David
Hughson, writing in the very early nineteenth century,
believed that the site of Deptford was not even known
to the Romans on account of its marshy situation. He believed
the tides flowing over the greater part of the land drove
the Romans further up the river - which was London's eventual
happiness and Deptford's bad luck (or else this site might
have been about Old Deptford Maps!).
The
ancient name appears to have been Depeford on account
of the ford over the Ravensbourn. Eventually the ford
was replace by a wooden bridge, and that replaced by a
stone edifice in 1628.
Deptford
was the principal seat of Gilbert de Maminot, a norman
baron, in the time of William I. The Maminots apparently
built a castle near Saye's court in Bromfield, on the
banks of the Thames near the Mast Dock - remains were
still visible in the mid-eighteenth century. The manor
passed out of family hands and through into the Saye family,
then to the De La Pole family, and then eventually into
the hands of the Evelyn family.
During
the seventeenth century the Evelyns were very fond of
gardening, and their gardens at Sayes Court close to the
Royal Dock Yard were said to be the envy and admiration
of the age. One of the wonders of the gardens was a magnificent
hedge of holly, some four hundred feet in length, nine
feet nigh, and five wide which "mocked the rudest
assaults of the weather, beasts, or hedge-breakers".
Peter the Great, Tsar of Russia, who stayed at Saye's
Court in the very late seventeenth century while studying
naval architecture, used to enjoy being wheeled through
this hedge in a wheelbarrow (in an effort to annoy his
host, who preferred his hedge over his house-guest).
Saye's
Court was pulled down in 1729, the holly hedge along with
it, and a work house subsequently erected on its site.
Deptford
was also apparently the residence of the Earl of Nottingham,
instrumental in helping destroy the Spanish Armada - he
was supposed to have resided in the Gun Tavern.
During
the eighteenth century Deptford had two hospitals (offering
accommodation rather than clinical care). Both these hospitals
belonged to the corporation of Trinity House. The oldest
of them dated from the time of henry VIII - it was rebuilt
in 1788 adjoining the church yard of st Nicholas, increasing
its apartments from twenty-one to twenty-eight. The New
Hospital was built in the late seventeenth century in
Church Street. This had fifty-six apartments and boasted
a spacious quadrangle, a chapel and a hall. The pensioners
of both hospitals consisted of decayed pilots and masters
of ships, and their widows.
Deptford's
main claim to fame was the Royal Dock Yards. Founded by
Henry VIII, by the eighteenth century it was esteemed
as one of the greatest dock yards in the world. By 1780
the site covered about thirty-one acres, which held a
double and a single wet dock, and three slips, a basin
and two mast ponds. A large smith's shops contained twenty
forges for making anchors. There was also a vast expanse
of workshops and craft shops, and the site employed at
least three thousand labourers.
