Phineas Pett
Encyclopedia
Phineas Pett was a shipwright and a member of the Pett dynasty.
Fuller, in his Worthies of England states: "I am credibly informed that the mystery of Shipwrights for some descents hath been preserved successfully in families, of whom the Petts about Chatham are of singular regard."
It is likely that Robert Holborn, cited as working with Peter Pett of Deptford at this time was a relative of Richard Hoborn
, ‘Cousin of Commissioner Pett’. Peter Pett of Deptford was the son of Peter of Harwich (d.1554). His sister married John Chapman, Master Shipwright, whose own son Richard was born in 1620 and Master Shipwright of Woolwich and Deptford. the shipwright who was to build the ‘Ark’, raised in the Pett household, ‘as in all probability was Mathew Baker
’ with whom, from 1570, Peter Pett was associated in the works at Dover.’
Phineas's father's first wife, Elizabeth Paynter, had given him a daughter, Lydia, and four sons; their mother died around 1543. Peter Pett of Deptford married his second wife Elizabeth Thornton, the sister of Naval Captain Thornton, and they had eight further children. The three sons were Phineas, Peter and Noah. Elizabeth died, the widow of Peter, in 1597.
. By 1601 Phineas had been appointed assistant to the Master Shipwright at Chatham; over the years his good services, particularly in fitting out the Fleet in six weeks, won support for him at court. Phineas Pett first met the King (James I of England
) in 1607, through the good graces of the Earl of Nottingham, William Howard
, the Lord High Admiral, to whom he had presented a model of a ship intended for the young prince Henry
.
Howard thought the mould good enough for the direct attention of the King and arranged for a presentation in the presence of James, and his son the Prince, at Richmond. The model was presented to the Prince at St. James's, "who entertained it with great joy, being purposely made to disport himself withal." King James being likewise impressed and ‘exceedingly delighted with the sight of the model’ placed the task of constructing a full-size replica of the ship in Pett’s charge.
In 1610, Phineas's wife gave birth to their son, Peter, and in the same year, his (step) Aunt Lydia died. In his diary for 1616, he records that he was ‘elected and sworn Master of the Corporation of Shipwrights at our common hall and meeting place at Redriff.’ From sometime around 27 March 1616, Pett expected to profit from a commission by Sir Walter Raleigh
to build him a vessel of 500 tons for 500L. Admiral Howard permitted Pett to lay her keel on the galley dock at Woolwich
, with the consent of King James.
In 1631, he was appointed a commissioner of the King for making "a general survey of the whole navy at Chatham." For this and other works Pett was promoted by Charles to be a principal officer of the Navy, receiving £200 per annum. His patent was sealed on 16 January 1631. In the same year the King, Charles I of England
, visited Woolwich to view the launch of the Vanguard
, which Pett had built. The king honoured Phineas by participating in a banquet at his lodgings. Pett was later the First Commissioner at Chatham and held this same post from 1630 until his death in 1647.
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 21 August, l647."
Besides his obvious skill as a shipwright, Phineas wrote an autobiography
.
Peter Pett
, son of Phineas.
Pett's innovations were perhaps to be finally realized in the designs of his son Peter Pett for the Frigate: a design of English shipwrightry worthy of Baker. Sir Peter Pett
was almost as distinguished as his father. He was the builder of one of the first frigates, 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."
Family background
Born at "Deptford Strond", he was the second son of Peter Pett of Deptford, his elder brother being named Joseph.Fuller, in his Worthies of England states: "I am credibly informed that the mystery of Shipwrights for some descents hath been preserved successfully in families, of whom the Petts about Chatham are of singular regard."
It is likely that Robert Holborn, cited as working with Peter Pett of Deptford at this time was a relative of Richard Hoborn
Richard Hoborn
Richard Hoborn was a shipbuilder of Kent, England during the 17th century.The first reference to him in the "Declared Accounts" of payments to a mastmaker at Chatham Dockyard in Kent is in 1619, when he and William Wyborne were paid "for making with HM materials a new mast," etc. for the Defiance...
, ‘Cousin of Commissioner Pett’. Peter Pett of Deptford was the son of Peter of Harwich (d.1554). His sister married John Chapman, Master Shipwright, whose own son Richard was born in 1620 and Master Shipwright of Woolwich and Deptford. the shipwright who was to build the ‘Ark’, raised in the Pett household, ‘as in all probability was Mathew Baker
Mathew Baker
Mathew Baker was one of the most renowned Tudor shipwrights, and the first to put the practice of shipbuilding down on paper.The first list of 'Master Shipwrights' appointed 'by Patent' by Henry VIII of England included 'John Smyth, Robert Holborn, Richard Bull and James Baker,' in 1537...
’ with whom, from 1570, Peter Pett was associated in the works at Dover.’
Phineas's father's first wife, Elizabeth Paynter, had given him a daughter, Lydia, and four sons; their mother died around 1543. Peter Pett of Deptford married his second wife Elizabeth Thornton, the sister of Naval Captain Thornton, and they had eight further children. The three sons were Phineas, Peter and Noah. Elizabeth died, the widow of Peter, in 1597.
Life of Phineas Pett
On his father's death in 1589, Phineas was left destitute. He had been sent to the Free School at Rochester for three years and then moved to a private school in Greenwich, until in 1586 aged 16 he entered Emmanuel College, CambridgeEmmanuel College, Cambridge
Emmanuel College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge.The college was founded in 1584 by Sir Walter Mildmay on the site of a Dominican friary...
. By 1601 Phineas had been appointed assistant to the Master Shipwright at Chatham; over the years his good services, particularly in fitting out the Fleet in six weeks, won support for him at court. Phineas Pett first met the King (James I of England
James I of England
James VI and I was King of Scots as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the English and Scottish crowns on 24 March 1603...
) in 1607, through the good graces of the Earl of Nottingham, William Howard
William Howard, 1st Baron Howard of Effingham
William Howard, 1st Baron Howard of Effingham , was the eldest son of Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk by his second wife, Agnes Tilney...
, the Lord High Admiral, to whom he had presented a model of a ship intended for the young prince Henry
Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales
Henry Frederick Stuart, Prince of Wales was the elder son of King James I & VI and Anne of Denmark. His name derives from his grandfathers: Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley and Frederick II of Denmark. Prince Henry was widely seen as a bright and promising heir to his father's throne...
.
Howard thought the mould good enough for the direct attention of the King and arranged for a presentation in the presence of James, and his son the Prince, at Richmond. The model was presented to the Prince at St. James's, "who entertained it with great joy, being purposely made to disport himself withal." King James being likewise impressed and ‘exceedingly delighted with the sight of the model’ placed the task of constructing a full-size replica of the ship in Pett’s charge.
In 1610, Phineas's wife gave birth to their son, Peter, and in the same year, his (step) Aunt Lydia died. In his diary for 1616, he records that he was ‘elected and sworn Master of the Corporation of Shipwrights at our common hall and meeting place at Redriff.’ From sometime around 27 March 1616, Pett expected to profit from a commission by Sir Walter Raleigh
Walter Raleigh
Sir Walter Raleigh was an English aristocrat, writer, poet, soldier, courtier, spy, and explorer. He is also well known for popularising tobacco in England....
to build him a vessel of 500 tons for 500L. Admiral Howard permitted Pett to lay her keel on the galley dock at Woolwich
Woolwich
Woolwich is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.Woolwich formed part of Kent until 1889 when the County of London was created...
, with the consent of King James.
In 1631, he was appointed a commissioner of the King for making "a general survey of the whole navy at Chatham." For this and other works Pett was promoted by Charles to be a principal officer of the Navy, receiving £200 per annum. His patent was sealed on 16 January 1631. In the same year the King, Charles I of England
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
, visited Woolwich to view the launch of the Vanguard
HMS Vanguard (1631)
HMS Vanguard was a 40-gun ship of the English Royal Navy, launched in 1631 at Woolwich, and was the second vessel to bear the name. Officially she was rebuilt from the first Vanguard, but likely only shared some of the timber and fittings from the previous ship. By 1660, her armament had been...
, which Pett had built. The king honoured Phineas by participating in a banquet at his lodgings. Pett was later the First Commissioner at Chatham and held this same post from 1630 until his death in 1647.
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 21 August, l647."
Besides his obvious skill as a shipwright, Phineas wrote an autobiography
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
.
Peter Pett
Peter Pett
Peter Pett, was an English Master Shipwright, and Second Resident Commissioner of Chatham Dockyard. He is noted for the incident concerning the protection of his scale models and drawings of the King's Fleet during the Dutch Raid on the Medway, in Kent in June 1667, during the Second Anglo-Dutch...
, son of Phineas.
Pett's innovations were perhaps to be finally realized in the designs of his son Peter Pett for the Frigate: a design of English shipwrightry worthy of Baker. Sir Peter Pett
Peter Pett
Peter Pett, was an English Master Shipwright, and Second Resident Commissioner of Chatham Dockyard. He is noted for the incident concerning the protection of his scale models and drawings of the King's Fleet during the Dutch Raid on the Medway, in Kent in June 1667, during the Second Anglo-Dutch...
was almost as distinguished as his father. He was the builder of one of the first frigates, the Constant Warwick
HMS Constant Warwick
The Constant Warwick was a 32-gun fourth rate frigate which served in the English Royal Navy, built by Peter Pett I at Ratcliff and launched in 1645. She is sometimes regarded as the 'first English frigate', although a number of vessels built or acquired earlier also merit a similar description...
.
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."
See also
- HMS Merhonour (1590)
- Ship naming and launching