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The Royal Hospital for Seamen, Greenwich: 'A Refuge for All'

'The darling object'

Queen Mary II (1662-1694). © NMM

Mary and her Dutch husband William took over the throne from her father after the ‘Glorious Revolution’ of 1688. James was exiled and fled to France.

In 1692 the joint monarchs removed the threat of him invading and regaining the crown with a victory over the French fleet. However, their own ships returned to Portsmouth with heavy casualties.

King William III (1650-1702). © NMM

The Queen sent down 50 surgeons, £30,000 in bounty for the crews and requested that the Treasury make 'the grant of Greenwich as a hospital for Seamen, which is now depending before you'.

Her gesture backed a 1691 naval report, which recommended that the unfinished wing of Charles II's 1660s palace at Greenwich be converted from a gunpowder store into a hospital.

Christopher Wren

Sir Christopher Wren. © NMM

Wren first proposed demolition of the Charles II building and to remove the Queen's House, or at least block its view to the river. Mary refused, 'with as much Indignation as her excellent good Temper would suffer her'. She wanted both buildings to stay and for the House to retain its ‘visto’ of the Thames, which it had only gained when Charles cleared the old Tudor palace of Greenwich.

The Queen showed economic sense. Wren's final agreed plan of four 'courts', with room for 2044 Pensioners, was four times the size of Chelsea Hospital, which he had built for army veterans.

Death of the Queen

John Flamsteed. © NMM

'the reliefe and support of Seamen serving on board the Ships and Vessells belonging to the Navy Royall... who by reason of Age, Wounds or other disabilities shall be uncapable of further service...and unable to maintain themselves.' 
 

Daniel Defoe. © NMM

On 30 June 1696, Wren, the Hospital treasurer, John Evelyn, and eleven Commissioners dined at Greenwich.

'After dinner at 5 o'clock', wrote Evelyn, 'Mr [John] Flamsteed the King's Astronomical Professor observing the punctual time by instruments', they watched workmen lay the foundation stone of the 'base' building. This began the conversion of the existing 1660s block into what became King Charles's Court.

The bricks used were supplied by a Mr Foe, later to be known as Daniel Defoe, author of Robinson Crusoe.

• Thornhill's painted ceiling
• The Greenwich Hospital collection
• Maritime Greenwich: A World Heritage Site
• Greenwich through the ages
• Training ships on the River Thames