Grangemouth Dockyard Company
Encyclopedia
The Grangemouth Dockyard Company was a British shipbuilding and ship repair firm located at Grangemouth
, on the Firth of Forth
, Scotland
.
and his new wife Louise
. While there they witnessed the christening and launch of the Mexican steamer Tabasqueño, after which Carnegie gave a speech at the luncheon that followed. The company acquired another two yards in 1888, located in Alloa
and Ardrossan
. This was followed by the acquisition of a yard in Greenock
in 1900, and the merging of the company with the pre-existing Greenock Dockyard Company
. After eight years the company was incorporated
as the Greenock & Grangemouth Dockyard Co. The Greenock yard was then sold to Cayzer, Irvine & Company, the operators of the Clan Line
, in 1918. In 1920 the Greenock yard was itself incorporated as the Greenock Dockyard Co Ltd, while upon the split in 1918 the Grangemouth based yard became the Grangemouth Dockyard Co Ltd. The company continued to build merchant ships and some naval vessels during the Second World War, eventually producing 31 new ships during the war. 14 of the ships present at the Normandy Landings had been built at Grangemouth, while another 44 were repaired there. The facilities were also used to repair and maintain submarines of the Royal Netherlands Navy
.
The company continued to operate after the war, becoming part of Swan Hunter
in 1967. The company ceased building ships in 1972, thereafter concentrating solely on ship repair. With the large scale nationalisation of British shipbuilding in the late 1970s Swan Hunter became part of British Shipbuilders
, with the Grangemouth Dockyard Company as a subsidiary. The winding up of operations in the 1980s saw the re-emergence of the Grangemouth Dockyard Company as a private concern in 1984, but it was subsequently liquidated in 1987.
Records and documents relating to the company and its activities are held by the National Archives of Scotland
, and Falkirk
Museums.
Grangemouth
Grangemouth is a town and former burgh in the council area of Falkirk, Scotland. The town lies in the Forth Valley, on the banks of the Firth of Forth, east of Falkirk, west of Bo'ness and south-east of Stirling. Grangemouth had a resident population of 17,906 according to the 2001...
, on the Firth of Forth
Firth of Forth
The Firth of Forth is the estuary or firth of Scotland's River Forth, where it flows into the North Sea, between Fife to the north, and West Lothian, the City of Edinburgh and East Lothian to the south...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
.
History
The company was established in Grangemouth by William Miller and Samuel Pophouse Jackson in 1885. In 1887 the yard was visited by Andrew CarnegieAndrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie was a Scottish-American industrialist, businessman, and entrepreneur who led the enormous expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century...
and his new wife Louise
Louise Whitfield Carnegie
Louise Whitfield Carnegie was the wife of philanthropist Andrew Carnegie.Daughter of New York City merchant John D. Whitfield, Louise was born in the Gramercy Park neighborhood of Manhattan...
. While there they witnessed the christening and launch of the Mexican steamer Tabasqueño, after which Carnegie gave a speech at the luncheon that followed. The company acquired another two yards in 1888, located in Alloa
Alloa
Alloa is a town and former burgh in Clackmannanshire, set in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. It lies on on the north bank of the Firth of Forth close to the foot of the Ochil Hills, east of Stirling and north of Falkirk....
and Ardrossan
Ardrossan
Ardrossan is a town on the North Ayrshire coast in south-western Scotland. The name "Ardrossan" describes its physical position — 'ard' from the Gaelic àird meaning headland, 'ros' a promontory and the diminutive suffix '-an' - headland of the little promontory...
. This was followed by the acquisition of a yard in Greenock
Greenock
Greenock is a town and administrative centre in the Inverclyde council area in United Kingdom, and a former burgh within the historic county of Renfrewshire, located in the west central Lowlands of Scotland...
in 1900, and the merging of the company with the pre-existing Greenock Dockyard Company
Greenock Dockyard Company
The Greenock Dockyard Company was a Scottish shipbuilding and ship repair firm located at Greenock, on the River Clyde.-History:The company was established by J E Scott of Greenock, with the yard at Cartsdyke being taken over in 1879 by Russell and Company, of Greenock, which later became Lithgows...
. After eight years the company was incorporated
Incorporation (business)
Incorporation is the forming of a new corporation . The corporation may be a business, a non-profit organisation, sports club, or a government of a new city or town...
as the Greenock & Grangemouth Dockyard Co. The Greenock yard was then sold to Cayzer, Irvine & Company, the operators of the Clan Line
Clan Line
The Clan Line was a passenger and cargo shipping company that operated in one incarnation or another from the late nineteenth century and into the twentieth century.-Foundation and early years:...
, in 1918. In 1920 the Greenock yard was itself incorporated as the Greenock Dockyard Co Ltd, while upon the split in 1918 the Grangemouth based yard became the Grangemouth Dockyard Co Ltd. The company continued to build merchant ships and some naval vessels during the Second World War, eventually producing 31 new ships during the war. 14 of the ships present at the Normandy Landings had been built at Grangemouth, while another 44 were repaired there. The facilities were also used to repair and maintain submarines of the Royal Netherlands Navy
Royal Netherlands Navy
The Koninklijke Marine is the navy of the Netherlands. In the mid-17th century the Dutch Navy was the most powerful navy in the world and it played an active role in the wars of the Dutch Republic and later those of the Batavian Republic and the Kingdom of the Netherlands...
.
The company continued to operate after the war, becoming part of Swan Hunter
Swan Hunter
Swan Hunter, formerly known as "Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson", was one of the best known shipbuilding companies in the world. Based in Wallsend, Tyne and Wear, the company was responsible for some of the greatest ships of the early 20th century — most famously, the RMS Mauretania which...
in 1967. The company ceased building ships in 1972, thereafter concentrating solely on ship repair. With the large scale nationalisation of British shipbuilding in the late 1970s Swan Hunter became part of British Shipbuilders
British Shipbuilders
British Shipbuilders Corporation was a public corporation that owned and managed the shipbuilding industry in England and Scotland from 1977 and through the 1980s...
, with the Grangemouth Dockyard Company as a subsidiary. The winding up of operations in the 1980s saw the re-emergence of the Grangemouth Dockyard Company as a private concern in 1984, but it was subsequently liquidated in 1987.
Records and documents relating to the company and its activities are held by the National Archives of Scotland
National Archives of Scotland
Based in Edinburgh, the National Archives of Scotland are the national archives of Scotland. The NAS claims to have one of the most varied collection of archives in Europe...
, and Falkirk
Falkirk
Falkirk is a town in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. It lies in the Forth Valley, almost midway between the two most populous cities of Scotland; north-west of Edinburgh and north-east of Glasgow....
Museums.