page under construction Faedra 11:46, 1 Jun 2004 (UTC) (contribs/comments welcomed)

‘So knit together that the Devil himself could not discover them..’

In looking for the possible connections that would clarify the basis of the relationship between the two boat building of families Pett and Holbourn I have found it helpful to keep a record of the many families of Peter and Phineas Pett, an complete history of the ‘Pett Dynasty’ would be a monumental undertaking. I have taken the trouble, as need demands, to note some points of interest from their lives, herein set out below.   As concerns the brothers of Lydia Pett, by the Peter (of Deptford) who in 1583 was granted a Crest of Arms, Master Shipwright, and his first wife, whose name is uncertain, their was a Joseph of Limehouse, who succeeded him as Master Shipwright at Deptford (d.1605, buried at Stepney.) whose son, also Joseph was the Master Carpenter employed at Chatham in 1643 by the then Earl of Warwick.

This Joseph surveyed the timber for the construction of the ‘Soverign of the Seas’, he died in 1652, around the age of sixty. He was married to an Elizabeth (ne) Hoborn, daughter of Richard, Shipwright and Church Warden at Chatham.

Their was also Master Carpenter Joseph's son, Peter Pett who carried on the private family business of Shipbuilding at Wapping. Another son of Sir Peter Pett was Richard who also naturally enough, raised his son, Peter of Deptford (b.1593~d.1652), to be a Shipwright.

The sons of this Peter Pett were Phineas (Capt. RN) and the Peter who was baptised in St. Nicholas’s Church in 1630, who was later to be educated in the St. Paul’s School and then at the Sidney ~ Sussex College of Cambridge, where he was admitted in 1645.

Then graduating to Pembroke College, Oxford, and in 1648 elected to a fellowship at All Soul’s, and became Bachelor of Civil Law to Greys Inn, 1657/8, Knighted at the Restoration, 1661, by the Duke of Ormond, after which this Peter Pett sat as an M.P. for Askaeton, in the Irish Parliament.

He was called to the bar from the Middle Temple in 1664, as a Barrister in law of the Middle Temple, and one of the original Fellows of the Royal Society in 1663, from which he was later expelled in 1675 for ‘not performing his obligations to the society’. He also became Advocate General in Ireland. This Peter Pett died in 1699. He was a learned author and many of his manuscripts have survived him.

Phineas Pett, (see Sovereign of the Seas.)

At about the time Phineas Pett succeeded the Shipwright John Holding, to the post of Keeper of the Plank yard, his income was meagre by the standards set by his family. Struggling himself, from the ravages of his former destitution he records in his diary how it became his duty, for which he considered himself unfit, to take charge of the affairs of his ‘poor sisters and brother’, over which he felt more attention ought have been lavished by his kinsman Joseph whom ‘cared not what became of them.’

At Gillingham from his own expense Phineas begun the construction of a 300 ton ship he named 'Resistance', which he launched during the year 1605. No sooner had his ship been completed he was summond to Woolwich, to prepare the Bear and other vessels for passage of the Lord High Admiral, as an Ambassador Extraordinary to Spain, to concluding the peace negotiations after a conflict of over forty years.

The 'Resistance' was hired by the Government as a transport, with Pett in command. 

N/B A privately printed copy of the Pett pedigree is held at the British Museum.

Joseph Pett of Limehouse ASM : {Joseph of Limehouse, (father of Joseph of Chatham) ~d1605. bur. Stepney} :

this Joseph was a brother of Lydia. He suceeded his father Peter as Master Shipwright in 1589, upon his fathers death.

Wed 1) : Margaret (ne) Curtis d. 1594 (dau. of Wm. Curtis of Ipswich.) Wed 2) : Margaret (ne) Humprey, d (w) 1612.) (Mother of Joseph and William) Margaret was the daughter of John (the elder) of Ipswich, Clothier.

Joseph Pett of Chatham St. Mary (Assistant to the Master Shipwright 1643/52) Wed Eliz Hoborn, b. / Bapt.~ .5th, Dec. 1615 : St. Mary, Gillingham Green, Dau of Richard, Shipwright, C’tam. & Margaret (d) 23rd July 1667.

Born Approx. 1592 ? (d?) BUR. Joseph (son of Joseph) 1652.

Children of Joseph of Chatham, Shipwright.

Bapt. Peter son of Joseph and Elizabeth (ne) Hoborn 1632.(18th Nov.)
Bapt. Joseph son of Joseph and Elizabeth (ne) Hoborn 1630.(4th April)
Bapt. Rose dau of Joseph and Elizabeth (ne) Hoborn 1639.(8th Mar.)/BUR. 1640/8?
Bapt. Margaret dau of Joseph and Elizabeth (ne) Hoborn 1641 (19th Dec.)
Bapt. Elizabeth dau of Joseph and Elizabeth (ne) Hoborn 1645.(5th Aug.)
Bapt. Samuel son of Joseph and Elizabeth (ne) Hoborn 1647.(14th Nov.)
Bapt. Thomas son of Joseph and Elizabeth (ne) Hoborn 1650.(16th April)

Brothers of Joseph Pett of Chatham:

William, Son of M. Humfrey.

Sisters of Joseph of Chatham:

Margaret (ne) Pett, (of Ipswich) b.? / (d? aprox aged 17) ~ dau of M. Curtis.

Brothers of Joseph Pett of Limehouse (d1605): by his fathers first wife:

Born/Bapt. 23rd Dec. 1627 (d1587) William of Limehouse~ :ASM 1584 / Master Shipwright.} Wed : Eliz March : Children : Elizabeth & Lucy.

James, b? (d.?) Wed. Ffrances. (ne)? Children : Phineas. b.1644? (d?)

Born ? (d?) Peter of Wapping, Purveyor 1594, Shipbuilder 1631, Keeper of the Plank Yard 1615~1638 ?Wed. : 1) Ann Tusam b? (d?) Wed. : 2) Elizabeth.b. (d?) Children : 1) Peter of Deptford (inhereted his fathers shipyard at Ratcliffe) b1592 (d1652) Master Shipwright at Woolwich and Deptford 1629~52. (Wed. Eliz. Johnson {whose children were : Phineas C. b.1635 (d.1694), 3rd Commissioner at C’tam./Shipwright.(whose son Phineas b? (d.1680) Wed Eliz. was 2nd ASM at C’tam) & Phebe b? (d.?), Mary b? (d.1645/6), & a dau. ? (d.1634)} & 2) William, Clerk in Holy Orders (Cuxton) b? (d1651, Devon.). & 3) Elizabeth b. (d.?) Wed. Thomas Barwick. & 4) Ann b? (d?) & 5) Mary.b? (d1668?)

Born ? (d.?) Richard of London Wed. ? b? (d.?) Children : Peter b1593 (d.1652) Shipwright, Deptford. Wed. Alice (ne)? (whose sons were : 1) Sir Peter Pett, b. Oct. 31st 1630. Bapt. Deptford (Judge Advocate to Ireland, MP, Author) Wed. Alice (ne) Newman of C’tam in 1658 whose children were Phineas, Peter b.1662 (d.?) and Alice b1666, / 2) Phineas. {Sons of Sir Peter being Phineas b? (d.1674) who Wed. Rabsah (ne)? b? (d.1662) [whose children were : Charles b? (d. 1662), Mary and James.] & Peter.}  Sir Phineas Pett. b? (d.?). Comptroller of HM Store Accounts. (Knighted 1680)

Sister of Joseph Pett of Limehouse: by his fathers first wife:

Lydia (Ne) Pett, b.? / (d. 1610), (Wed. ?)

Half Brothers & Sisters of Joseph: by his fathers second wife: (Elizabeth Thornton)

Jane Susannah b? (d. 1567). Phineas b.1570 at ‘Deptford Stronde’ (d.1647), Shipwright, First HMD. Commissioner ~ Chatham.1630~47. Wed. 1) 1598 (at Stepney) Ann Nicholls of Middlesex (d.1627) {Children of ~see below, marked as :*}, 2) Susan Yardley (ne Eaglefield) of Stratford le bow, 1627 (w. of Rbt. Yardley, by whom she had three children^),(d.1637), 3) Mildred Byland (ne Etherington 1638 (d.1638). Noah b.? (d.1595) Peter b.? (the younger) (d.1600) Rachel b.? (d1591?) wed Rev. W. Newman. Abigale b? (d.1599). Elizabeth b? (d.1599). Mary. b? (d1626).Wed Cooper.

Children of Phineas Pett (b.1570) (*)

Born b.1601/2 (d.1628) John Capt. RN (Lost in ‘Whelp’ Kent.) Wed. Katherine (Ne) Yardley : (3rd dau. Rbt Yardley.) : Children : Phineas : Master Shipwright, Chatham b.1628 (d.1678)

Born 27th Mar.1603 (d.1613) Henry

Born 1606 (d.1629 age 23) Richard, Shipwright at H.M. Chatham.

Born 1608 (d.1627 age 21) Joseph Shipwright at H.M. Chatham Wed .? Children: ?

Born b1610 (d.1672) Peter Shipwright.32 2nd Commissioner at Chatham.1647~1668. Wed. 1) Katherine Cole b? (d?) 2) Mary Smith of Greenwich. b? (d.?). Children :

Born,. 1612 (d.?) Ann

Born 1615 (d.1617) Phineas

Born. 1617 (d 1617) Mary (Bapt.) 22nd April (Twin sister of Martha)

Born . 1617 (d. 1637 aged 20) Martha (Twin sister of Mary) Wed : John Hoderne.

Born .1610 (d.1665) Phineas Capt. R N (Killed in ‘Tiger’) Wed Frances Carre.: Children, Phineas b. 1646, Bapt (c) 1670, (d.1694). Shipwright.

Born 1620 (d.1668) Christopher (Sir)^ (Master Shipwright; 1652~1668, Woolwich & Deptford ) Wed. Ann (ne?), b? (d1679) : Children, Ann (ne Pett) who wed (1674) Daniel Furzer : MS, Chatham : 1698, Surveyor of the Navy.1699. (d.1714) ; (a child : Elizabeth Furzer (d.1751)