Print. A plan of the Royal Dockyard at Sheerness, surveyed and drawn by Thomas Milton with shipping by John Cleveley the Elder.The plate is one of a set of the dockyards, Cleveley being involved for the prints of Sheerness, Chatham, and Plymouth (1755–6): the others of Deptford, Woolwich, and Portsmouth were published in 1753-4. Cleveley was a shipwright by profession and became an artist relatively late in life, his earliest known work dating to 1747. He spent most of his working life at the Royal Dockyard in Deptford, and specialized in painting ship launches. Thomas Milton was son of John Milton, a minor marine artist (active c.1743-76). Thomas was only born in 1742/3 and died in 1827 so it has to be assumed that even if he did survey and draw the yard as the artist inscription on this print suggests, his father was probably also involved and was bringing him to notice as a printmaker and topographical draughtsman in this way: John (as I. Milton) appears as delineator and surveyor on the Chatham print unless this is simply an error.