GREENWICH, a market-town of the county of Kent, in the hundred of Blackheath, within the lathe of Sutton, and five miles from London. It is situated on the south bank of the Thames, and extends along the shore of it. Though extensive, it is a single parish, and is at the present time well furnished with places of worship, having two large churches in the central part of the parish, and two others, one at the eastern and the other at the western extremity, besides other churches and chapels of the established religion, and several others belonging to various denominations of dissenters.
The most attractive object is the royal hospital for aged, decayed, or wounded seamen, built on a plan formed by Sir Christopher Wren, and devoted by William III. to this purpose. The building consists of four piles detached from each other, but so arranged as to form a complete square, open towards the river. The several divisions are occupied either as the residences of the governor or other officers; and there are a hall, a chapel, and apartments for the accommodation of the pensioners. The latter are appropriated for seamen, consisting of a cabin with a single bed, and a long gallery into which each cabin opens, where free air and recreation may be enjoyed. The hall is a magnificent apartment, decorated with excellent paintings on allegorical subjects connected with naval affairs, by Sir James Thornhill. This establishment has at present upwards of 3000 pensioners, besides between 5000 and 6000 others, called out-pensioners, who receive stipends at various rates. There is connected with it an infirmary, a school for several hundred boys, and other institutions, but without the walls. The pensioners are amply supplied with food, are well and uniformly clothed and warmly lodged, and are, besides, supplied with the sailor's most indispensable luxury, tobacco. The whole expense of maintenance is about £26, 10s. a head, but varying with the fluctuation of the prices of bread, meat, and malt. See GREENWICH HOSPITAL.
Next to the Royal Hospital, the most remarkable institution is the Royal Observatory, primarily established in the reign of Charles the Second, for the advancement of navigation and nautical astronomy, but which has, since that time, under its successive able directors, Flamsteed, Bradley, Maskelyne, Pond, and Airy, won an unrivalled reputation for the excellence and variety of its observations, and for the advancement which it has given to all branches of astronomical science. Its organization at present is very complete, and it is enabled to take under its charge the
Greenwich control of magnetical and meteorological science, together with the transmission of time throughout England by means of electro-magnetic circuits, in addition to the usual work of an astronomical observatory. The chief astronomical instruments in use at present are a very large transit circle, and an altitude and azimuth instrument of sufficient firmness to produce lunar observations of first-rate excellence. To carry out the various details of the observations and processes employed, including the general use of photographic and electric manipulations, a large staff of assistants and computers is required, amounting on the whole to fourteen or fifteen persons.
The Park of Greenwich is an object of great attraction, and the hill behind commands a prospect over London and the plains of Essex. There are well-supplied markets on Wednesday and Saturday. It returns two members to parliament. In 1851 the population of the parish was 35,028, and of the parliamentary borough, 105,784.
Greenwich has always been famed for the excellence of its local charities, amongst which those most deserving of notice are—the Jubilee Almshouses, for the maintenance of a certain number of aged women; the Bluecoat Girls' School for boarding, clothing, and educating as many girls as the funds will allow; and the Bluecoat Boys' School. It has also two branches of the National School for boys and girls.
From the salubrity of the air and the beauty of the scenery around Greenwich, its neighbourhood has always possessed a great number of boarding schools and other educational institutions of a superior class. Of these may be mentioned a very large proprietary school for boys intended for commercial or professional pursuits.
Greenwich Park and Blackheath form the pleasure-ground of the population of London; and on every public holiday, especially at the two fairs held at Easter and Whitsuntide, a very large number of persons crowd to Greenwich by the steamboats, railroads, and other means of conveyance, partly to partake in the amusements that are to be found there, and partly, we may presume, to enjoy the fresh air and delightful views attainable from the Park and its neighbourhood. Under the metropolitan police regulations the good order uniformly preserved amongst so large a concourse of people is very remarkable; scenes of riot and confusion rarely occur; and nothing is needed but a little co-operation of the wealthier classes to render these periodical gatherings at Greenwich a source of profitable delight, as well as of mere amusement to the numerous visitors.
GREENWICH HOSPITAL is a royal foundation, erected by the munificence of William and Mary (originating, as is generally believed, with the queen), by letters patent of 25th October 1691. The hospital occupies the site of the old palace, called Greenwich House, which was from very early times a residence of our sovereigns. Edward III. had a palace there. Henry IV. resided much at Greenwich, and his will is dated from his manor of Greenwich. It was granted by Henry V. to the youngest son of John of Gaunt, and reverted again to the crown on his death (25th Henry VI.). Edward IV. took great delight in the palace, and enlarged it at much cost. He granted it to his queen, Elizabeth. It afterwards came into the possession of Henry VII., who enlarged and beautified it, and resided much there. Henry VIII. was at great expense to render the palace worthy of his sumptuous court. He called this his manor of pleasure, and held there many great banquets and royal ceremonies. Queen Elizabeth made many additions to the building, and resided much there. James I. laid the foundation of the House of Delight, which afterwards became the residence of the governor of the hospital. Charles I. resided frequently at the palace; and his queen furnished, with extraordinary magnificence, the building begun by his predecessor. At his death, it was taken possession of by the officers of the Commonwealth, who excepted it, for their
own use, from the general ordinance passed 16th July 1649 for the sale of the crown lands; but upon their subsequent necessities for the support of the navy, it was ordered by the House of Commons, 27th November 1652, to be immediately sold for ready money. Preparations to give effect to this order were made, and some small part of the out-buildings were sold. The palace and park were, however (with other of the royal palaces), assigned by the House of Commons for the accommodation of the Lord Protector, and happily reverted to the crown on the restoration of Charles II., by whom the west wing of the present hospital buildings was added, as part of an extensive design. (Hasted's History of Kent.) The palace remained in the unfinished state in which Charles II. left it, when it was assigned by the patent of William and Mary to certain of the great officers of state, as commissioners for its conversion into an hospital for seamen. This was followed in the succeeding year by a patent, dated 10th September 1695, which recited that the object of the institution was to make some competent provision that seamen who, by age, wounds, or other accidents, should become disabled for further service at sea, and should not be in a condition to maintain themselves comfortably, might not fall under hardships and miseries, but might be supported at the public charge; and that children of such disabled seamen, and the widows and children of such seamen as should happen to be slain in the king's service, might, in some reasonable manner, be provided for and educated. The patent appointed Prince George of Denmark, several of the great officers of state, nobility, bishops, and others, to be commissioners for these purposes; and required them to consider how they might be best carried out, and the palace best converted for the charitable object to which it was assigned, and also to frame for his majesty's approval a charter of foundation. The government of the hospital has been continued in similar commissions in subsequent reigns, and the most distinguished persons have been appointed commissioners. George III., by his charter of 5th December 1775, incorporated the commissioners, vesting the goods and revenues of the hospital in them, and gave to them and their successors a perpetual succession.
The revenues of the hospital have been derived from several sources. William III. contributed by grant £2000 a-year towards perfecting the work, and authorized the commissioners to receive voluntary gifts and subscriptions in aid. Above £50,000 had been expended, on Queen Anne's accession, upon the buildings, which though still very incomplete, were so far in a state of readiness that, in December 1705, 100 disabled seamen were taken into the hospital. On the 1st July 1708, the number amounted to 350, and the income was estimated at £12,000 a-year; half of which was applied to the maintenance of the seamen, and the other half to the completion of the buildings.
By statute 7th and 8th Will. III., cap. 21 (1696), seamen in the royal navy and the merchant service were compelled to contribute 6d. per month from their wages to the support of the hospital, and the advantages of the institution were extended to both services. The latter, perhaps, did not receive their share of these advantages, for in the following year it was provided, by 8th and 9th Will. III., cap. 23, that, for avoiding all partiality and favour, any persons entitled shall be admitted in succession, one after the other, according to their priority of registration. But this did not last long, for we find it enacted in 1703 (2d and 3d Anne, cap. 6), that the admiralty shall thenceforth have full power to appoint disabled seamen and their widows and children, and the widows and children of seamen killed in the service, notwithstanding the provisions of the two preceding statutes in favour of the merchant seamen who made compulsory contribution to the support of the hospital. The funds of the hospital in its infancy were also supported by