Edward Allin (c.1720–1795) was an 18th century shipbuilder (and designer) to the Royal Navy mainly based at Portsmouth Dockyard and Chatham Dockyard. He is most notable as the master shipwright of HMS Victory Nelson's flagship.[1]

HMS Victory at Portsmouth
HMS Chatham
HMS Royal George at Deptford (right)

Life

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He first appears in Royal Navy records as a Master Caulker at Chatham Dockyard in 1750. In 1751 he became Assistant Master Shipwright at Woolwich Dockyard but after only a few months moved back to Chatham Dockyard. Promoted to Master Shipwright in 1752 he took over Sheerness Dockyard then Woolwich in March 1753.[2]

In 1755 he replaced Peirson Lock as Master Shipwright of Portsmouth (Peirson had succeeded to Joseph Allin in 1742.[3]

In 1762 he relocated to Chatham Dockyard with his role at Portsmouth being filled by Thomas Bucknall. He left Chatham in July 1767, pensioned off by the Royal Navy. Given this relatively early retiral he had possibly been injured and disabled.[4]

He relocated to the south of Ireland around 1770 and he (or his son) was declared a Freeman of Cork on 22 April 1784.[5]

He died in Cork in 1795.

Ships built

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HMS Pearl battling "Santa Monica" off the Azores

Ships designed

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References

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  1. ^ "Victory, HMS | MIT Museum".
  2. ^ "Edward Allin (D.1795)".
  3. ^ "Master Shipwright at Portsmouth Dockyard".
  4. ^ "Admiralty memorial for a pension for Edward Allin, master shipwright at Chatham dockyard".
  5. ^ "Alphabetical List of Freemen of the City of Cork" (PDF). corkrecords.com. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
  6. ^ "Scale: 1:48. Plan showing the inboard profile for Royal George (1756), as built as a 100-gun First Rate, three-decker. The alterations to the bowsprit and gun ports relate to Britannia, a 100-gun First Rate, three-decker, building at Portsmouth Dockyard. Signed by Edward Allin [Master Shipwright, Portsmouth Dockyard, 1755-1762]".