Monday 3 December 2012

Greenwich Peninsula - what do we know??

 
 
This really smashing picture has been passed to us by someone who would like to know more about it - and can we say that we have no idea who owns it, where it is or how it got to the person who sent it to us - so, sorry,  if it belongs to you - we will remove it if you want, or happy to share any information about the subject matter with you.
 
 
It apparently shows the Greenwich Peninsula's west bank by moonlight - we think soon after 1850.  Any ideas about any of the features shown on it. It seems to be taken from somewhere around Delta Wharf - and to show a boat builders yard, Cowden.  In the distance is Greenwich Hospital and - I am told Our Lady Star of the Sea.  Other buildings appear to be the telegraph cable works of what would have been at that date probably Glass Elliott. 

5 comments:

IanVisits said...

A view of Greenwich Reach from the Thames by moonlight, with the Hospital, Enderby House and the Telegraph House

By Henry Pether.

http://www.christies.com/lotfinder/paintings/henry-pether-a-view-of-greenwich-reach-5586356-details.aspx

Anonymous said...

Gosh thanks Ian. The thing in the picture which really stuck me was the boatbuilder - it seems to say Cowden. In the past I have been right through the rate books - parish and sewer rates - from 1800 and have not seen that name. Nor do I remember it from the file of leases at Morden College - who were almost certainly the landowners (I am asking their archivist to check).
Mary

David Riddle said...

Mary..

I think it may be Cow*n*den, or even something longer than that, rather than Cowden if you view the Christies picture in their 'blow-up' mode...

IanVisits said...

Looks like "C.W COWNDEN"

The name crops up in military rolls (ancestry.co.uk via google)

A bankruptcy of a Charles Cownden, shipbuilder in 1851

http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/21260/pages/2929

Charles Cownden was again named in a bankruptcy with an Andrew Wentzell of a ship builder, "Wentzell and Cownden" in 1856

May be the C.W. of the company name.

http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/21840/pages/232

M said...

Ian - David - thanks very much and that is very helpful. I never thought to find a shipbuilder on the Peninsula I didn't know about. However I am 99% sure he isn't in either rate book and Elizabeth has checked the Morden College data base again today for me. Very odd. I will check dates for Courtney who was on a Norfolk College owned site - but a bit later than this - and Nathan Thompson who was on Bay Wharf - but that is Morden College owned. There were some others - like Stewart - but they are all much later. Hmm - will think