The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland 1868

"GREENWICH, a parish, market town, and parliamentary borough in the hundred of Blackheath, lathe of Sutton-at-Hone, county Kent, 4 miles S.E. of London, of which it is now a suburb, and with which it is connected by a line of railway, about 3¾ miles in length, supported on arches the whole of the distance from London Bridge and Charing Cross. It is situated on the S. bank of the river Thames, and gives name to one of the metropolitan boroughs, returning two members to the British parliament.

By the Saxons it was called Grenawye; and in 1011-12 it was the headquarters of the marauding Danes, who here slew Alphege, Archbishop of Canterbury, having failed to obtain a ransom. In Domesday Survey it is set down as Grenviz, and as forming part of the estates of Bishop Odo. Greenwich appears to have been fixed upon for a royal residence about the 13th century, Edward I. and some of his successors making it their occasional abode. In the following century it came into the possession of Humphrey Duke of Gloucester, who built a wall round the park and erected a new palace, which afterwards was occupied by Edward IV., who established a monastery in the vicinity. Henry VII. also resided here; and it was the birth-place of his son and successor, Henry VIII., and of Queens Mary and Elizabeth, daughters of the latter. Edward VI. lived and died here. The Stuarts made it one of their residences; and after the extinction of the Commonwealth and return of the royal family, Charles II. rebuilt the palace, and William III. converted it into a refuge for sailors who have served in the Royal Navy, and by length of service or injuries received have become entitled to its benefits.

The buildings forming the, Hospital are chiefly from designs by Inigo Jones and Wren, and consist of four large quadrangles, two facing the river, that to the W. being called King Charles's, and that to the E. Queen Anne's; the two situated in the rear of these, respectively King William's and Queen Mary's, all of the Ionic order of architecture, and for the most part built of Portland stone, the two latter being surmounted by domes of 120 feet in height. The first-named building contains the governor's and officers' apartments; King William's, the Naval Gallery of paintings; and Queen Mary's, the chapel, with its beautiful altar-piece of the shipwreck of Paul on the island of Melita. In the whole of the buildings there are 64 wards, accommodating 2,710 inmates, each ward being under the superintendence of a boatswain and mates; there are nearly 100 nurses. The men have large, well-appointed dining-halls and smoking-room, each man receiving a weekly allowance of from 1s. to 2s. 6d. for tobacco. The river front has a fine terrace 875 feet in length, and the mass of buildings is seen to the greatest advantage from off the water.

The institution is under the supervision of three commissioners, a governor, lieutenant-governor, and staff of naval and medical officers. The picture gallery and other parts of the hospital are open to the public. The collection of paintings is extensive, and abounds with naval subjects, portraits, statues, busts, and relics of naval heroes, besides models representing the construction of various ships. The annual revenue amounts to nearly £150,000, partly arising from the 6d. a month subscription from all seamen in the Royal Navy, and the remainder from certain lighthouse tolls, rents of lands, and parliamentary grants. Within Greenwich Park, on the summit of a hill, stands the Royal Observatory, founded near the close of the 17th century for promoting astronomical science, and which has the most complete set of telescopes and other instruments for making observations of any institution of the kind in Europe. The shippers in the river regulate their chronometers by the time indicated here every day, when, at one o'clock precisely, a large ball falls from the top of a mast erected on the roof of the building. From this spot there is an extensive view over the river and the metropolis.

The town of Greenwich has of late years been much improved, especially eastwards, where a new neighbourhood has sprung up, called East Greenwich; There is a good pier, and steamboats constantly ply between it and London. The 'R' division of Metropolitan police has a station here. Greenwich contains a police court, a market house, commercial and savings banks, and a literary institute. ,The population of the borough in 1861 was 139,286, of which about one-third are resident within the parish of Greenwich. Many of the people are employed in the foundries, rope-walks, flax-works, yards for the construction of iron steamboats, boat building, and other establishments connected with the shipping trade. In the river, off Greenwich, is moored the Dreadnought hospital-ship, a refuge for sick and disabled seamen of all nations.

The living is a vicarage with the curacy of St. Mary annexed, value £1,013, in the patronage of the crown. The church is a stone edifice of the last century, with tower, cupola, andspire. It is of good dimensions, and dedicated to St. Alphege. In it there is a monument of the architect Adams, and portraits of several royal personages. In addition to the parish church, there are three district churches-viz: Trinity, on Blackheath Hill; Christ Church, East Greenwich; and St. John's, Blackheath. The livings of all are perpetual curacies; the two first in the gift of the vicar, and the latter of William Angerstein, Esq.

The charities belonging to the parish of Greenwich are numerous, producing in the whole between £4,000 and £5,000 per annum. There are several almshouses, originally founded in 1558 by William Lambard also Norfolk College, or Trinity Hospital, for 12 poor men, and the Jubilee almshouses for 15 poor women. There are places of worship belonging to the several Dissenting bodies: the Congregationalists have 2 chapels, the Baptists 2, Independents 1, Wesleyans 1, Presbyterians 2, and the Roman Catholics a church at Croom's Hill. There are also a Mission church and chapel. The Naval school, contiguous to the Hospital, is for the instruction of the sons of seamen and marines, and for the training of the sons of gentlemen for the Naval service. It has about 800 pupils under instruction. The education of the children of the town and neighbourhood is provided for in the Blue, Green, and Grey Coat Schools, two National, three British, three infant, besides industrial and ragged schools. There are also a number of boarding schools.

One of the principal attractions of Greenwich is the park, with its avenues of Spanish chestnut and other trees. Blackheath is also a favourite resort. In the neighbourhood are several ancient barrows, in which have been found remains of spears and other weapons. The of-Fice of Ranger of Greenwich Park has frequently been held by some of the Royal family, but recently by the Earl of Aberdeen; the official residence is within the park. Wednesday and Saturday are market days. Fairs, formerly held at Easter and Whitsuntide, were suppressed in 1857."

[Transcribed from The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland 1868 by Colin Hinson ©2010]