One of a set of four Royal Dockyard views all commissioned by the Navy Board in 1785 from Farington and Nicholas Pocock, to hang in their offices for reference. All were based on perspective plans drawn by William White, Master Mast-maker at Deptford. His health broke down while he was doing the Portsmouth drawings, which terminated the project: Sheerness is not mentioned in surviving records but would presumably been a sixth canvas. The set therefore comprises BHC1782 (Chatham by Farington) and BHC1874 (this one) both undated but paid for in 1794: BHC1914 (Plymouth by Pocock dated 1798) and BHC1950 (Woolwich by Pocock dated 1790).