　ornament；　the　richest　that　ever

spread　cloth　before　the　wind。　　She　carried　100　brass　cannon；　and

was　1600　tons；　a　rare　sailer；　the　work　of　the　famous　Phineas

Pett。〃　　Rear…Admiral　Sir　William　Symonds　says　that　she　was

afterwards　cut　down；　and　was　a　safe　and　fast　ship。＇32＇



The　Sovereign　continued　for　nearly　sixty　years　to　be　the　finest

ship　in　the　English　service。　　Though　frequently　engaged　in　the

most　injurious　occupations；　she　continued　fit　for　any　services

which　the　exigencies　of　the　State　might　require。　　She　fought　all

through　the　wars　of　the　Commonwealth；　she　was　the　leading　ship　of

Admiral　Blake；　and　was　in　all　the　great　naval　engagements　with

France　and　Holland。　　The　Dutch　gave　her　the　name　of　The　Golden

Devil。　　In　the　last　fight　between　the　English　and　French；　she

encountered　the　Wonder　of　the　World；　and　so　warmly　plied　the

French　Admiral；　that　she　forced　him　out　of　his　three…decked

wooden　castle；　and　chasing　the　Royal　Sun；　before　her；　forced　her

to　fly　for　shelter　among　the　rocks；　where　she　became　a　prey　to

lesser　vessels；　and　was　reduced　to　ashes。　　At　last；　in　the　reign

of　William　III。；　the　Sovereign　became　leaky　and　defective　with

age；　she　was　laid　up　at　Chatham；　and　being　set　on　fire　by

negligence　or　accident；　she　burnt　to　the　water's　edge。



To　return　to　the　history　of　Phineas　Pett。　　As　years　approached；

he　retired　from　office；　and　〃his　loving　son；〃　as　he　always

affectionately　designates　Peter；　succeeded　him　as　principal

shipwright；　Charles　I。　conferring　upon　him　the　honour　of

knighthood。　　Phineas　lived　for　ten　years　after　the　Sovereign　of

the　Seas　was　launched。　　In　the　burial　register　of　the　parish　of

Chatham　it　is　recorded；　〃Phineas　Pett；　Esqe。　and　Capt。；　was

buried　21st　August；　l647。〃＇33＇



Sir　Peter　Pett　was　almost　as　distinguished　as　his　father。　　He　was

the　builder　of　the　first　frigate；　The　Constant　Warwick。　　Sir

William　Symonds　says　of　this　vessel：　〃She　was　an　incomparable

sailer；　remarkable　for　her　sharpness　and　the　fineness　of　her

lines；　and　many　were　built　like　her。〃　　Pett　〃introduced　convex

lines　on　the　immersed　part　of　the　hull；　with　the　studding　and

sprit　sails；　and；　in　short；　he　appears　to　have　fully　deserved　his

character　of　being　the　best　ship　architect　of　his　time。〃＇34＇　Sir

Peter　Pett's　monument　in　Deptford　Old　Church　fully　records　his

services　to　England's　naval　power。



The　Petts　are　said　to　have　been　connected　with　shipbuilding　in

the　Thames　for　not　less　than　200　years。　　Fuller；　in　his　'Worthies

of　England；'　says　of　them〃I　am　credibly　informed　that　that

mystery　of　shipwrights　for　some　descents　hath　been　preserved

faithfully　in　families；　of　whom　the　Petts　about　Chatham　are　of

singular　regard。　　Good　success　have　they　with　their　skill；　and

carefully　keep　so　precious　a　pearl；　lest　otherwise　amongst　many

friends　some　foes　attain　unto　it。〃



The　late　Peter　Bolt；　member　for　Greenwich；　took　pride　in　being

descended　from　the　Petts；　but　so　far　as　we　know；　the　name　itself

has　died　out。　　In　1801；　when　Charnock's　'History　of　Marine

Architecture'　was　published；　Mr。　Pett；　of　Tovil；　near　Maidstone；

was　the　sole　representative　of　the　family。





Footnotes　for　Chapter　I。



＇1＇　This　was　not　the　first　voyage　of　a　steamer　between　England

and　America。　　The　Savannah　made　the　passage　from　New　York　to

Liverpool　as　early　as　1819；　but　steam　was　only　used　occasionally

during　the　voyage；　In　1825；　the　Enterprise；　with　engines　by

Maudslay；　made　the　voyage　from　Falmouth　to　Calcutta　in　113　days；

and　in　1828；　the　Curacoa　made　the　voyage　between　Holland　and　the

Dutch　West　Indies。　　But　in　all　these　cases；　steam　was　used　as　an

auxiliary；　and　not　as　the　one　essential　means　of　propulsion；　as

in　the　case　of　the　Sirius　and　the　Great　Western；　which　were　steam

voyages　only。



＇2＇　〃In　1862　the　steam　tonnage　of　the　country　was　537；000　tons；

in　1872；　it　was　1；537；000　tons；　and　in　1882；　it　had　reached

3；835；000　tons。〃Mr。　Chamberlain's　speech；　House　of　Commons；

19th　May；　1884。



＇3＇　The　last　visit　of　the　plague　was　in　1665。



＇4＇　Roll　of　Edward　the　Third's　Fleet。　　Cotton's　Library；　British

Museum。



＇5＇　Charnock's　History　Of　Marine　Architecture；　ii。　89。



＇6＇　State　Papers。　　Henry　VIII。　　Nos。　3496；　3616；　4633。　　The

principal　kinds　of　ordnance　at　that　time　were　these：The

〃Apostles；〃　so　called　from　the　head　of　an　Apostle　which　they

bore；　〃Curtows；〃　or　〃Courtaulx〃；　〃Culverins〃　and　〃Serpents〃；

〃Minions；〃　and　〃Potguns〃；　〃Nurembergers；〃　and　〃Bombards〃　or

mortars。



＇7＇　The　sum　of　all　costs　of　the　Harry　Grace　de　Dieu　and　three

small　galleys；　was　7708L。　5s。　3d。　　（S。P。O。　No。　5228；　Henry　VIII。）



＇8＇　Charnock；　ii。　47　（note）。



＇9＇　Macpherson；　Annals　of　Commerce；　ii。　126。



＇10＇　The　Huguenots：　their　Settlements；　Churches；　and　Industries；

in　England　and　Ireland；　ch。　iv。



＇11＇　Macpherson；　Annals　of　Commerce；　ii。　156。



＇12＇　Ibid。　ii。　85。



＇13＇　Picton's　Selections　from　the　Municipal　Archives　and　Records

of　Liverpool；　p。　90。　　About　a　hundred　years　later；　in　1757；　the

gross　customs　receipts　of　Liverpool　had　increased　to　198；946L。；

whilst　those　of　Bristol　were　as　much　as　351；211L。　　In　1883；　the

amount　of　tonnage　of　Liverpool；　inwards　and　outwards；　was

8；527；531　tons；　and　the　total　dock　revenue　for　the　year　was

1；273；752L。！



＇14＇　There　were　not　only　Algerine　but　English　pirates　scouring

the　seas。　　Keutzner；　the　German；　who　wrote　in　Elizabeth's　reign；

said；　〃The　English　are　good　sailors　and　famous　pirates　（sunt　boni

nautae　et　insignis　pyratae）。〃　　Roberts；　in　his　Social　History　of

the　Southern　Counties　（p。　93）；　observes；　〃Elizabeth　had　employed

many　English　as　privateers　against　the　Spaniard。　　After　the　war；

many　were　loth　to　lead　an　inactive　life。　　They　had　their

commissions　revoked；　and　were　proclaimed　pirates。　　The　public

looked　upon　them　as　gallant　fellows；　the　merchants　gave　them

underhand　support；　and　even　the　authorities　in　maritime　towns

connived　at　the　sale　of　their　plunder。　　In　spite　of

proclamations；　during　the　first　five　years　after　the　accession　of

James　I。；　there　were　continual　complaints。　　This　lawless　way　of

life　even　became　popular。　　Many　Englishmen　furnished　themselves

with　good　ships　and　scoured　the　seas；　but　little　careful　whom

they　might　plunder。〃　　It　was　found　very　difficult　to　put　down

piracy。　　According　to　Oliver's　History　of　the　city　of　Exeter；　not

less　than　〃fifteen　sail　of　Turks〃　held　the　English　Channel；

snapping　up　merchantmen；　in　the　middle　of　the　seventeenth

century！　　The　harbours　in　the　south…west　were　infested　by　Moslem

pirates；　who　attacked　and　plundered　the　ships；　and　carried　their

crews　into　captivity。　　The　loss；　even　to　an　inland　port　like

Exeter；　in　ships；　money；　and　men；　was　enormous。



＇15＇　Naval　Tracts；　p。　294。



＇16＇　This　poem　is　now　very　rare。　　It　is　not　in　the　British

Museum。



＇17＇　There　are　three　copies　extant　of　the　autobiography；　all　of

which　are　in　the　British　Museum。　　In　the　main；　they　differ　but

slightly　from　each　other。　　Not　one　of　them　has　been　published　in

extenso。　　In　December；　1795；　and　in　February；　1796；　Dr。　Samuel

Denne　communicated　to　the　Society　of　Antiquaries　particulars　of

two　of　these　MSS。；　and　subsequently　published　copious　extracts

from　them　in　their　transactions　（Archae。　xii。　anno　1796）；　in　a

very　irregular　and　careless　manner。　　It　is　probable　that　Dr。

Denne　never　saw　the　original　manuscript；　but　only　a　garbled　copy

of　it。　　The　above　narrative　has　been　taken　from　the　original；　and

collated　with　the　documents　in　the　State　Paper　Office。



＇18＇　See；　for　instance；　the　Index　to　the　Journals　of　Records　of

the　Corporation　of　the　City　of　London　（No。　2；　p。　346；　15901694）

under　the　head　of　〃Sir　Walter　Raleigh。〃　　There　is　a　document

dated　the　15th　November；　1593；　in　the　35th　of　Elizabeth；　which

runs