Lithgows
Encyclopedia
Lithgows Limited, was a British
shipbuilding company based in Kingston, Port Glasgow
, on the River Clyde
in Scotland
.
who leased the Bay Yard in Port Glasgow
from Cunliffe & Dunlop and started trading as Russell & Co. in 1874.
In 1879 they purchased the Cartsdyke Mid Yard from J.E. Scott and in 1881 they acquired the Kingston Shipyard from Henry Murray. The partnership was dissolved in 1891: Russell retired, Rodger took the Bay Yard and Lithgow the Kingston and Cartsdyke Yards.
In 1900 The Cartsdyke Yard was sold to Greenock Dockyard
.
Then in 1908 brothers William Lithgow's sons, James and Henry, assumed control; they bought the Bay yard in 1911.
The Company then entered a period of expansion by acquisition, buying the Port Glasgow East Yard from Robert Duncan & Co in 1915 and Glasgow
marine enginebuilders David Rowan & Company in 1917.
In 1918 Russell & Company was renamed Lithgows Ltd.
Further acquisitions included the Inch Yard of Dunlop, Bremner in 1919 (although it continued to trade under its own name until 1926), the Glen Yard of Wm Hamilton & Company also in 1919 (although it continued to trade under its own name until 1963), steel stockholders James Dunlop & Company in 1920, the closed yard of Murdoch & Murray in 1923 (giving them complete ownership of the entire Port Glasgow waterfront from Bay to Inch), the Greenock enginebuilder Rankin & Blackmore Ltd also in 1923 and the Irvine based shipbuilder Ayrshire Dockyard Ltd in 1928.
In 1933 the Inch shipyard was sold to National Shipbuilders Security and 'sterilised' for 40 years. Then in 1935 Lithgows took control of the Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Company in Govan
although it continued trading as a separate entity.
Closures followed: the Bay shipyard was closed and demolished in 1935. The Robert Duncan East Shipyard which had closed in 1931 was reopened under Lithgows name in 1937.
In 1961 Lithgows took control of Ferguson Brothers (Port Glasgow) Ltd
at Newark
(although it continued to trade as a separate entity).
In 1963 the East Yard was merged with Wm Hamilton & Company's Glen Yard, so acquiring an Arrol
'Goliath' gantry crane and the David Rowan engine-building subsidiary was merged with Fairfield's enginebuilding to form Fairfield Rowan Ltd.
In 1964 The Lithgow enginebuilding subsidiary of Rankin & Blackmore closed their Eagle Foundry in Greenock. Then in 1965 Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering was placed in receivership. It continued outwith Lithgow control as Fairfield (Glasgow) Ltd (q.v.). The enginebuilding subsidiary Fairfield Rowan was closed in 1966.
In 1966 Lithgows purchased the Inchgreen Drydock from Firth of Clyde Drydock Company. It occupied the site of Lithgows' former Inch yard.
In 1967 Lithgows merged with Scotts Shipbuilding and Engineering Company
to form Scott Lithgow Ltd although Lithgows traded separately as Lithgows (1969) Ltd.
In 1970 Lithgows (1969) Ltd purchased the Campbeltown Shipyard Ltd and in 1972 the Glen / East Yard was absorbed into the Kingston Yard.
In 1977 Scott Lithgow Ltd (and its Scott, Lithgow and Ferguson subsidiaries) were absorbed into the state owned British Shipbuilders
. After 1977 Lithgow business interests diversified into hotels and electronics.
From 1981 the former Lithgow Kingston / Glen Yard was operated by Scott Lithgow (Offshore) Ltd. In 1983 the former Lithgow yards at Kingston / Glen were sold to Trafalgar House
but were unused after 1987. The yards were partly dismantled in the years 1987 to 1995.
In 1996 the Kingston / Glen yards were sold to Clydeport plc for redevelopment. Then in 1997 Clydeport leased the Inchgreen Drydock to UiE Scotland
for ship refitting and the Arrol
'Goliath' Gantry Crane was demolished.
Final traces of the Kingston and Glen / East shipyards were removed in 2005 and 2006, the former being redeveloped for residential purposes and the latter becoming site of a large Tesco
supermarket development.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
shipbuilding company based in Kingston, Port Glasgow
Port Glasgow
Port Glasgow is the second largest town in the Inverclyde council area of Scotland. The population according to the 1991 census for Port Glasgow was 19426 persons and in the 2001 census was 16617 persons...
, on the River Clyde
River Clyde
The River Clyde is a major river in Scotland. It is the ninth longest river in the United Kingdom, and the third longest in Scotland. Flowing through the major city of Glasgow, it was an important river for shipbuilding and trade in the British Empire....
in 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...
.
Founding
The Company was established by Joseph Russell and his partners Anderson Rodger and William LithgowWilliam Lithgow (shipbuilder)
William Todd Lithgow was a Scottish ship-designer who became sole owner of an extremely successful shipbuilding company. For much of the 20th century its name was Lithgows, as it was developed further by William's sons Sir James Lithgow and Henry Lithgow , and then by his grandson Sir William...
who leased the Bay Yard in Port Glasgow
Port Glasgow
Port Glasgow is the second largest town in the Inverclyde council area of Scotland. The population according to the 1991 census for Port Glasgow was 19426 persons and in the 2001 census was 16617 persons...
from Cunliffe & Dunlop and started trading as Russell & Co. in 1874.
In 1879 they purchased the Cartsdyke Mid Yard from J.E. Scott and in 1881 they acquired the Kingston Shipyard from Henry Murray. The partnership was dissolved in 1891: Russell retired, Rodger took the Bay Yard and Lithgow the Kingston and Cartsdyke Yards.
In 1900 The Cartsdyke Yard was sold to Greenock Dockyard
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...
.
Then in 1908 brothers William Lithgow's sons, James and Henry, assumed control; they bought the Bay yard in 1911.
The Company then entered a period of expansion by acquisition, buying the Port Glasgow East Yard from Robert Duncan & Co in 1915 and Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
marine enginebuilders David Rowan & Company in 1917.
In 1918 Russell & Company was renamed Lithgows Ltd.
Further acquisitions included the Inch Yard of Dunlop, Bremner in 1919 (although it continued to trade under its own name until 1926), the Glen Yard of Wm Hamilton & Company also in 1919 (although it continued to trade under its own name until 1963), steel stockholders James Dunlop & Company in 1920, the closed yard of Murdoch & Murray in 1923 (giving them complete ownership of the entire Port Glasgow waterfront from Bay to Inch), the Greenock enginebuilder Rankin & Blackmore Ltd also in 1923 and the Irvine based shipbuilder Ayrshire Dockyard Ltd in 1928.
In 1933 the Inch shipyard was sold to National Shipbuilders Security and 'sterilised' for 40 years. Then in 1935 Lithgows took control of the Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Company in Govan
Govan
Govan is a district and former burgh now part of southwest City of Glasgow, Scotland. It is situated west of Glasgow city centre, on the south bank of the River Clyde, opposite the mouth of the River Kelvin and the district of Partick....
although it continued trading as a separate entity.
Closures followed: the Bay shipyard was closed and demolished in 1935. The Robert Duncan East Shipyard which had closed in 1931 was reopened under Lithgows name in 1937.
Post War
In 1949 Sir James Lithgow set up Scottish Ore Carriers Ltd.In 1961 Lithgows took control of Ferguson Brothers (Port Glasgow) Ltd
Ferguson Shipbuilders
Ferguson Shipbuilders Limited is a shipyard located in Port Glasgow on the River Clyde in Scotland. It is the last remaining shipbuilder on the lower Clyde, and is currently the only builder of merchant ships on the river - the company's mainstay has long been Roll-on/roll-off ferries.-History:The...
at Newark
Port Glasgow
Port Glasgow is the second largest town in the Inverclyde council area of Scotland. The population according to the 1991 census for Port Glasgow was 19426 persons and in the 2001 census was 16617 persons...
(although it continued to trade as a separate entity).
In 1963 the East Yard was merged with Wm Hamilton & Company's Glen Yard, so acquiring an Arrol
Sir William Arrol & Co.
Sir William Arrol & Co. was a leading Scottish civil engineering business founded by William Arrol and based in Glasgow. It built some of the most famous bridges in the United Kingdom including the Forth Bridge and Tower Bridge in London.-Early history:...
'Goliath' gantry crane and the David Rowan engine-building subsidiary was merged with Fairfield's enginebuilding to form Fairfield Rowan Ltd.
In 1964 The Lithgow enginebuilding subsidiary of Rankin & Blackmore closed their Eagle Foundry in Greenock. Then in 1965 Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering was placed in receivership. It continued outwith Lithgow control as Fairfield (Glasgow) Ltd (q.v.). The enginebuilding subsidiary Fairfield Rowan was closed in 1966.
In 1966 Lithgows purchased the Inchgreen Drydock from Firth of Clyde Drydock Company. It occupied the site of Lithgows' former Inch yard.
In 1967 Lithgows merged with Scotts Shipbuilding and Engineering Company
Scotts Shipbuilding and Engineering Company
Scotts Shipbuilding and Engineering Company Limited, often referred to simply as Scotts, was a Scottish shipbuilding company based in Greenock on the River Clyde.- History :...
to form Scott Lithgow Ltd although Lithgows traded separately as Lithgows (1969) Ltd.
In 1970 Lithgows (1969) Ltd purchased the Campbeltown Shipyard Ltd and in 1972 the Glen / East Yard was absorbed into the Kingston Yard.
In 1977 Scott Lithgow Ltd (and its Scott, Lithgow and Ferguson subsidiaries) were absorbed into the state owned 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...
. After 1977 Lithgow business interests diversified into hotels and electronics.
From 1981 the former Lithgow Kingston / Glen Yard was operated by Scott Lithgow (Offshore) Ltd. In 1983 the former Lithgow yards at Kingston / Glen were sold to Trafalgar House
Trafalgar House (company)
Trafalgar House Public Limited Company was a British conglomerate with interests in property investment, property development, engineering, construction, shipping, hotels, energy and publishing...
but were unused after 1987. The yards were partly dismantled in the years 1987 to 1995.
In 1996 the Kingston / Glen yards were sold to Clydeport plc for redevelopment. Then in 1997 Clydeport leased the Inchgreen Drydock to UiE Scotland
Bouygues
Bouygues S.A. is a French industrial group headquartered in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, France. Bouygues is listed on Euronext Paris exchange and is a blue chip in the CAC 40 stock market index. The company was founded in 1952 by Francis Bouygues and since 1989 has been led by his son Martin...
for ship refitting and the Arrol
Sir William Arrol & Co.
Sir William Arrol & Co. was a leading Scottish civil engineering business founded by William Arrol and based in Glasgow. It built some of the most famous bridges in the United Kingdom including the Forth Bridge and Tower Bridge in London.-Early history:...
'Goliath' Gantry Crane was demolished.
Final traces of the Kingston and Glen / East shipyards were removed in 2005 and 2006, the former being redeveloped for residential purposes and the latter becoming site of a large Tesco
Tesco
Tesco plc is a global grocery and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Cheshunt, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest retailer in the world measured by revenues and the second-largest measured by profits...
supermarket development.
External links
- A full list of the ships built by the company
- National Library of Scotland: SCOTTISH SCREEN ARCHIVE (archive films relating to Lithgows and Scott Lithgow shipyards)