Peter the Great of Russia Visits England 1698
Czar Learns Shipbuilding Trade and Trashes Stately Home at Deptford
Jun 9, 2009
In order to build up his naval fleet, Peter had spent time in Holland learning the art of shipbuilding. However, Dutch methods lacked the mathematical precision of English shipbuilding and Peter was determined to study England’s superior techniques.
Czar Peter The Great of Russia Arrives in England
In January 1698 Peter the Great arrived in England from Holland. The London Gazeteer had given the public detailed information on Peter’s activities in Holland , especially his meeting with William III who had happily authorised his visit.
The public was fascinated by Peter who insisted on spurning the niceties of royalty. Despite travelling incognito, (rather ambitious when he was nearly seven feet tall!) crowds followed him everywhere.
Czar Peter the Great's Trivial Pursuits in England
During his stay in England Peter:
- bought a stuffed crocodile and swordfish;
- discovered his favourite drink – a cup of brandy laced with pepper;
- visited a tavern in Great Tower Street so often it was renamed The Czar of Muscovy;
- found a soul-mate, the hard-drinking Marquis of Carmarthen
- hired a mistress for the duration of his stay – Laetitia Cross, actress;
- had his portrait painted by Sir Godfrey Kneller;
- stayed at the Kings Arms, Godalming eating all the supplies and causing extensive damage.
Czar Peter The Great and Life in Deptford
Peter and his group leased Sayes Court, Deptford, from the diarist, John Evelyn, for two months until their return to Russia. It was a beautiful house , the garden being Evelyn’s pride and joy. It was soon reduced to a muddy quagmire. In a drunken game with wheelbarrows the group charged through the hedges. In addition, Peter had no qualms in knocking a hole through the garden wall to gain direct access to the Royal Dockyards. Inside, the paintings were used as dartboards and chairs were used for firewood. Sheets and curtains were ripped to shreds and carpets destroyed.
Czar Peter The Great's Serious Pursuits In England
These trivial pursuits were enjoyable but secondary for the hands-on Czar with his enthusiasm for carpentry, mechanics and sailing. The Pool of London with its hundreds of merchant ships, and the Royal Docks, Deptford were his first priority. At Deptford he joined other workers, learning all he could about the trade and working hard.
Apart from working in the docks, he also
- called at workshops & factories, obtaining drawings and specifications;
- visited the watchmaker, John Carte, where he learned to dismantle, repair and re-assemble a watch;
- learned further mathematics and navigation from John Colson, manufacturer;
- spent time with Moses Stringer, the chemist, learning about metals;
- transported models of ships to Russia as examples of English workmanship;.
- visited the Arsenal at Woolwich because he was fascinated with guns and artillery;.
- spent time at the Greenwich Observatory;
- visited Westminster Hall and saw many men in wigs. On enquiring who they were, and being told they were lawyers, he cried, “Lawyers! Why I have only two in my whole dominion and I believe I shall hang one when I get home!”.
Czar Peter The Great Returns to Russia
Peter left England in April. He was reluctant to leave the Thames, his boats and fellow workers. He didn’t hesitate to entice hundreds of specialists to follow him home where they apparently enjoyed good wages and the knowledge that they were contributing to the modernisation of Russia .
Sources:
- Peter the Great, His Life and Work by Robert K Massie (Victor Gollancz, 1999)
- Peter the Great Through British Eyes: Perceptions and Representations of the Csasr since 1698 by Anthony Cross (Cambridge University Press, 2000)
See Also:
- Joseph Nye Shipbuilder to Peter the Great - how an English shipbuilder emigrated to Russia to help build up Peter the Great's Baltic Fleet.
- Alexander Radishchev: The First Russian Radical - brief life of the man who wrote a book, A Journey From St Petersburg to Moscow which described the harsh conditions under which the poor of Russia lived.
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