DENTRY’S _yard_, Wall street, Spitalfields.†
DENT’S _alley_, Red Cross alley, St. Margaret’s hill.†
DEPTFORD, anciently called West Greenwich, is said to have received its present name from its having a deep ford over the little river Ravensbourn, near its influx into the Thames, where it has now a bridge. It is a large and populous town in Kent, four miles and a half from London, and is divided into Upper and Lower Deptford, which contain together two churches, several meeting houses, and about 1900 houses. It is most remarkable for its noble dock, where the royal navy was formerly built and repaired, till it was found more convenient to build the larger ships at Woolwich, and other places, where there is a greater depth of water: but notwithstanding this, the yard is enlarged to more than double its former dimensions, and a vast number of hands are constantly employed. It has a wet dock of two acres for ships, and another of an acre and a half, with vast quantities of timber and other stores, and extensive buildings, as storehouses, and offices, for the use of the place, besides dwelling houses for those officers who are obliged to live upon the spot, in order to superintend the works. Here the royal yachts are generally kept, and near the dock is the seat of Sir John Evelyn, called Say’s Court, where Peter the Great, Czar of Muscovy, resided for some time, and in this yard completed his knowledge and skill in the practical part of naval architecture.
In this town are two hospitals, one of which was incorporated by King Henry VIII. in the form of a college, for the use of the seamen, and is commonly called _Trinity House_ of Deptford Strond; this contains twenty-one houses, and is situated near the church. The other called _Trinity Hospital_, has thirty-eight houses fronting the street. This is a very handsome edifice, and has large gardens well kept belonging to it. Though this last is the finest structure, yet the other has the preference, on account of its antiquity; and as the Brethren of the Trinity hold their corporation by that house, they are obliged at certain times to meet there for business. Both these houses are for decayed pilots or masters of ships, or their widows, the men being allowed 20_s._ and the women 16_s._ a month. For a particular account of the corporation called the Brothers of the Trinity, see the article TRINITY HOUSE.