Frequently asked questions
Who were Greenwich Pensioners?
Just as Chelsea Hospital was instituted for soldiers who had been injured or grown old in the service of the crown, Greenwich Hospital was built for seamen in 1695.
A Pensioner's Story
Repro ID BHC1815, © NMM London
Seamen contributed sixpence a month from their pay towards the upkeep of the hospital. Pensioners were admitted from 1705 and originally wore a uniform of dark gray with a blue lining and brass buttons. The colour of the uniforms changed to brown and then blue. Families of pensioners were not allowed to live with them in the Hospital so many lived in the Greenwich area.
By the 19th century it was found preferable to pay out pensions and in 1869 the Hospital closed.
Records of Greenwich Pensioners are held at The National Archives, Ruskin Avenue, Kew, Richmond, Surrey.
