Description

Illustrated by 9 engraved plates including two folding plans and by engravings in text. A very important Kentish town history, and a maritime history, together with the story of the Royal Dockyards at Deptford and Woolwich, by Robert Peirce Cruden (1776-1843).

The subtitle “…of the Port of London” is a bit misleading, in that Gravesend is regarded as being within the “Port”  and traffic is described in general terms. More detail is given inrelation to places on the lower reaches (eg the Dockyards mentioned above. Deptford, Greenwich, Woolwich Arsenal, Northfleet  and Dagenham all feature, as does Tilbury Fort. The two folding plans are of the Fort at different periods of its history.

The main content of the book however is a deyailed history of Gravesend itself, from prehistoric times to the arrival of the gasworks.

Sadly this is not a very clean copy, with ink stains, foxing and water staining, but everything is legible. If you can find a copy for sale, expect to pay in the region of £100, or around £30 plus postage for a print on demand production, which may not be complete with all ilustrations