Editing Woolwich (section)

==== Employment ====
[[File:Greenwich Heritage Centre, History of Royal Arsenal 2.jpg|thumb|Workers at the [[Royal Arsenal]], 1862]]
Throughout the 18th century the navy yard remained the town's main employer with between 500 and 1,400 men working in the docks. Due to the malarial marshlands, it was not a popular place to work and for that reason Woolwich dockyard workers were paid as much as a third more than in other naval towns. These were mostly skilled artisans who were generally literate, Nonconformist and well-organized. The number of artillery men grew from around 200 in 1716 to around 1,500 in 1801. Soldiers were generally held in contempt, earning about a quarter of dockyard labourers' wages. At the height of the [[Napoleonic Wars]], there were more soldiers (3,000) than dockyard and ropeyard workers (2,000), while the arsenal employed as many as 5,000. After the end of the wars, thousands were discharged, causing great distress. In the 1840s, a steam factory gave a new lease of life to the dockyard and the 1850s saw a huge expansion of the arsenal during and after the [[Crimean War]].<ref name=SG9-17/>

The presence of the dockyard, the arsenal and other military institutions stimulated economic growth in other areas, notably in commercial activities and entertainment. The ropeyard was established around 1570 and survived until 1832. Throughout the 17th century two [[Glass production|glass factories]] were active near Glass Yard, owned by Sir [[Robert Mansell]] from [[Greenwich]], who also managed the dockyard and the ropeyard. Some of the masters here were [[Huguenot]]s from [[Lorraine]]. [[Kiln]]s producing [[Bartmann jug|Bellarmine]] stoneware may also have been controlled by continental potters. Other kilns produced earthenware and clay pipes. Kilns were also active on the hillside south of the town, where clay was readily available. Near Plumstead and Charlton were [[Sand mining|sandpits]]; the sand was shipped from a wharf near Tower Place. In 1863, the German firm [[Siemens & Halske]] established a [[transatlantic telegraph cable|submarine-cable]] factory in the Dockyard area, which expanded rapidly.<ref>Saint & Guillery (2012), pp. 15, 41.</ref>