Phases of Development & Chronolo

(NB: A brief chronology for the development of the Dockyard is included below. The Honorary Curator of the Trust, Brian Patterson, is working on a much more comprehensive version that is planned for publication. A copy of a draft version is included for reference purposes at Detailed Chronology.

400 BC The Dockyard would seem to have its origins somewhere near Portchester Castle on part of the site of the ancient British Fortress of Caer Peris. Supposedly named after King Peris who murdered his brother and co-ruler of Ferex after founding the mud-walled fortress in 400 BC.

287 AD The Romans made Caer Peris their main naval base and built Portchester Castle.

875 AD King Alfred’s fleet is thought to have been built in this area using Portchester Castle as his main base.

1194 King Richard Coeur de Lion built the first dock in Portsmouth.

1212 King Join commanded the Sheriff of Southampton to surround his dock at Portsmouth with
a good strong wall for the preservation of his ships in winter.

1265 Portsmouth was burnt and the cargoes in the port were seized by the Barons of the Cinque Ports, who resented the growing importance of Portsmouth.

1495 Robert Brygandine as clerk of the kings ships was the officer in charge of the building of a new dry dock at Portsmouth,

1496 The vessel docked in the new dry dock was the "Sovereigne". She was docked on the 25th May and took one day and night of non-stop work by 140 men who were fed on the job.

1545 Much work in Portsmouth due to the invasion scare. Mary Rose period.

1663 The plague was again in Portsmouth. 250 died in the outbreak, robbing the yard of skilled men and driving shipping away to safer ports.

1627 The Duke of Buckingham made plans for a new stone dock. Not thought to have been progressed.

1648 The Great stone dry dock was begun.

1656 A double dock was built and was to last until the extension of the Great Basin in 1801.

1663 Eight acres were added to the dockyard to provide for a rope house nearly 400 feet long, running parallel to an existing rope house, both of which were destroyed by fire in 1760.

1664 Secretary for the Admiralty sent £20 for the provision of a fire engine. The mast pond was also constructed about this time.

1665 Sir Bernard de Gomme enclosed the dockyard with fortification. The earth works and moat were constructed by Dutch prisoners of war who were paid 3 pence a day above their ration allowance of five pence a day.

1669 A mast house was built by the main gate. Part of it remained until destroyed by fire during the 1939 – 45 war.

1674 The Navy Board ordered the Master Shipwright and the clerk of the cheque to cut the staff of the Dockyard to the following:

Shipwrights 120 Joyners 12

Caulkers 20 Bricklayers 5 Clerk of survey 1

Oakum boys 8 Labourers 10 Pitch heaters 1

Sailmakers 3 Sawyers 2 Ropemakers 18

Blockmakers 7 Instrument to the Master Shipwright (i.e. Clerk)

Teams of horses 1 House carpenters 10

1691 Work began on the 'Wet Dock’, the reservoir under the Blockmills. The great store dock (No. 5 dock) and the great basin (about 2/3rds of No. 1 Basin) and a building slip where No. 3 dock is.

1702 The warrant for the building of the dockyard chapel was signed by the Prince Consort for Queen Anne.

1704 Dockyard men petitioned the Queen to be allowed to erect houses on Portsea Common. Prince Consort sided with the yard men, and the Queen gave her consent The dockyard men named the first; street in Portsea “Frederick Street” in honour of the Prince and the second, “Queen Street” after Queen Anne. The town of Portsea was born.

1711 The Porters lodge by the main gate was built and is the dockyards oldest building.

1727 27 acres were added to the dockyard This is the area where the old building slips were sited.

1729 Stephen Leake visited the yard and remarked "it is more compact than others, and the docks are built of stone, in others they are built of wood."

1732 The Royal Navy Academy was built at a cost of £5,772 as an experiment in the early education of Naval Officers.

1759 There were 2099 men employed in the yard and another 689 employed on ships in ordinary, ie reserve.

1776 Jack the Painter attempts to fire the dockyard, succeeding in burning only the rope house. Jack the Painter alias James Hill, James Hind and John Atkins was eventually caught and hanged from the main mast of the Arethusa which was erected at the Main Gate so mat he might see the destruction he had caused before passing from this world to the next

1785 Completion of the Commissioners house, designed by Samual Wyatt and built by his brother under the supervision of Thomas Telford. Telford's first design is thought to be Short Row built in 1787.

1795 Brigadier General Sir Samuel Bentham, appointed Inspector General of the Dockyard. He introduced steam power, mechanical saws, and the floating caisson, he also built a steam dredging machine. Responsible for extending the Great Ship Basin by 50% and building 1,2 & 3docks. Also introduced the ring fire main.

1797 Bentham installs the first steam engine. The first in any yard H was a 12 H.P. Sadler table engine, later changed to a Watts 20 RP.

1832 The position of Commissioner of the dockyard was abolished and the yard placed under the control of a Rear Admiral who became known as the Admiral Superintendent.

5 acres to the north of Marlborough Gate, forming part of the town of Portsea known as the new buildings, together with 12 acres of mudflats were taken into the dockyard. These areas now occupied by the Steam Basin, No, 2 basin as it is known today.

1852 The Great Steam smithery was opened.

1854 The iron foundary and pattern shop were opened.

1864 Under the Dockyard Act of 1864,180 acres were added to the dockyard 93 of which were mudflats. Wharfage was extended from 5060 ft to over 15000 ft also adding 3 enclosed basins, one tidal basin, 3 docks and 2 locks. The vast project cost an estimated £1,500,000.

1868 The Ropery was closed on 16th May.

1869 The first stone was laid to the Great Extension on llth March by Mrs. Wellesley.

1875 The title of Master Shipwright gave way to that of Chief Constructor. Tidal and repair basins opened May 29th.

1893 The Royal Railway shelter was built on South Railway jetty.

1894 Saw the building of 14 and 15 dry docks.

1904 The Title of Chief Constructor gave way to that of Constructor Manager.

1905 Launch of the Dreadnought by King Edward heralded the start of the Great battleship race between Great Britain and Germany. The Great Factory was built at this time.

1912 Nos. 3,4 and 5 basins were made into one large basin, known now as No. 3 basin. The 250 ton crane on the promontory and 'C’ and 'D’ locks were also constructed in this period.

1915 The Royal Sovereign battleship was launched. She was the last battle ship to be built in the dockyard.

1914-18 During the war years 1200 vessels refitted in dockyard including 40 Battle Cruisers, 25 Cruisers, over 400 Destroyers, 150 Torpedo boats, 140 Trawlers, 20 Submarines. During this period 1658 War Vessels were docked or hauled up slipways for repairs in the Dockyard. Personnel in the Dockyard increased to 23000.

1965-67 HMS Andromeda launched she was the last warship to be built in the dockyard. The dockyard has built nearly 300 ships for the Royal Navy.

1970 1st August, Dockyard Technical College closes after 127 years. 100 students transferred to Highbury Technical College.

1981 5th June, The Secretary of State for Defence announces the rundown of Portsmouth Dockyard and the closure of Chatham Dockyard.

1982 Operation Corporate (Falklands War) 2nd May - 14th June. Nearly a third of the ships involved in the task force were prepared at Portsmouth.

1984 1^st October, the Fleet Maintenance and Repair Organisation took over from the duties of the old Royal Dockyard. Staff reduced to 2800.