Erith Dockyard located at

Erith Erith () is an area in south-east London, England, east of Charing Cross. Before the creation of Greater London in 1965, it was in the historical county of Kent. Since 1965 it has formed part of the London Borough of Bexley. It lies north ...

, Kent, England was an early Tudor naval dockyard operated by the English Navy that opened in 1512. Due to persistent flooding the dockyard closed in 1521.

History

The name Erith comes from the Saxon ‘Earhyth’ meaning muddy landing place. It was traditionally a small port along the

River Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the The Isis, River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the Longest rivers of the United Kingdom, s ...

. In the 16th century

King Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is known for his six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disagreement w ...

established a naval dockyard in Erith. It became a trading hub, as spices and cotton from the East Indies were delivered onto London. A naval storehouse was constructed at Erith in 1512 that was managed by the Keeper of the Kings Storehouses who was one of the Clerks of the Kings Marine a Tudor (naval administrator). Erith Dockyard was used as an advance base for routine maintenance before ships were transferred to

Deptford Dockyard Deptford Dockyard was an important Royal Navy Dockyard, naval dockyard and base at Deptford on the River Thames, operated by the Royal Navy from the sixteenth to the nineteenth centuries. It built and maintained warships for 350 years, and man ...

. It closed due to persistent flooding in 1521. However, according to naval historian Nicholas A. M. Rodger although Erith dockyard closed it was an important center of naval administration of the English Navy from 1514 into the 1540s.

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 The Navy Board (formerly known as the Council of the Marine or Council of the Marine Causes) was the Regulatory agency, commission responsible for the day-to-day civil administration of the Royal Navy between 1546 and 1832. The board was headqua ...

after which he became deputy to the resident commissioner. In 1832 the post of commissioner was usually replaced by the post of admiral superintendent.

Keeper of Kings Storehouse, Erith

Post holders included: # 1512-1524, John Hopton (also Keeper at

) # 1524-1537, William Gonson (ditto)

Ships fitted out at the dockyard

Included: # HMS Trinity Sovereign, also known as HMS Sovereign, an English warship in service built in 1488 and listed until 1521. # HMS Henry Grace à Dieu

Citations

Sources

# Childs, David (March 2010). Tudor sea power : the foundation of greatness. Barnsley, England: Seaforth Pub. . # Oppenheim, Michael (1896). A history of the administration of the royal navy and of merchant shipping in relation to the navy, from MDIX to MDCLX, with an introduction treating of the preceding period. London, New York, J. Lane. # Rodger, N. A. M. (1997). The safeguard of the sea : a naval history of Britain. Vol 1., 660-1649. London, England: Penguin. . {{Royal Navy shore establishments Royal Navy dockyards in England Royal Navy bases in England 1512 establishments in England