The Pett Dynasty was a family of shipwrights who prospered in England between the 15th and 17th centuries. It was once said of the family that they were "so knit together that the Devil himself could not discover them." A complete history of the Pett Dynasty would be a monumental undertaking, but the following provides an overview.

A privately printed copy of the Pett pedigree is held at the British Museum.

The three Peter Petts

Peter Pett, Master Shipwright of Deptford, was in 1583 granted a Crest of Arms. His son, Joseph of Limehouse, succeeded Pett as Master Shipwright before his death in 1605. His son, also Joseph, was the master carpenter employed at Chatham in 1643 by the then Earl of Warwick. This Joseph surveyed the timber for the construction of a ship named Sovereign of the Seas. He married Elizabeth, daughter of Richard Hoborn, another shipwright and churchwarden at Chatham. Joseph died in 1652, aged about 60.

Joseph's son, Peter Pett, carried on the private family business of shipbuilding at Wapping. Another son of Peter Pett was Richard, who also raised his son, Peter of Deptford (1593-1652), to be a shipwright. The sons of this Peter Pett were Phineas (a captain in the Royal Navy) and another Peter.

This third Peter was baptised in St Nicholas's Church in 1630, and was later educated in St Paul's School and Sidney Sussex College of Cambridge, where he was admitted in 1645. He then graduated to Pembroke College, Oxford, and in 1648 was elected to a fellowship at All Soul's. He was bachelor of civil law to Greys Inn from 1657 to 1658, and was knighted in 1661, after which he sat as an Member of Parliament for Askaeton in the Irish Parliament. He was called to the bar in 1664, as a barrister in law of the Middle Temple, and one of the original Fellows of the Royal Society in 1663, from which he was later expelled in 1675 for "not performing his obligations to the society". He also became Advocate-General in Ireland, before his death in 1699. Peter was a learned author and many of his manuscripts have survived him.

Phineas Pett, designer of the Sovereign of the Seas

At about this time, Phineas Pett succeeded the shipwright John Holding to the post of keeper of the plank yard. His income was meagre by the standards set by his family. Struggling from destitution, he recorded in his diary how it became his duty, for which he considered himself unfit, to take charge of the affairs of his "poor sisters and brother", on whom he felt more attention ought have been lavished by his kinsman Joseph who "cared not what became of them".

Joseph Pett of Limehouse, Assistant Master Shipwright

Known as Joseph of Limehouse, this Joseph was the father of Joseph of Chatham and a brother of Lydia. He had another son, Williams, as well as a daughter, Lydia, who took up the trade of her father and is a rare example of a woman master tradesman of the era. Joseph of Limehouse succeeded as master shipwright in 1589, upon his father Peter's death. He was married twice: once to Margaret Curtis (who died in 1594), and later to Margaret Humprey (who died in 1612). Joseph died in 1605.

Other Petts

• Joseph Pett of Chatham St. Mary. AMS (assistant to the master Shipwright 1643-52) Wed Eliz Hoborn, b./Bapt. 5th Dec., 1615: St. Mary, Gillingham Green, a Dau. of Richard, shipwright, Chatham. & Margaret (d. 23rd July 1667).
• Joseph (son of Joseph): Born c 1592?, (d.1652??)

• Children of Joseph Pett of Chatham, shipwright.

• Bapt. Peter son of Joseph and Elizabeth (nee Hoborn) 1632.(18th Nov.)
  
• Bapt. Joseph son of Joseph and Elizabeth (nee Hoborn) 1630.(4th April)
  
• Bapt. Rose dau of Joseph and Elizabeth (nee Hoborn) 1639.(8th Mar.)/BUR. 1640/8?
  
• Bapt. Margaret dau of Joseph and Elizabeth (nee Hoborn) 1641 (19th Dec.)
  
• Bapt. Elizabeth dau of Joseph and Elizabeth (nee Hoborn) 1645.(5th Aug.)
  
• Bapt. Samuel son of Joseph and Elizabeth (nee Hoborn) 1647.(14th Nov.)
  
• Bapt. Thomas son of Joseph and Elizabeth (nee Hoborn) 1650.(16th April)

A brother of Joseph Pett of Chatham was:
William Pett, a son of Margaret (nee Humprey).

Brothers of Joseph Pett of Limehouse (d1605): by his father's first wife:

1) William of Limehouse: (ASM 1584/Master Shipwright.) Born/Bapt. 23rd Dec. 1627 (d1587). Wed: Eliz March: Whose children were:
Elizabeth.(b?/d?)
Lucy. (b?/d?)
James. (b?/d?) Wed. Frances. (nee)? Children: Phineas. b.1644? (d?)

2) Peter of Wapping (b?/d?), Purveyor 1594, Shipbuilder 1631, Keeper of the Plank Yard 1615~1638
Wed. :1) Ann Tusam.(b?/d?)
Wed. :2) Elizabeth.(b?/d?)

Children: 1) Peter of Deptford (who inherited his father's shipyard at Ratcliffe) b1592 (d1652). Master Shipwright at Woolwich and Deptford 1629~52. (Wed. Eliz. Johnson {whose children were):

1) Phineas C. b.1635 (d.1694), 3rd Commissioner at Chatham/Shipwright. (whose son Phineas b? (d.1680) Wed Eliz. and was 2nd ASM at Chatham)

2) William, Clerk in Holy Orders at (Cuxton ) b? (d1651, Devon).
3) Elizabeth (b?/d?) Wed. Thomas Barwick. 4) Ann (b?/d?)
5) Mary.b? (d1668?)
6) Richard of London (b?/d?) Wed. ? (b?/d?)
Children: Peter b1593 (d.1652) Shipwright, Deptford. Wed. Alice (ne)?

The children of this Peter were:

1) Sir Peter Pett, b. Oct. 31st 1630. Bapt. Deptford (Judge Advocate to Ireland, MP, Author) Wed. Alice (nee) Newman of Chatham in 1658.
2) Alice b1666.
3) Sir Phineas Pett. b? (d.?). Comptroller of HM Store Accounts. (Knighted 1680)

(Son of Sir Peter Pett by Alice (ne) Newman of Chatham:
Phineas b? (d.1674) who Wed. Rabsah (ne) ?, b? (d.1662).
whose children were: Charles b? (d. 1662), Mary and James).

Sister of Joseph Pett of Limehouse: by his father's first wife: Lydia (Ne) Pett, b.? / (d. 1610), (Wed.?)

Half Brothers & Sisters of Joseph: by his father's second wife: (Elizabeth Thornton)

Jane Susannah b? (d. 1567). Phineas b.1570 at Deptford Stronde (d.1647), Shipwright, First HMD. Commissioner ~ Chatham.1630~47.

Wed three times:

1) 1598 (at Stepney) Ann Nicholls of Middlesex (d.1627) {Children of ~see below, marked as :*}

2) Susan Yardley (ne Eaglefield) of Stratford le bow , 1627 (wid. of Rbt. Yardley, by whom she had three children),(d.1637)

3) Mildred Byland (ne Etherington 1638 (d.1638)) Noah b.? (d.1595) Peter b.? (the younger) (d.1600) Rachel b.? (d1591?) wed Rev. W. Newman. Abigale b? (d.1599). Elizabeth b? (d.1599). Mary. b? (d1626).Wed Cooper.

Children of Phineas Pett (b.1570) (*)

Born b.1601/2 (d.1628) John Capt. RN (Lost in ‘Whelp’ Kent.) Wed. Katherine (Ne) Yardley: (3rd dau. Rbt Yardley.): Children: Phineas : Master Shipwright, Chatham b.1628 (d.1678).

Henry b. 27th Mar.1603 (d.1613)

Richard b. 1606 (d.1629 age 23) Richard, Shipwright at H.M. Chatham.

Joseph b. 1608 (d.1627 age 21) Joseph Shipwright at H.M. Chatham Wed.? Children:?

Peter Pett b. b1610 (d.1672) Shipwright. 2nd Commissioner at Chatham (1647~1668).

Wed. 1) Katherine Cole b? (d?) 2) Mary Smith of Greenwich. b? (d.?). Children :

Ann b. 1612 (d.?)

Phineas b. 1615 (d.1617)

Mary b. 1617 (d 1617) (Bapt.) 22nd April (Twin sister of Martha)

Martha b. 1617 (d. 1637 aged 20) (Twin sister of Mary) Wed: John Hoderne.

Phineas b. 1610 (d.1665) Capt. R N (Killed in ‘Tiger’) Wed Frances Carre.: Children: Phineas b. 1646, Bapt (c) 1670, (d.1694). Shipwright.

Christopher b. 1620 (d.1668) (Sir) (Master Shipwright; 1652~1668, Woolwich & Deptford) Wed. Ann (ne?), b? (d1679): Children, Ann (ne Pett) who wed (1674) Daniel Furzer: MS, Chatham: 1698, Surveyor of the Navy 1699. (d.1714); (a child : Elizabeth Furzer (d.1751).

This list is not complete...