A description of the Royal Hospital for Seamen, at Greenwich / John Cooke and John Maule].

  • Cooke, John, 1738-1823.
Date:
1855
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A description of the Royal Hospital for Seamen, at Greenwich / John Cooke and John Maule]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

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    au cidditiou on the western side, be made capable of re- ceiving three or four hundred Pensioners. In 1695, the King granted 2,000Z. per annum towards building the Hospital, and nearly 8,000Z. was subscribed by various individuals in aid of the funds. The plans which the Committee had caused to be pre- pared for the proposed additions having received the King's approbation, the foundation of the new bass-building, ad- joining the Palace, was laid June 30th, 1696, by John Eveljoi, Esq., Treasurer, and Avas completed two years after- wards—the Architect being Sir Christopher Wren, who generously undertook the commission without emolument. In 1698, Sir Christopher Wren submitted a jjlan for a large dining hall (the present Painted Hall) and the neces- sary portion of ground being immediately laid out, the whole was roofed in, and the dome erected, by August 1703, forming the south-west, or King William's Building. The foundation of the north-east, or Queen Anne's Build- ing, was also laid in 1698. In 1699 the foundation of the south-east, or Queen Mary's Building, was laid, but the building, for want of funds, was not comialeted till 1752. FABRIC. King Charles's and Queen Anne's Buildings, as al- ready mentioned, are those immediately facing the ri^-er, and they are divided by the great square, 270 feet in width. The view Avhich opens from the north gate is very im- posing. Beyond the square are seen the Hall and Chapel with their finely proportioned domes, and the two colon- nades, having the appearance of an avenue, terminated by the house built by Inigo Jones, for Queen Henrietta Maria, and now knoAvn as the Queen's House, having over the hall door on the north side Henrietta Maria Regina, 1635. Greenwich Park and the Royal Observatory are seen in the distance. ^ In the centre of the great square is a fine statue of King George II., sculptured by Rysbrach out of a single block of