Sheerness
a seaport and royal dockyard in Kent, England; 52 miles E. of London; occupies the N. W. angle of the Isle of Sheppey, and thus commands the mouths of the Thames and Medway.
It consists of the four divisions of Blue Town, Mile Town, Westminster, and Marine Town, the last of which has become a favorite watering-place, while the first contains the dockyard and is strongly fortified. Sheerness has two churches, a Roman Catholic chapel (1864), and large naval and military barracks. The dockyard, covering 60 acres, comprises wet and dry docks. Captured by the Dutch under De Ruyter in 1667, Sheerness was shortly after fortified, but the dockyard SHEFFIELD was not commenced till 1814, since which time large sums have been expended on its construction. Pop. about 18,000.