This is a new website dedicated to the fascinating history of the Greenwich Peninsula.
The wonderful map on the front page was drawn especially for this site by the local artist Peter Kent.
More to be added here soon…
Writing the history of the Greenwich Peninsula – how I came to write all this – the view from 2000
The history of the East Greenwich Peninsula – how the area and its history looked in 1996 – before anything was regenerated at all
Greenwich Peninsula History 
I was fascinated to read your website. I have an old legal document dated 1801 which transfers a plot of land near the Ship and Billet inn on the Greenwich Peninsula.
There are two reasons the document is interesting to me – firstly, one of the people selling the land is William Pitt the Younger, who had been, shortly before the sale, Prime Minister. The second reason is that in describing the land to be sold, it mentions some land belonging to a Mr Mercer. My ancestors include a Mercer family who were living in and around Greeenwich at this time.
Just out of curiosity, I would like to find any maps from the early 1800s which might identify the location of the land involved in the sale. Please let me know if you have anything that might help or where I might look otherwise
Best regards
John Manning
You probably need the skinner map of the tithe map which are at the Greenwich Heritage Centre. I was aware that Pitt the elder had owned some land futher down on the Peninsula. There is also a Mercers Road on one of the council owned roads off Tunnel Avenue. I do have some documents and I will look them out and post them
But John I would really llike to see that document
It’s framed and hangs on the wall at home and is about 60cm by 40cm so I can’t really scan it! I will see if I can take a picture.
I have transcribed it so could let you have a copy of that (once I’ve got it onto a Word document).
that would be wonderful. thanks
Can I post attachments (Word file and .tiff picture files) in this comments box?
not sure if it will work, but try – if not email me with them
Dear Mary
I tried attaching the files but it didn’t work so they are below.
The document is my transcription of the Indenture. It names 22 people, either as owners, tenants, under tenants etc, including those who witnessed the signatures. As you say on the website, it is a mystery why a group of such influential people would have collectively owned what appears to be a pretty small patch of land in the marshes. The document in fact leases the land in which Pitt had an interest for the period of a year to a trustee of John Julius Angerstein – again what would a one year lease have achieved for Angerstein? The description of the land is pretty precise so I hope that the tithe maps will indicate where it is.
I’m thinking of visiting the Greenwich Heritage Museum as you suggested to view some of the maps there. When I do, I could bring the original of the document with me. If you would be interested in seeing it, I will let you know a time/date.
Best regards John Manning
No – there was nothing attached and no transcription. The document in the Morden College archive – of which I have a copy – is part of the sale of the site around the Pilot in the 1840s. It also mentions ‘the causeway’ which must refer to the long jetty which used to run into the river at the end of Riverway. If you wanted to send me a transcription of what it says about the location I might be able to work it out. I am also interested in who the 22 people are. There is an article in am old Engineering Journal which links the area and Pitt to the London Flour Company – which was a company (I don’t know much about it) for producing cheap flour and this was linked to the tide mill. I have never been ever to discover where the author of this article got the information from.
I think the attachments won’t deliver to this website comment box. If you want to let me have a personal email address, I will send the documents there
The places mentioned in the document are :
The Ship and Billet Inn, the road to Woolwich, Marsh Lane, Greenwich Level
The names mentioned in the document, and their status, are:
Landowners
John Earl of Chatham
Edwards Craggs, Lord Eliot
John Eliot
William Pitt
John Julius Angerstein
Tristram Everest (Trustee of Angerstein)
Lady Sanderson
Mr Mercer
the Late Robert Saltonstall
Thomas Gregory Player
Tenants/lessees
William Waller
Henry Lloyd
John Bailey
Thomas Ball
Witnesses
Henry Bateman
Charles Shadwell
John Lyne, Vicar of Latton
Richard Cumberland, Vicar of Driffield [Gloucestershire]
Charles Long [1st Baron Farnborough]
Giles Jupe
Jonathan [……..]
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