Richard Hoborn

Richard Hoborn was a shipbuilder of Kent, England during the 17th century.

The first reference to him in the "Declared Accounts" of payments to a mastmaker at Chatham Dockyard in Kent is in 1619, when he and William Wyborne were paid "for making with HM (His Majesty's) materials a new mast," etc. for the Defiance at a cost of £20/5s. As well as being a Master Mastmaker, Hoborn was churchwarden of St. Mary, a Chatham maritime parish in the 1660s.

The Kentish Rebellion of 1648

Richard Hoborn was also mentioned as one of the Chatham Dockyard workers involved in the Kentish Rebellion of 1648, which was in opposition to the king, Charles I. During the affray "at Rochester the rebels set a guard on the bridge" and "armed the streets in a manner of a court of guard at every door." At the Dockyard, they secured possession of the king's ships, the Fellowship, the Sovereign and the Prince, removing the arms, ordinance, ammunition and victuals from them and confronting Commissioner Pett and his fellows.

Commission of Enquiry, 1651/2, Chatham Dockyard

In 1651/52, a Commission of Enquiry (also known as the Adderley Inquest, headed as it was by Lord Adderley, then minister at Chatham) was set up to enquire into activities at Chatham Dockyard. This commission discovered that Hoborn had had coffins built, for himself and his wife, out of Dockyard timbers, and a bedstead that was probably made for Commissioner Pett.

In his defence, Hoborn declared that he had paid for the work on the coffins and bedstead. Initially, orders were issued for his discharge, together with a number of other dockyard employees. Hoborn and the Petts denied all charges made against them and Commissioner Pett brought countercharges against Lord Adderley, claiming that he had been negligent in his duties in failing to preach to the sailors and dockyard men, and that he had threatened to ruin the Petts.

The Commission concluded that the charges were without foundation and, in February 1652, they so reported to the Council of State, with the outcome of the investigation being that all the accused retained their positions and employment.

Richard Hoborn's will

Like many other important shipwrights of the time, Hoborn was connected to the Pett family, as is evident from his last will and testament:

"Item, to William Pett, the sone of Joseph Pett, deceaced, the somme of five shillings to be paid within twelve months after my decease. Item, to my grandsonne Peter Pett, the son of the aforesaid Joseph Pett after the decease of me and my wife all that ground which I hold by lease by Master Robinson of Rochester to whom I give all the remainder of the yeares unexpired he paying yearly four pence if it be demanded to him and them that shall hold the lease of the said ould house (in) which I now dwell …" (Proved at Westminster, 25th April 1654, on oath of Margaret Hoborn, sole Executrix.)

A quaint and intriguing description of the original layout of the Chatham Dockyard is also available in Hoborn's will. It includes a reference to his "ould house … as it is now fenced with the brewing house and garden joyning it with the belle now standing … and the wharfe in the millponde … unto the fence of James Marsh … to have ingresse, egresse, and regresse through that way unto the waterside or water gate … and … the greate Gate Westward … and the … pumpe."

According to the Chatham parish churchwarden accounts, it is clear that Hoborn held the post of churchwarden from 1634 to 1643, and died in 1654, possibly as a result of the stress caused by the Adderley Inquest at Chatham.