Memorial at St Nicholas’s Church, Deptford commemorating Peter Pett d. 1652 naval shipwright
Location
St Nicholas's Church, Deptford, London, England
Transcript
'MONVMENTVM HOC / OMNES QVI ASPEXERINT / INCLYT VIRI PETRI PETT / ARMIGERI FAMAM ET LAVDES / BENIGNE AVDIANT / DIC IGITVR: LAPIS: EX HIS ENIM TV LITERIS / ET TANTI: VIRI HISTORIA VITAM ADEPTVS, IN MVLTA DVRABIS / SECVLA, DIC CVIVS SACRA OSSA IVXTA TE TAM QVIETE CVSTODIVNTUR/ILIVS: SCILICET QVI FVIT PATRIAE SVAE DECVS PATRIAE SVAE MAGNV / MONIMENTVM QVIPPE QVI NON SOLVM NAVTICAM NOSTRAM RESTITVIT / REN VAERVM ILLVD EXIMIVM ET NOV V NAVIGII ORNAMENTVM, QVOD/NOSTRA FRIGATVM NVNCVPANT, HOSTIBVS FORMIDOLOSVM SVIS / VTILL IMVM, ATQVE TVTISSIMVM, PRIMVS INVENIT QVI ARCHNAV= / PEGI MVNVS PER VIGINTI ET TRES ANNOS TANTA CVM FIDE ET / SOLETIA GESSIT, VT HINC PLANE APPARERET, SE NON SVVM SED/BONVM PVBLICVM CORDI HABVISSE, IVSTVS SANE VIR FVIT, ET SVI/SLCVLI NOAH, QVI POSTQVAM CVM DEO AMBVLAVIT, ET / SVPRADICTAM ILLIVS INVENTIONEM IN LVCEM PROTVLIT(QVE FVIT / ARCAE INSTAR, VNDE NOSTR V MARIS DOMINVM IVRAQVE NOSTRA / E NAVFRAGIO PENE EREPTA SVNT,) EVOCATVS FVIT EX HVIVS MVNDI/TEMPESTATIBVS, DEO GVBERNANTE, ATQUE ANIMA ILLIVS IN SALVATORIS / SVI GREMIO, TANQVAM IN GLORIAE ARCA REPOSITA OBIIT VERO / IVLII 31 AETATIS SVAE ANNO 60 POST REDEMPTORIS NOSTRI / NATIVITATEM 1652 EPITAPHIVM / QVANTVM ANTIQVA VIRIS TRIBVERENT TEMPORA MAGNIS / VTILE QVI PATRIAE ATTVLERINT VEL NOBILE QVICQVAM, / TANTVM HANC AETATEM TIBI PETTE, REPENDERE OPORTET / ERGO INTER VETERES TV COLLAVDABERE SEMPER, / NAMQVE TIBI HOC PROPRIVM, EST RETRO VT TVA FAMA RECVRRAT / LAVDIBVS ATQVE NOBIS PRISCORVM IVNGAT HONORES. / RENOVATVM IVSSV, JOHANNIS DAVIDIS ROLT DEPTFORDIENSIS / TRMIGERI 1822' [Translation by Nathan Drew] 'Let all who see this monument listen kindly to the praise of that illustrious man, PETER PETT, Esquire. SPEAK, THEN, STONE WHO HAST won long centuries of existence FROM THIS INSCRIPTION and the history of so great a man; speak and say whose sacred bones so quietly repose hard by. One who was the glory and bulwark of his country; one who not only restored the efficiency of our navy, but first invented that new and brilliant invention to it which is called a FRIGATE, so formidable to our enemies, so useful to ourselves, and so safe an instrument of naval war; one who for twenty three years filled the post of MASTER SHIPBUILDER with such fidelity and industry as to make it evident that he had in his heart only the public good and not his own. He was truly a just man, the NOAH of his age, who, after he had walked with God and brought to light the above-mentioned invention-which was an ARK by means whereof our naval supremacy and our laws were saved from shipwreck-was called from the tempests of this world by the ordinance of God, and placed in his Saviour's arms as in an ARK of glory. He died July 31, in the 60th year of his age, of the nativity of our Redeemer, 1652. EPITAPH Whatever praise the ancient ages gave to those who could their country serve or save; Such praises, PETT, this age should give to thee; 'Mongst ancient worthies thou shalt lauded be. Thy honours backward run, and add thy name, To th'roll of heroes in an equal fame Renovated on the instructions of John David Rolt, of Deptford, Esquire, 1822'
Details
Type: Wall monument
Position: North wall west pilaster
Materials: Marble
Artists: John Christmas
People
Age: 60
Date of Death: 31/7/1652
Cause of Death: Unknown/None
Rank / Occupation: Shipbuilder
Organisation: Royal Dockyards
Extra
Bibliography: J. Summerson 'Monuments in St Nicholas Deptford', 'Mariners Mirror' vol. 27, pp. 282-3 (Cambridge, 1941); Adam White 'A biographical Dictionary of London Tomb Sculptors', 'The Sixty-first volume of the Walpole Society' p. 25 (1999).