Plymouth Dockyard 1698 - 1843

1689 - the Admiralty asked its Naval Agent at Plymouth, John Addison, to draw up plans for a dock at Point Froward. 1690 - the contract was let to Robert Walters of Portsmouth for the first stone dock. 1691 - work began on the Dockyard. 1698 - by the time it was completed it had been enlarged to cover some 24 acres. 1722 - work began on the enlargement of the dockyard. 1724 - new building slip completed. 1727 - double dockyard completed. 1761 - a fire destroys most of the wooden buildings of the dockyard. 1762 - North Dock built. 1771 - new ropery constructed. Joint visitation to the shipyard made by Navy Board and Admiralty. 1773 - the double dock deepened to allow greater flexibility. Dockyard boundary wall extended in order to enclose the new ropery. 1775 - a new mast pond completed. 1789 - the large North Dock was first opened during a visit of HRH King George III. 1799 - dockyard church destroyed by fire. 1812 - many of the rope yard buildings destroyed by fire. 1814 - a new ropery built to replace the one lost to fire. 1816 - a covered slip created. 1817 - a new church built to replace the one lost to fire. 1824 - Plymouth Dock unofficially renamed Devonport. 1832 - the steam powered paddle sloop Rhadamanthus launched. 1840 - a great fire in the Dockyard resulted in the destruction of some £80,000 worth of public property and the ships "Talavera" and "Imogene", while the "Minden" was severely damaged. 1841 - construction of a breakwater completed. 1843 - name of the dockyard officially changed to Devonport Dockyard, during a visit by Queen Victoria.