Millwall Iron Works
Encyclopedia
The Millwall Iron Works, London
, England
, was a 19th century industrial complex and series of companies, which developed from 1824. Formed from a series of small ship building companies to address the need to build larger and larger ships, the holding company collapsed after the Panic of 1866
. Recovered into a series of smaller companies, by the later 19th century the location was too small on which to build the scale of ships then required.
, located on the northside of the River Thames
east of London, was owned by St Martin's-in-the-Fields haberdasher Simon Lemon. Then a point for the landing of grain and its grinding into flour, Lemon built a windmill
on the eastern end of the land.
Mastmaker Robert Todd then bought the estate, leaving it to his partner Thomas Todd and his wife's cousin Elizabeth, wife of mastmaker Charles Ferguson of Poplar. In 1824, industrialisation reached the area with thee development of the chemical-processing works of the Imperial Gas Light & Coke Company.
and David Napier
bought the Land of Promise estate from Charles Augustus Ferguson, the start of making Millwall an important centre of iron shipbuilding.
In 1836, Fairbairn laid out an ironworks on a three-acre site to develop small ships, although his main works remained in Manchester
. More than 100 ships, mostly under 2,000 tons, were built by Fairbairn at Millwall, including vessels for the Admiralty, the merchant marine, the Tsar of Russia and the King of Denmark.
and partners. John Scott Russell built complete ships in the works, fully fitted out, which they then floated out on to the river as ready to go ships. One of their earliest commissions was the iron steamer Taman, completed in 1848 for the Imperial Russian government
to operate from the Black Sea
ports.
designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel
, was launched from Napier Yard the shipyard
leased by Messrs J Scott Russell & Co. The 211 metre (692 ft) length was too wide for the river, and the ship had to be launched sideways. This increased the cost of the project, with cost over runs resulting in the bankruptcy
of John Scott Russell.
Due to the technical difficulties of the launch, this was the last ship of such a size to be built on the Island, though other builders such as Yarrows
and Samuda Brothers
continued building warships on the island for another 50 years. A section of the concrete and timber sub-structure from the launch site, is preserved on site for public display at the modern Napier Avenue.
industrialist John Hughes, who became a director of the new successor company, the London stock exchange
listed Millwall Iron Works, Ship Building & Graving Docks Company Ltd.
The new company redeveloped the combined 27 acre (0.10926522 km²) of works and shipyards, which had a river frontage of 1900 feet (579.1 m). Famous for its iron cladding of the Royal Navy
's ships under contract to the British Admiralty, at this point the Millwall Iron Works employed between 4,000 and 5,000 men. Conditions were good for an industrial complex of the time, with half-day Saturday working, a canteen, sports clubs and works band. Together with the Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Company
, they were considered to be of greater national importance than the Royal Dockyards, with a production capacity for iron ships and armour greater than that of the whole of France
.
in London, and the corso forzoso abandonment of the silver standard in Italy
, the company failed. Various parts of the company were bought out of receivership, including the Millwall Iron Works now managed by John Hughes.
By 1994 most of the land was redeveloped for housing, with the remnants of the Millwall Iron Works covered in post-war derelict industrial sheds.
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, was a 19th century industrial complex and series of companies, which developed from 1824. Formed from a series of small ship building companies to address the need to build larger and larger ships, the holding company collapsed after the Panic of 1866
Panic of 1866
The Panic of 1866 was an international financial downturn that accompanied the failure of Overend, Gurney and Company in London, and the corso forzoso abandonment of the silver standard in Italy.-References:...
. Recovered into a series of smaller companies, by the later 19th century the location was too small on which to build the scale of ships then required.
Background
By the early 8th century, the Land of Promise estate was located in MarshwallMillwall
Millwall is an area in London, on the western side of the Isle of Dogs, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It lies to the south of the developments at West India Docks, including Canary Wharf.-History:...
, located on the northside of the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
east of London, was owned by St Martin's-in-the-Fields haberdasher Simon Lemon. Then a point for the landing of grain and its grinding into flour, Lemon built a windmill
Windmill
A windmill is a machine which converts the energy of wind into rotational energy by means of vanes called sails or blades. Originally windmills were developed for milling grain for food production. In the course of history the windmill was adapted to many other industrial uses. An important...
on the eastern end of the land.
Mastmaker Robert Todd then bought the estate, leaving it to his partner Thomas Todd and his wife's cousin Elizabeth, wife of mastmaker Charles Ferguson of Poplar. In 1824, industrialisation reached the area with thee development of the chemical-processing works of the Imperial Gas Light & Coke Company.
1835-1846: Millwall Iron Works
In 1835 Scottish engineers Sir William FairbairnWilliam Fairbairn
Sir William Fairbairn, 1st Baronet was a Scottish civil engineer, structural engineer and shipbuilder.-Early career:...
and David Napier
David Napier (marine engineer)
This article is about the marine engineer. For other people of the same name see David Napier David Napier was a Scottish marine engineer....
bought the Land of Promise estate from Charles Augustus Ferguson, the start of making Millwall an important centre of iron shipbuilding.
In 1836, Fairbairn laid out an ironworks on a three-acre site to develop small ships, although his main works remained in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
. More than 100 ships, mostly under 2,000 tons, were built by Fairbairn at Millwall, including vessels for the Admiralty, the merchant marine, the Tsar of Russia and the King of Denmark.
1848-1861: John Scott Russell
But the works were not a financial success, resulting in its sale in 1848 to John Scott RussellJohn Scott Russell
John Scott Russell was a Scottish naval engineer who built the Great Eastern in collaboration with Isambard Kingdom Brunel, and made the discovery that gave birth to the modern study of solitons.-Personal life:John Scott Russell was born John Russell on 9 May 1808 in Parkhead, Glasgow, the son of...
and partners. John Scott Russell built complete ships in the works, fully fitted out, which they then floated out on to the river as ready to go ships. One of their earliest commissions was the iron steamer Taman, completed in 1848 for the Imperial Russian government
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
to operate from the Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
ports.
Great Eastern
On January 31, 1858, the largest ship of that time, the SS Great EasternSS Great Eastern
SS Great Eastern was an iron sailing steam ship designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, and built by J. Scott Russell & Co. at Millwall on the River Thames, London. She was by far the largest ship ever built at the time of her 1858 launch, and had the capacity to carry 4,000 passengers around the...
designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Isambard Kingdom Brunel, FRS , was a British civil engineer who built bridges and dockyards including the construction of the first major British railway, the Great Western Railway; a series of steamships, including the first propeller-driven transatlantic steamship; and numerous important bridges...
, was launched from Napier Yard the shipyard
Shipyard
Shipyards and dockyards are places which repair and build ships. These can be yachts, military vessels, cruise liners or other cargo or passenger ships. Dockyards are sometimes more associated with maintenance and basing activities than shipyards, which are sometimes associated more with initial...
leased by Messrs J Scott Russell & Co. The 211 metre (692 ft) length was too wide for the river, and the ship had to be launched sideways. This increased the cost of the project, with cost over runs resulting in the bankruptcy
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
of John Scott Russell.
Due to the technical difficulties of the launch, this was the last ship of such a size to be built on the Island, though other builders such as Yarrows
Alfred Yarrow
Sir Alfred Fernandez Yarrow, 1st Baronet, of Homestead was a British shipbuilder who started a shipbuilding dynasty, Yarrow Shipbuilders.-Life and career:...
and Samuda Brothers
Samuda Brothers
Samuda Brothers was an engineering and ship building firm at Cubitt Town on the Isle of Dogs in London, founded by Jacob and Joseph d'Aguilar Samuda. The site is now occupied by Samuda Estate....
continued building warships on the island for another 50 years. A section of the concrete and timber sub-structure from the launch site, is preserved on site for public display at the modern Napier Avenue.
1861-1866: Millwall Iron Works, Ship Building & Graving Docks Company
C.J Mares took over the iron works, and employed WelshWales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
industrialist John Hughes, who became a director of the new successor company, the London stock exchange
London Stock Exchange
The London Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located in the City of London within the United Kingdom. , the Exchange had a market capitalisation of US$3.7495 trillion, making it the fourth-largest stock exchange in the world by this measurement...
listed Millwall Iron Works, Ship Building & Graving Docks Company Ltd.
The new company redeveloped the combined 27 acre (0.10926522 km²) of works and shipyards, which had a river frontage of 1900 feet (579.1 m). Famous for its iron cladding of the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
's ships under contract to the British Admiralty, at this point the Millwall Iron Works employed between 4,000 and 5,000 men. Conditions were good for an industrial complex of the time, with half-day Saturday working, a canteen, sports clubs and works band. Together with the Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Company
Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Company
The Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Company, Limited was a shipyard and iron works straddling the mouth of Bow Creek at its confluence with the River Thames, at Leamouth Wharf on the west side and at Canning Town on the east side...
, they were considered to be of greater national importance than the Royal Dockyards, with a production capacity for iron ships and armour greater than that of the whole of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
1866: Millwall Iron Works
After the Panic of 1866, creating an international financial downturn that accompanied the failure of Overend, Gurney and CompanyOverend, Gurney and Company
Overend, Gurney & Company was a London wholesale discount bank, known as "the bankers' bank", which collapsed in 1866 owing about 11 million pounds, equivalent to £981 million at 2008 prices.-Early years:...
in London, and the corso forzoso abandonment of the silver standard in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, the company failed. Various parts of the company were bought out of receivership, including the Millwall Iron Works now managed by John Hughes.
Today
By the early 20th century, iron making had ceased in Millwall, and the works continued as builder and repair of small ships, and steel fabrication unit.By 1994 most of the land was redeveloped for housing, with the remnants of the Millwall Iron Works covered in post-war derelict industrial sheds.