Shannon -A Hulk off Sheerness in mid  1800s  used as homes for dockyard workers               

Hulks for the workers in the dockyard

     At the end of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century many of the workers and their families in the dockyard lived in the hulks.in Sheerness harbour.The hulks were former Royal Navy men of war which were converted for the civilian workers and their families.Many since have described them as "infamous hulks" but as the report below showed they quite enjoyed living here.From the second decade of the 19th century there was a move ashore to Bluetown where they built their small wooden houses with timber from the dockyard and Navy paint which gave the area the name Bluetown

          The Hulk Dwellers of    Bluetown (Sheerness) pre 1800
      Isaac Coffin, the Commissioner of Sheerness Dockyard , had among his claims  to fame , the knocking down of one side of Bluetown High Street for the
Dockyard wall, listing those who lived on the hulks in 1801 and getting rid of the Old Ships used for housing ;he was nearly lynched  for this as the folk loved their aquatic accommodation .
In 1801 there were 4 hulks of old warships used for accommodation .Edgar,
Nottingham ,Orford , and Montague housing a total of 186 families 350
children.
Edgar 44 Families - 113 children.           Nottingham 42 Families - 79
children
Orford 69 Families - 110 children           Montague - 31 Families - 56
children

People were listed as married, single, widow, servant, or child
They were recorded as living on various decks
Breakwater , Lower deck , Main deck , Spar deck , Quarter deck , and Fore
Castle .
The following list is in alphabetical surname order.
  Adams, Amner, Amner, Anmer, Anderson, Ansell, Arney, Athens, Austin,
Baker, Bartlett, Batt, Bay, Barrows, Beal, Belldom, Bell, Bligh, Brenchly,
Bridges,Bristow, Brookman, Bruce, Buckley, Burman, Carey, Castle, Chambers,
Chapman,Charlesworth, Chilton, Connelly, Cooper, Costen, Cox, Crown, Coultrip,Cradock, Cullum, Cunningham, Davis, Davis, Delanie, Douyles, Dyer, Earl,East, Easton, Edwards, Emm, Escabec, Fishenden,  Flemming, Flecther,
Frankland, Fry, Fray, Gattley, Gibbs, Gilpin, Gloster, Gloster, Gooding,
Grinstead, Hall, Hearn, Hawkins, Hills, Hollands, Holden, Holmes, Hooker,
Hough, Houghton,Hudson, Hugill, Hunt, Husbands, Jacobs, Jarvis, Jeffs, Johnson, Keeler,Killpatrick, Knight, Knott, Knott, Lane, Langman, Lawson, Lee, Lee, Lee,Lewcock, Linch, Mantle, Martin, Merchant,  Miller, Millgate, Mockett, Monk,Morgan, Murry, Needham, Nicholay, Norman, Oliver, Osbourn, Outrim?, Oyre,Parker, Pearson, Pointing, Porter, Petts, Reed, Reves, Richards, Rigsby,Rowley, Sedgwick, Selby, Shads, Shepherd, Smith, Smith, Snooks, Soles,
Spencer, Springfield, Stace, Stodard,  Tanner, Thompson, Tucker, Turner,
Tyler, Walk, Walker, Warner, Wattson, Webster, White, Whitehead, Wickenden,
Willis, Wyeat, Wyeatt s ?, Young.

          Many of these names are still common on Sheppey and in Sheerness. Although it does not necessarily mean they are related there could be a chance that they are.

           See Bluetown and docks pictures