Fuller, in his ‘Worthies of England’ states: ‘I am credibly informed that the mystery of Shipwrights for some descents hath been preserved successfully in families, of whom the Petts about Chatham are of singular regard.’

Phineas Pett was the second son of his father, Peter of Deptford and was born at "Deptford Strond," on the 1st of November, 1570, his elder brother being named Joseph.

Peter Pett of Deptford married his second wife Elizabeth Thornton, the sister of Naval Captain Thornton, and in time fathered eight further children by this union. The three sons were Phineas, Peter and Noah, she died his widow in 1597. Phineas’s own father had married twice, the first of these weddings gave him a daughter, Lydia and her four brothers, whose mother died around 1543.

It is likely that Robert Holborn, cited as working with Peter Pett of Deptford at this time was a relative of Richard Hoborn, ‘Cousin of Commissioner Pett’.

Peter Pett of Deptford, the son of Peter of Harwich (d.1554) and Elizabeth Paynter, were Lydia’s parents, Peter’s sister married John Chapman, Master Shipwright, whose own son Richard was born in 1620 and Master Shipwright of Woolwich and Deptford, the Shipwright who was to build the ‘Ark’, raised in the Pett household, ‘as in all probability was Mathew Baker’ with whom, from 1570 Peter Pett was associated in the works at Dover.’

With his fathers death in 1589 he was left as destitute. He had been sent to the Free School at Rochester for three years and then moved to a private school in Greenwich, until in 1586 aged 16 he entered Emmanuelle Collage, Cambridge.

By 1601 Phineas had been appointed assistant to the Master Shipwright at Chatham, over the year his good services particularly in fitting out the Fleet in six weeks won support for him at the Court.

Phineas Pett first met the King in 1607, through the good graces of the Earl of Nottingham, Charles Howard, the Lord High Admiral, to whom he had presented a model of a ship intended for the young Prince.

Howard thought the mold good enough for the direct attention of the King and arranged for a presentation in the presence of James, and his son the Prince, at Richmond. The model was presented to the Prince at St. James's, "who entertained it with great joy, being purposely made to disport himself withal."

King James being likewise impressed and ‘exceedingly delighted with the sight of the model’ placed the task of constructing a full size replica of the ship in Pett’s charge. 

1610.
Birth of his son Peter, and death of his (step) Aunt Lydia.

1616.
In his diary he records that in 1616 he was ‘elected and sworn Master of the Corporation of Shipwrights at our common hall and meeting place at Redriff.’ 

From sometime around the 27th of March, 1616, Pett thought himself to profit from a commission by Sir Waiter Raleigh to build him a vessel of 500 tons for 500L. Admiral Howard permitted Pett to lay her keel on the galley dock at Woolwich, with the consent of King James. 

1631.
He was appointed a commissioner of the King for making "a general survey of the whole navy at Chatham."  For this and other works Pett was promoted by Charles to be a principal officer of the Navy, receiving 200L per annum. His patent was sealed on the 16th of January, 1631.

In the same year the King visited Woolwich to view the launch of the 'Vanguard', which Pett had built; the king honoured Phineas by participating in a banquet at his lodgings. Pett was later the First Commissioner at Chatham and held this same post from 1630 until his death in 1647.

Phineas lived for ten years after the Sovereign of the Seas was launched. In the burial register of the parish of Chatham it is recorded, "Phineas Pett, Esqe. and Capt., was buried 21st August, l647."

Besides his obvious skill as a shipwright, Phineas also wrote an autobiography and also practiced at poetry, being the author of a poem he named "Time's Journey to seek his daughter Truth," said to be a very respectable performance the poem was dedicated to the Admiral Howard.

Petts innovations were perhaps to be finally realized in the designs of his son Peter Pett for the Frigate: a design of English shipwrightry worthy of Baker.

Sir Peter Pett was almost as distinguished as his father. He was the builder of the first frigate, The Constant Warwick.

Sir William Symonds says of this vessel: "She was an incomparable sailer, remarkable for her sharpness and the fineness of her lines; and many were built like her."  Pett "introduced convex lines on the immersed part of the hull, with the studding and sprit sails; and, in short, he appears to have fully deserved his character of being the best ship architect of his time."