The 9th of February, my wife's brother, John Nicholls, being a linen draper dwelling in Friday Street, died of the sickness.
The 25th April the Prince's Highness came to Woolwich and dined there, with all his train, in my dining room.
The 27th April, my sister Lydia, whom I was glad to maintain a long time before, with a poor man that was her husband, died at Plumstead, and was there buried at my charge.
The 30th of this month, the Resistance was launched out of my brother Simonson's Dock at Ratcliff, where she was newly repaired.
The second of May, the Lady Elizabeth with her train came to see the great ship at Woolwich, and was entertained by my wife, I being then at London.
About the 10th of May, this present year, I bought Sir John Trevor's third part of the Resistance, so that I had two third parts of her to myself.
The 18th of June the Prince's Highness came to Woolwich, to see the ship, who was now in great forwardness and almost ready; and the next day after he came thither again in company of the King his father, and a great train attending on them, in the afternoon. His Majesty spent almost two hours in great content in surveying the ship, both within and without, protesting it did not repent him to have taken such great pains in examination of the business of that work, since the fruit thereof yielded him such contentation.[352] His Majesty then did me the honour to come into the house, where my wife had prepared a banquet of sweetmeats and such fruits as were then to be had, whereof he was pleased to taste plentifully and did very graciously accept of his homely entertainment, giving me especial commandment not to launch the ship till his progress was ended.
Between Easter and Michaelmas that the ship began to be garnished,[353] it is not credible what numbers of people continually resorted to Woolwich of all sorts, both nobles, gentry, citizens, and from all parts of the country round about; which was no small charge to me, in giving daily entertainment to all comers, which could not be possibly avoided in that place at such a time.
In the beginning of August I was summoned to Chatham with my fellow Master Shipwrights, there to take a survey of the Navy according to the yearly custom. Sir John Trevor, then Surveyor, attended that service personally; where we spent four days in performing that business, and so returned to Woolwich.
The 6th of this month of August, my wife was delivered of her fifth son, at Woolwich in my own lodgings, between the hours of 6 and 7 of the clock in the morning, being Thursday.[354] And the 16th day of the same month he was baptized in the church at Woolwich, upon a Thursday in the forenoon.