Jamaica Dockyard
Jamaica Dockyard also known as Port Royal Dockyard [1] was a British Royal Navy Dockyard located at Port Royal, Jamaica. It was established 1675 and closed in 1905. The dockyard was initially administered by the Navy Board then later the Board of Admiralty.
H.M. Dockyard, Jamaica | |
---|---|
Part of Jamaica Station (1675-1829), North America and West Indies Station, (1830-1905) | |
Port Royal, Jamaica | |
Site information | |
Operator | Royal Navy |
Controlled by | The Navy Board (1675-1832), Board of Admiralty (1832-1905) |
Site history | |
In use | 1675-1905 |
Fate | Naval Heritage Center |
History
In 1675 the British first made use of a wharf at Port Royal and assigned a resident Naval Officer to superintend these facilities;[2]. Following the 1692 earthquake, Port Royal never fully recovered from its preeminent position as a major commercial center. Despite this the dockyard served as the headquarters of the British Royal Navy in the Caribbean. From the eighteenth century until the and nineteenth century, various refurbishments and upgrade work were undertaken to improve its docks, facilities fortifications and. From 1735 new wharves and storehouses were built at this time, as well as housing for the officers of the Yard. Over the next thirty years, more facilities were added: cooperages, workshops, sawpits, and accommodation (including a canteen) for the crews of ships being careened there.[3] by the end of the 18th century a small Victualling Yard had been added to the east of the yard, prior to this ships had had to go to Kingston and other settlements to take on supplies) and in 1817 a Royal Naval Hospital was constructed the west of the yard. The dockyard and continued to be an important naval base until 1905 when it was closed. .[3]
The dockyard was first administered by the Navy Board and later Board of Admiralty until 1869 after which it was administered as part of the Department of the Director Dockyards of the Admiralty. It was a component part of the Jamaica Station until 1830 then part of the North America and West Indies Station until 1838, the finally part of North America and West Indies Station until 1905.[4]
Administration of the dockyard and other key officials
The Master Shipwright was usually the key official at the royal navy dockyards until the introduction of resident commissioners by the Navy Board who were responsible for administrating naval yards; after which he became deputy to the resident commissioner. In 1832 the post of commissioner was usually replaced by the post of admiral superintendent. However the commissioner was replaced later by a Commodore-in-Charge, Jamaica.
Resident Commissioner of the Navy, Jamaica
Post holders included:[6][7][8][9][10][11]
- 1782-1784, Captain Alexander Lambert.
- 1814-1820 , Captain Daniel Woodriffe.
- 1825-1827, Captain Thomas George Shortland.
- 1827-1828, Captain Charles Inglis.
- 1828-1832, Captain Thomas George Shortland.
Commodore in Charge, Naval Establishments Jamaica
- 1838-1839, Commodore, Sir John Strutt Peyton.[15]
- 1839-1842, Commodore, Sir Peter John Douglas.[15]
- 1842-1843, Commodore, Hon. Henry Dilkes Byng.[15]
- 1843-1845, Commodore, Alexander Renton Sharpe.[15]
- 1845-1847, Commodore, Daniel Pring.[15]
- 1848-1851, Commodore, Thomas Bennett.[15]
- 1854-1855, Commodore, Thomas Henderson.[15]
- 1855-1857, Commodore, Henry Kellett.[15]
- 1859-1864, Commodore, Hugh Dunlop.[16]
- 1864-1865, Commodore, Peter Cracroft.[16]
- 1865, Acting Commodore, Algernon F.R. de Horsey. [15]
- 1865-1868, Commodore, F. Leopold McClintock.[16]
- 1868-1869, Commodore, Augustus Phillimore.[16]
- 1869-1872, Commodore, Richard W. Courtenay.[16]
- 1872-1875, Commodore, Algernon F.R. de Horsey.[16]
- 1875-1878, Commodore, Algernon McLennan Lyons. [16]
- 1878-1880, Commodore, Hon. William John Ward.[16]
- 1880-1882, Commodore, William S. Brown.[16]
- 1883-1886, Commodore, Francis Mowbray Prattent.[16]
- 1886-1889, Commodore, Henry Hand.[16]
- 1889, Mar-Aug, Commodore, Edward White.
- 1889-1892, Commodore, Rodney M. Lloyd
- 1892-1895, Commodore, Thomas S. Jackson.
- 1895-1898, Commodore, Herbert W. Dowding.
- 1898-1900, Commodore, William H. Henderson.
- 1900-1901, Commodore, Edward H. M. Davis.
- 1901-1904, Commodore Daniel McNab Riddle.
- 1904-1905, Commodore Frederick. W, Fisher.
Master Shipwright, Jamaica
Post holders included:[17][18][19][20][21][22]
- 1734-1739, James Croucher.
- 1739-1744, George Wales.
- 1744-1747, Thomas Aldersone.
- 1747-1748, Russel Tompkins.
- 1748-1754, Jonathon Bowden.
- 1754-1762, William Jerney.
- 1762-1776, Lionel Beal.
- 1776-1780, John North.
- 1780-1784, Alexander Innes.
- 1784-1793, John Bignall
- 1793-1794, James Smith
- 1814-1820, George Spiller.
- 1820-1827, John Taff.
- 1827-1828 , George Hunter.
Master Attendant, Jamaica
Post holders included:[23][24][25][26][27][28]
- 1728-1731, James Patterson
- 1731-1740, John Cock
- 1779, William Forfar
- 1814-1820 Francis Owen.
- 1820-1825, William Oliver.
- 1825-1828, William White.
- 1901-1905, Henry H. Hatchard
Storekeeper, Jamaica
Post holders included:[29]
- 1727-1729, John Potter.
- 1729 Aug-Sep, Nathaniel Shepherd.
- 1729-1736, Edward Chiles.
- 1736-1745, George Hinde
- 1745-1747, William Campbell.
- 1747-1750, Mathew Wallen.
- 1750/-1770, John Patterson.
- 1770-1775, James Burnett.
- 1775-1780, Samuel Holman.
- 1780, Robert Allen.
Naval Storekeeper, Jamaica
- 1730-1739, Warner Tempest [34]
- 1814-1820, A. N. Yates.
- 1820-1825, Charles H. Smith.
- 1825-1828, Peter Mitch Magnan.
References
- Archives, National (1708–1802). "Royal Naval dockyard staff: Port Royal Dockyard, Jamaica". The National Archives. London, England: The National Archives. Retrieved 9 January 2019.CS1 maint: date format (link)
- "Royal Museums Greenwich research guide".
- Coad, Jonathan (2013). Support for the Fleet: architecture and engineering of the Royal Navy's bases 1700–1914. Swindon: English Heritage.
- Cundall, Frank (1915). Historic Jamaica : With fifty-two illustrations. England: London : Published for the Institute of Jamaica by the West India Committee. p. xxii.
- Harrison, Simon (2010–2018). "Superintendant of the Dockyard at Jamaica Dockyard". threedecks.org. S, Harrison. Retrieved 9 January 2019.CS1 maint: date format (link)
- Harrison, Simon (2010–2018). "Resident Commissioner at Jamaica". threedecks.org. S. Harrison. Retrieved 9 January 2019.CS1 maint: date format (link)
- Clowes, Sir William Laird (1897–1903). The royal navy, a history from the earliest times to the present Volume III (1763-1792). London, England: S. Low Marston. p. 327.CS1 maint: date format (link)
- Office, Admiralty (December 1814). The Navy List. London, England: John Murray. p. 132.
- Office, Admiralty (January 1820). The Navy List. London, England: John Murray. p. 121.
- Office, Admiralty (December 1827). The Navy List. London, England: John Murray. p. 122.
- Office, Admiralty (March 1828). The Navy List. London, England: John Murray. p. 122.
- Harley, Simon; Lovell, Tony (11 November 2018). "Jamaica - The Dreadnought Project". dreadnoughtproject.org. Harley and Lovell. Retrieved 9 January 2019.
- Great Britain, Admiralty (October 1904). "Dockyards". The Navy List. London, England: H.M. Stationery Office. p. 552.
- Great Britain, Admiralty (May 1903). "Dockyards". The Navy List. London, England: H.M. Stationery Office. p. 436.
- Cundall, Frank (1915). Historic Jamaica : With fifty-two illustrations. England: London : Published for the Institute of Jamaica by the West India Committee. p. xxii.
- Mackie, Colin. "Royal Navy Senior Appointments from 1865: Commodore, Jamaica" (PDF). gulabin.com. Colin Mackie,p.172. Retrieved 9 January 2019.
- Harrsion, Simon (2010–2018). "Master Shipwright at Jamaica Dockyard". threedecks.org. S. Harrison. Retrieved 9 January 2019.CS1 maint: date format (link)
- Navy List 1814
- Navy List 1820
- Navy List 1827
- Navy List 1828
- Knight, C. (January 1932). ""CARPENTER" MASTER SHIPWRIGHTS". The Mariner's Mirror. 18 (4): 411–422. doi:10.1080/00253359.1932.10655674.
- Harrison, Simon (2010–2018). "Master Attendant at Jamaica Dockyard". threedecks.org. S. Harrison. Retrieved 9 January 2019.CS1 maint: date format (link)
- Navy List 1814
- Navy List 1820
- Navy List 1827
- Navy List 1828
- Navy List 1903
- Harrison, Simon (2010–2018). "Storekeeper at Jamaica Dockyard". threedecks.org. S. Harrison. Retrieved 9 January 2019.CS1 maint: date format (link)
- Navy List 1814
- Navy List 1820
- Navy List 1827
- Navy List 1828
- Day, John Frederick (23 April 2012). "British Admiralty Control and Naval Power in the Indian Ocean (1793-1815)". University of Exeter. p. 49. Retrieved 12 January 2019.
- Navy List 1904
- Navy List 1904
Sources
- Archives, National (1708–1802). "Royal Naval dockyard staff: Port Royal Dockyard, Jamaica". The National Archives. London, England: The National Archives.
- Coad, Jonathan (2013). Support for the Fleet: architecture and engineering of the Royal Navy's bases 1700–1914. Swindon: English Heritage
- Clowes, Sir William Laird (1897–1903). The royal navy, a history from the earliest times to the present Volume III (1763-1792). London, England: S. Low Marston.
- Cundall, Frank (1915). Historic Jamaica : With fifty-two illustrations. England: London : Published for the Institute of Jamaica by the West India Committee.
- Harley, Simon; Lovell, Tony (2018). "Jamaica - The Dreadnought Project". dreadnoughtproject.org. Harley and Lovell.
- Harrison, Simon; (2010-2018), Jamaica Dockyard. https://threedecks.org.
- Mackie, Colin. (2019), "Royal Navy Senior Appointments from 1865: Commodore, Jamaica". gulabin.com. Colin Mackie.
- Office, Admiralty (December 1814). The Navy List. London, England: John Murray.
- Office, Admiralty (January 1820). The Navy List. London, England: John Murray.
- Office, Admiralty (December 1827). The Navy List. London, England: John Murray.
- Office, Admiralty (March 1828). The Navy List. London, England: John Murray.