The Autobiography of Phineas Pett

An experienced shipwright recounts his life and professional career in the royal dockyards, tracing apprenticeship, advancement to leadership, and the construction of notable vessels. The narrative combines technical detail on ship design and dockyard practice with personal anecdotes, family and professional lineage, interactions with patrons and court figures, and episodes of financial, legal, and administrative concern. Organized as diary-based sections compiled over many years, the account offers chronological entries, genealogical notes, and practical observations that illuminate the everyday work and institutional context of early modern naval shipbuilding.