3 June 1762

Went to Greenwich See the Chappell & Painted Hall the 4 Elements Fire Air Earth & Water 4 Seasons Spring Sumer Autumn & Winter 4 Quarter of the World Europe Asia Africa & America besides a Great many other Curious Paintings all of them are painted on the top of the Sealing 12d

Well.. that's easy, isn't it? Find a picture of the Old Royal Naval College Chapel. It is still there.
No, it is not easy! This is the chapel in 1779


The original design by Thomas Ripley was replaced and that is the interior you can visit today.

If anyone finds picture of the earlier chapel interior, please let me know, could you?

The Painted Hall is a magnificent place - almost every inch of wall and ceiling covered in paintings by Sir James Thornhill. To select one picture is almost impossible so here is a panoramic view.

However, I did say "almost" so here is where the painter included his own portrait in the mural

20 August 1741
Went with Mr Hall to Woollidge to see all the Cannon Morters Bum Shells & see the Cannon Cast and went on Board the Kings yatt Lying at Greenwich - 18d

This is a Thursday and Thomas doesn't usually stray this far from the City on a weekday but, of course, the Gun Foundry would not be working on Sunday. The decision to manufacture bronze cannon there had been taken early in the century and the Royal Brass Foundry, designed by Sir John Vanbrugh, was completed in 1717. You can read more about the history of the Royal Arsenal here.


It should, of course, read "Bomb shells"....

Yacht was a relatively new word in English, having arrived at the Restoration with Charles II who took to sailing while in exile.