On 20 May 1514, a Royal Charter was presented to The Master Wardens and Assistants of the Guild Fraternity or Brotherhood of the Most Glorious and Undivided Trinity and of Saint Clement in the Parish of Deptford Strond in the County of Kent, the Corporation’s full name to this day; Sir Thomas Spert, Master of the Mary Rose and the Henri Grace a Dieu, became the first Master.

To find out what happened after that, follow the links below.

Almshouse history

Trinity House's oldest duty is to provide almshouses for mariners and their dependants

From the archives

A selection of stories, essays and features from our long and varied history, featuring Trinity House's people writing over the years at sea and on lighthouses

A brief timeline

The Corporation of Trinity House of Deptford Strond has a long and interesting history, which began officially in May 1514

History of the Corporation

A brief history of the Corporation of Trinity House, from our origins to our 500th anniversary in 2014

Genealogy

For those looking to undertake genealogical or historical research using Trinity House records, there are a number of options

Official history of Trinity House available

As part of our quincentenary year we produced the definitive history book of the Corporation: Light Upon The Waters

Light Upon The Waters by Richard Woodman and Andrew Adams

This definitive history of Trinity House is published as a hardback, large format book, with over 300 pages illustrated with over 300 images.

Buy the book