He was born in 1668 in
Chatham, Kent the son of John Ackworth (1641-1690) and his wife Sarah Boyce (1643-1717). He was probably apprenticed as a ship surveyor in the
Royal Navy in 1682 aged 14. He served time on
HMS Hope probably as apprentice ship's carpenter under Captain John Moore. He quickly showed a flair for design. He was possibly still on the ship during the
Battle of Beachy Head (1690). In July 1690 (two weeks after the battle) he transferred to the much smaller
HMS Salamander (1687). As part of the crew of only 35 he was certainly the only Ship's Carpenter on board. He then moved successively to larger and larger ships as Ship's Carpenter:
HMS Play Prize, 30-gun, 130 crew under Captain James Buck, 1691 to 1693;
HMS Bonaventure, 52-gun crew around 300, from 1693 to 1696;
HMS Swiftsure mainly involved in its break up at
Harwich 1696 to 1698. In August 1709 he became Master of
Woolwich Dockyard. From 1711 he became involved in ship design, beginning with the sloops HMS Happy and HMS Hazard. ==Ships built==