John Henry Sangster Coutts was a Scottish shipbuilding pioneer who built the first full-size iron ship and the first double bottomed ship.

Career

John Coutts came from Aberdeen

Aberdeen

Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....

. He arrived on Tyneside

Tyneside

Tyneside is a conurbation in North East England, defined by the Office of National Statistics, which is home to over 80% of the population of Tyne and Wear. It includes the city of Newcastle upon Tyne and the Metropolitan Boroughs of Gateshead, North Tyneside and South Tyneside — all settlements on...

 in 1841. In 1842 he launched his first ship, the P.S. Prince Albert, the first full-sized iron ship. He went on to launch the S.S. QED, the first ship to have a double-bottom.

In 1848 he entered into a partnership with William Parkinson trading as Coutts & Parkinson. He employed Dr Charles Mitchell, whose shipyard at Wallsend

Wallsend

Wallsend is an area in North Tyneside, Tyne and Wear, England. Wallsend derives its name as the location of the end of Hadrian's Wall. It has a population of 42,842.-Romans:...

 became the core of the 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...

shipbuilding group, as his designer.