Chatham The Hill House (1567-1805)

CHATHAM—THE HILL HOUSE (1567-1805) By FREDERICK CULL, F.R.I.CS. Published with the permission of the Admiralty. Unpublished Crown-Copyright material in the Public Record Office has been reproduced by permission of the Controller of H.M. Stationery Office. " 8th April. 1661. Then to the Hill House at Chatham where I never was before, and I found a pretty, pleasant house, and am pleased with the arms that hang up there. Here we supped very merry and late to bed. Sir William (Batten) telling me that old Edgeborrow, his predecessor, did die and waUr. in my chamber, did make me somewhat afraid but not so much as for mirth sake I did seem. So to bed in the Treasurer's chamber." So wrote Samuel Pepys on an official visit to Chatham in 1661. The Hill House at Chatham was the " Admiralty House " of its day. It was occupied and used not only for administrative purposes by the local naval authorities but also as lodgings for senior naval officers at Chatham and important visiting officers such as Samuel Pepys, Secretary of the Navy Board. Its use for naval purposes continued for a period of over 150 years during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries terminating about the year 1720 after which it continued to be used for a variety of other purposes before being finally demohshed early in the nineteenth century to make way for the old Royal Marine Barracks then to be erected. The Hill House was situated on a promment site fronting the present Dock Road, where the parade ground to the former Royal Marine Barracks still stands and is now used for open storage purposes in connexion with Messrs. Palfrey's, business of paper sack manufacture. The Barracks were sold by the Admiralty, together with the adjoining Gun Wharf to Messrs. Palfrey in 1959 and at the time of writing (1961) are partly demohshed. The plan attached as Fig. 1 is taken from the Ordnance Survey Sheet for the district and indicates the buildings forming the old Barracks together with the adjoining properties. The superimposed " hatched " portion indicates the site according to Lempriere's Plan of 1719 (see Fig 2) upon which the Hill House stood and the broken lines indicate the boundaries of Hill House garden and field (sometimes referred to as " Hill House meadow "). A block of property containing the old 95 a *s*cwi§ GRAND p^Wlill! F I G . 1. Part of O.S. Sheet T.Q. 7568, N.E. & S.E. showing the approximate site of the Hill House Garden and Field superimposed over the later buildings of the Royal Marine Barracks (now partly demolished). The land fronting the River Medway comprises the former Gun Wharf (shown as " Ordnance Wharfe " in Fig. 2). The buildings on which are also nearly all demolished. CHATHAM—THE HILL HOUSE (1567-1805) " Queen's Head " public house, a few small dwellings and other miscellaneous buildings stood between the Hill House and St. Mary's Church being separated from the House and garden by a narrow lane. It will be seen from the plan that the Hill House, garden and field together with the adjacent block of property referred to, cover the entire site of the old Marine Barracks and have a total frontage to Dock Road of approximately 660 feet extending from the churchyard boundary wall as far as the lane leading to the old causeway on the River Medway. The Hill House occupied a position at the top of what was once known as Chatham Hill and from its rear looked north-westwards across the old Dockyard (later the Gun Wharf), to the River Medway and beyond. It was approached by the roadway leading from the old land wall (now Globe Lane), northwards up the hill which in due course became Dock Road, leading to the present main entrance to the Dockyard. What was its date of erection? According to the Victoria County History of Kent a mast pond was made in 1570 and a house, " the Hill House furnished for the use of the Lord Admiral and the Navy Officers". The authority for this is presumably the Pipe Office Account for the year 1569-701 which reads : " Also the saide Accomptante is allowed for money by hym paide within the tyme of this Accompte for the rente and hyere of certaine storehouses and tymber yardes for the stowedge and safe keping the provisions aforesaide and also for the rente of a house wherein the Officers of the Marine Causes doe mete and confere together of the weightie affaires of the said office viz. at JUhngham 7L. 18s. 4d. at Deptford Strond 8L. amounting in all as by the saide books pubhshed as aforesaide may appear 15L. 18s. 4d." An earher reference is made in the Pipe Office Account for 15672 (which is the earliest I have been able to trace), to what is possibly the same house. It is described in similar terms as in the above excerpt from the 1570 Pipe Office Account as a rented house " wherein the officers of the Marine Couses doe mete etc. . . . " The term " Hill House " appears to have come into use later, doubtless because of the commanding position of the House at the top of Chatham Hill (as it was then known). The date of erection therefore must have been some time prior to 1567 but I have no information as to the person responsible for its erection or its first occupant. The site was the freehold property of the Dean and Chapter of Rochester who owned other land in the vicinity which was purchased for Dockyard Extension. 1 Pipe Office Account No. 2206. 2 Ibid., No. 2204. 97 CHATHAM—THE HILL HOUSE (1667-1805) If 53 10 - 53 10 The first page of the inventory of Chatham Dockyard dated 1698 and reproduced from Kings MS. 43 (British Museum). See page 101. (An error will be noted in the left-hand column of addition). CHATHAM—THE HILL HOUSE (1567-1805) with their and every of their appurtenances. Together with the said recited Indenture of Lease and assignments thereof respectively and all the full and whole estate right title interest property term and terms of years yet to come and unexpired possession claim and demand whatsoever legal and equitable of him the said James Gordon of in and to the same premises and every part and parcel thereof."1 The following Navy Board letter2 to the Secretary of the Admiralty refers to the final transaction : 29th April, 1777 " The Hill House Field having been approved of by the Rt. Honble. the Lords Commissrs. of the Admiralty as a proper place to bund Marine Barracks upon, and as we have purchased the remaining part of the Lease and shall be in possession thereof at Midsummer next we have formed the inclosed Plan, Profile and Estimate which we are of opinion will fully answer their Lordships intention. The shaded part will contain two hundred men, the drawn hnes on each side thereof will serve at present for the Officers of that no. of men and the pricked hnes shew the Buildings which may hereafter be erected for an increase to 600 Men and Officers in proportion. And as £4,000 is voted in the Extra Estimate in the present year for this purpose we propose if their Lordships should approve of the Plan to advertise for proper Persons to contract for the said buildings, and we presume a regular Surveyor should be appointed to Superintend the same. We are etc. W.G.M. W.P. Phihp Stephens Esqr. There is no trace of the plan which evidently accompanied this letter. The exact date of demohtion is uncertain but was probably about the year 1805.3 The HUl House had an honourable career during an epoch of great importance to the Admiralty and to the country. It was the local " Admiralty House " from 1567 until about 1720, a period during which Chatham grew to supreme importance amongst naval dockyards and before the rise of Portsmouth and Devonport. It would be unfortunate if the site of this famous old house should pass completely into oblivion and there is perhaps something to be said for a permanent memorial being erected to mark the spot where it once stood. 1 Admiralty Lands Records. 2 Navy Board Letters. Adm. 106/2204, P.R.O. 8 Admiral Crase in his Notes on the History of Chatham Dockyard gives the date as 1805. 109 no