The latter years of the 18th Century were dominated by the impact of the French Revolution and the following Napoleonic Wars. It was also a time of change in ship construction techniques with the beginnings of mechanisation and industrialisation. All were to have a major and significant impact on Chatham Dockyard and its workforce.
In the mid-18th century the dockyard workforce numbered around 1,800 people, mainly men and boys, working in over 26 different trades, many of which were highly skilled and 'craft' based. By the height of the Napoleonic Wars the number had risen to 2,672 including many working with new machines powered by steam.
Warship construction continued throughout the period with the Dockyard again concentrating on building 1st, 2nd and 3rd Rates - the Navy's larger ships, whilst smaller vessels were contracted out to civilian ship yards, including a number located on the Medway close to the dockyard itself.
The main focus of the yard's attention was not however shipbuilding, but ship repair and maintenance with Chatham undertaking a large number of 'great' repairs, as the years of almost constant action took its toll on the fleet.
