Peter Pett facts for kids
Peter Pett (born August 6, 1610 – died 1672) was an important English shipbuilder. He held the title of Master Shipwright, which meant he was a chief builder of ships for the King. He was also the Second Resident Commissioner at Chatham Dockyard, a major place where ships were built and repaired. Peter Pett famously protected his valuable models and drawings of the King's ships during a surprise attack by the Dutch navy. This attack, known as the Raid on the Medway, happened in June 1667 in Kent, during the Second Anglo-Dutch War. It was a very difficult time for the British Royal Navy, but Pett saved important plans.
Contents
Building Great Ships
Early Life and Royal Orders
Peter Pett was the son of Captain Phineas Pett, who was also a Master Shipwright for the King. In 1634, Peter was introduced to King Charles I of England. The King gave him a special order: to build a new ship called HMS Leopard. This ship was meant to be 500 tons in size. While the Leopard was being built, King Charles decided he wanted an even bigger and more decorated ship than any before it.
Constructing the Sovereign of the Seas
Peter Pett took on the huge task of building HMS Sovereign of the Seas. He worked at Woolwich Dockyard, using plans his father had helped create. This ship was one of the largest in the world at that time. The Sovereign weighed 1,637 tons and was launched on October 12, 1637. It took about two years to build this magnificent vessel.
The famous diarist John Evelyn wrote about the Sovereign in 1641. He called it a "monstrous vessel" and said it was the richest ship ever built for its size, defense, and beauty. He noted it carried 100 brass cannons and was an excellent sailing ship.
Peter Pett's Public Service
Becoming a Commissioner
In 1648, Peter Pett became a Commissioner at Chatham Dockyard. This was a very important role in managing the navy's shipbuilding. Even though he had worked for the King, Peter Pett chose to support the Parliament during the English Civil War. Because of this, he kept his job as Commissioner at Chatham Dockyard during the time when England was a Commonwealth (from 1649 to 1660), without a king.
Peter Pett was the only person among the Commonwealth Commissioners who truly understood how to build ships. This meant he was mainly responsible for designing most of the new ships for the navy. By 1649, he also became a Justice of the Peace, helping to keep law and order.
Political Roles and Royal Return
In 1659, Peter Pett was elected as a Member of Parliament (MP) for Rochester. He served in the Third Protectorate Parliament. He was re-elected as an MP for Rochester in 1660 for the Convention Parliament.
Peter Pett was very clever at adapting to the changing political times. After the Civil War, he helped prepare the fleet in Holland to bring King Charles II back to England. His success in this effort helped him build a strong relationship with the new King.
The Medway Attack and Its Aftermath
In 1667, Peter Pett faced serious blame. People accused him of not doing enough to protect the British fleet at Chatham during the Dutch attack. They said he should have moved the biggest ships further up the river to safety. However, many historians today believe it might not have helped, as the Dutch were very strong. Also, Pett likely did not have enough people to move all the ships.
During the official investigation, Pett was asked why he saved his ship models but not the actual ships. He famously replied that the models were more valuable. This made his accusers laugh in disbelief. But Pett believed that without the models, it would be impossible to build new ships, as building from drawings alone was not yet possible.
Peter Pett was fined and lost his job. Many people thought he was made a scapegoat, meaning he was unfairly blamed for the mistakes of higher-ranking officers. The poet Andrew Marvell even wrote a satirical poem about how Pett was blamed for everything that went wrong.
Despite his dismissal, Peter Pett was still quite wealthy. His will, which was made public in 1672, showed he owned many valuable things, including a necklace with over 270 pearls. He also owned large estates in Suffolk, showing he lived comfortably after losing his position.
The Pett Family of Shipbuilders
A Family Tradition
The Pett family had a long history of building ships, going back to the late 1400s. Because so many family members were involved in shipbuilding, it was sometimes hard to tell them apart. Even the Navy Board, which managed the navy, had trouble keeping their records straight!
There were several Peter Petts. The first was a Master Shipwright in the late 1500s. Another Peter Pett, two generations later, was also a Master Shipwright and died in 1652. This Peter had two sons who were also important: Sir Peter, who worked in Ireland, and Sir Phineas Pett, who became a Master Shipwright at Chatham and was knighted in 1680. This Sir Phineas should not be confused with the Commissioner Peter Pett's brother, who was also named Phineas.
At the same time, there were three other Petts named Phineas working for the Navy. One of them was killed in battle in 1666 while commanding a ship called the Tyger. This Phineas was the brother of Commissioner Peter Pett.
