Appendix 1: Dates of important events

Survey of London Monograph 14, the Queen's House, Greenwich. Originally published by Guild & School of Handicraft, London, 1937.

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'Appendix 1: Dates of important events', in Survey of London Monograph 14, the Queen's House, Greenwich, (London, 1937) pp. 84-88. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-london/bk14/pp84-88 [accessed 18 March 2024]

APPENDIX I

The following table gives the dates of the more important events connected with the history of the Queen's House:

Date Occupier Architect in Charge Clerk of Works
1616–18 (Anne of Denmark) Inigo Jones Henry Hearne Building begun for Anne of Denmark but stopped before completion.
1619 Death of Anne of Denmark.
Manor granted to Charles Prince of Wales.
1625 Accession of Charles I.
1629 Inigo Jones Richard Tiro Manor granted to Henrietta-Maria.
Maintenance repairs.
1632–33 Work resumed.
1633–36 1636 Nicholas Haughton Simon Basil Work on house continued. New brick walls and gateways. Marble paving of hall laid. Three easel pictures by Gentileschi framed.
1637 Henrietta-Maria Simon Basil Two designs for chimney-pieces by I. Jones.
1638–39 Terrace re-paved. Marble statues fixed on pedestals.
Ten wooden pedestals carved for hall. Picture frames carved. Hearths laid.
1639 Hugh and Hy. Henn appointed keepers of the Queen's Garden. Negotiations for decorating the Queen's Cabinet.
1642 Thos. Stephens Last visit of Charles I.
1648 Goring's troops encamped in Park.
1649 Execution of Charles I.
1650 Inventory made of contents of house.
1649–60 (The Commonwealth) Bulstrode Whitelock
1652 Death of Inigo Jones. Evelyn visits the Queen's House.
1653 Body of General Deane laid in state.
1657 Body of Admiral Blake laid in state.
1660 The Queen-Dowager (Henrietta-Maria) Sir John Denham and John Webb Restoration of Charles II.
1661–62 Webb Leonard Gammon East and west bridge-rooms built. S.E. & S.W. corner rooms on first floor divided up. Several mezzanine floors inserted.
1662 Queen-Dowager occupied house for several months. Le Nôtre visited England and made design for layout of Park.
1663 S.E. & S.W. corner pavilions begun.
1663–65 Elms planted in Park. Work begun on new palace by the river.
1667 Work on pavilions resumed.
1669 Death of Henrietta-Maria.
1670 (Catherine of Braganza) Manor granted to Catherine of Braganza. Foundations of corner pavilions grubbed up and ground filled in. Work in the Park continued.
1674 Repairs to roof over hall.
1675 "The Dutch Painters" given a room in the house.
1681 Thos. Nevill (April-June)
1685 (Mary of Modena) John Scarborow Accession of James II. Manor granted to Mary of Modena.
1687 Repairs to road under house.
1688 Accession of William and Mary.
1690–97 Earl of Dorset Earl of Dorset appointed Ranger of the Park. Repairs to Loggia, etc.
1693 Repairs to gallery of hall, etc.
1694 Cleaning and touching up painted work on gallery of hall. Painting 20 spandrels. Repairing ironwork of the round stairs.
1695 (Webb) (John Scarborow) Foundation of Greenwich Hospital. North boundary of the Queen's Garden fixed, and vista preserved.
1697–1708 Earl of Romney Wm. Dickinson Deptford-Woolwich road diverted. Room built under middle bridge.
1702 Accession of Queen Anne.
1708 Empty Wren and Vanbrugh Hawksmoor Earl of Romney's interest bought by Prince George of Denmark. Transome windows of ground floor rooms taken out, sills cut lower and sash-frames inserted, and general repairs undertaken by Commissioners of Greenwich Hospital.
1710–14 Sir Wm. Gifford £2,848 spent by Commissioners on repairs between 1707 and 1712.
1714 Accession of George I.
1714–20 Lord Aylmer Vanbrugh Hawksmoor and James General repairs. Chimney-pieces altered. Old stucco removed from external walls and new stucco put on.
1720–26 Sir John Jennings Vanbrugh New kitchen built outside east of house. Several chimney-pieces moved and doors blocked. "Bathing cistern" installed.
1726 Colin Campbell
1727 Accession of George II.
1729 House handed back to the Commissioners of the King's works.
1730 Queen Caroline (1730–1805, various architects) Leonard Woodison General repairs.
1733 Isaac Ware
1736 John Vardy Reception of Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha.
1737 Death of Queen Caroline.
1743–80 Lady Catherine Pelham
1745–47 James Paine Extensive repairs costing £4, 700.
1746 Wm. Robinson
1754 Francis Bickerton
1760 Accession of George III.
1761 Preparations for reception of Princess Charlotte.
1768 John Robinson
1774 Wm. Leach
1780 Empty Death of Lady Catherine Pelham.
1790 Robert Brown, Sen.
1795 Ed. Crocker (1796) Reception of Princess Caroline of Brunswick.
1805 Empty Princess of Wales appointed Ranger.
1806–21 Royal Naval Asylum D. Alexander House bought from the Princess of Wales by the Commissioners of the Royal Naval Asylum, 1806. House divided into five residences. Drastic structural alterations. Rooms subdivided, staircases and mezzanine floors inserted. Dormitory built on roof above middle bridge. East and West blocks of School built, and colonnades connecting school and house. Completed 1816.
1818 Placed under control of Board of Admiralty.
1821 Placed under control of Commissioners of Greenwich Hospital. Dormitory on roof removed 1822.
1825 Greenwich Hospital School Joseph Kay Greenwich Hospital School united with Royal Naval Asylum.
1825 Further structural alterations.
1843 Block ship built in front of house.
1821–1911 Joseph Kay and others Courtyards vaulted over at first floor level. Walls of "middle salon" removed. Cellars excavated under south portion of house. Gangways built across courts at first floor level. New staircase cut through vault of west court. Hall lined with plywood panelling.
1925–27 Painted ceiling in Queen's bedroom examined and treated.
1933 Empty Buildings vacated. Complete survey made by H.M. Office of Works. Clearance of modern partitions begun.
1934 House taken over by the Commissioners of H.M. Works under a Deed of Guardianship.
1934–36 (H.M. Office of Works) Complete clearance of modern additions. General consolidation of structure, including overhaul and repair of all roofs and floors. Removal of successive overpaintings and treatment of original painted decoration in hall, Queen's drawing-room and Queen's bedroom. Repair of original stone doorcases exposed by removal of plaster. Reinstatement of roadway, middle bridge and doorways under it, balustrades of loggia, marble floors. Opening up of original fireplaces and provision of new chimneypieces. Reflooring of house with oak boards. Installation of heating and electric wiring.
1936–7 National Maritime Museum House in the care of the Director of the National Maritime Museum for the hanging of pictures and arranging of exhibits.
1937 Opening of the National Maritime Museum.