Swan Hunter
Encyclopedia
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 held the Blue Riband
for the fastest crossing of the Atlantic
, and the RMS Carpathia
which rescued the survivors from the RMS Titanic.
As the name suggests, the company represented the combined forces of three powerful shipbuilding families: Swan, Hunter and Wigham Richardson.
(who had become the owner of a Wallsend
Shipbuilding business established in 1852 by Dr Charles Mitchell) under the name C.S. Swan & Hunter in 1880.
In 1903, it merged with Wigham Richardson
(founded by John Wigham Richardson
as Neptune Works in 1860), specifically to bid for the prestigious contract to build on behalf of Cunard
. Their bid was successful, and the new company, Swan Hunter and Wigham Richardson Ltd, went on to build what was to become, in its day, the most famous ocean going liner in the world. Also in 1903 the Company took a controlling interest in the Wallsend Slipway & Engineering Company
, which was an early licensed manufacturer of Parsons
turbine
engines, which enabled the Mauretania to achieve its great speed. The Mauretania was launched from Wallsend
on 20 September 1906 by the Duchess of Roxburghe
. It expanded rapidly in the early part of the twentieth century, acquiring the Glasgow-based Barclay Curle
in 1912.
In 1966 Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson merged with Smith's Dock Co
to form Associated Shipbuilders, later to become Swan Hunter Group. Following the publication of the Geddes Report recommending rationalisation in British
shipbuilding, the Company went on to acquire Clelands Shipbuilding Company
and John Readhead & Sons
in 1967. Meanwhile Swan Hunter inherited both the Naval Yard at High Walker on the River Tyne
of Vickers-Armstrongs and the Hebburn
Yard of Hawthorn Leslie
in 1968. In 1973 further expansion came with the purchase of Palmers
Dock at Hebburn
from Vickers-Armstrongs.
Then in 1977, Swan Hunter Group was nationalised. The flagship of the Royal Navy
, was built at Swan Hunter during this period, entering service in 1985.
The Company was privatised again in 1987 but decided to close its Neptune Yard in 1988. It was then forced to call in the receivers when the UK government awarded the contract for to Kvaerner Govan
in 1993. The Receiver took steps to break up the business. However the main shipyard in Wallsend
was bought out from receivership by Jaap Kroese, a Dutch
millionaire
. The yard subsequently undertook several ad-hoc ship repair and conversion projects for private-sector customers.
In 2000, however, Swan Hunter was awarded the contract to design and build two (Auxiliary) Landing Ship Dock ships for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary
with two other ships being built by BAE Systems Naval Ships
: the cost of the two Swan Hunter ships was to be £210 million including £62 million for lead yard services, with an inservice date of 2004. By July 2006, the costs had risen to £309 million and only one ship had been delivered. As result of this, the second ship was transferred to BAE Govan for completion.
In 2001 Swan Hunter acquired Kvaerner's Port Clarence
offshore yard at Teeside but then in 2006 sold it to Wilton Engineering Group.
In November 2006, after the failure to complete Lyme Bay within budget and resulting exclusion from future Royal Navy
shipbuilding projects, Jaap Kroese announced that the business was effectively finished and placed the Wallsend Yard's iconic cranes up for sale. He also said that he was actively looking for a buyer for the land. In April 2007, Swan Hunter's cranes, along with its floating dock and other equipment, were sold to Bharati Shipyard
s, India
's second largest private sector shipbuilder. The entire plant machinery and equipment from Swan Hunter was dismantled and transported to India
over six months to be rebuilt at Bharati Shipyards.
In 2008 the company said it was concentrating on ship design with just under 200 people employed.
All three were on the north side of River Tyne
. The company also owned the Wallsend Slipway & Engineering Company
, the yard that built the engines for the Mauretania, from 1903 until the 1980s. At various times Swan Hunter also owned Palmers Hebburn Yard
, Hawthorn Leslie Hebburn Yard
and Readheads
at South Shields
which were all on the south side of the River Tyne
.
Shipbuilding
Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and floating vessels. It normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation that traces its roots to before recorded history.Shipbuilding and ship repairs, both...
companies in the world. Based in 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:...
, Tyne and Wear
Tyne and Wear
Tyne and Wear is a metropolitan county in north east England around the mouths of the Rivers Tyne and Wear. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972...
, the company was responsible for some of the greatest ships of the early 20th century — most famously, the RMS Mauretania
RMS Mauretania (1906)
RMS Mauretania was an ocean liner designed by Leonard Peskett and built by Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson at Wallsend, Tyne and Wear for the British Cunard Line, and launched on 20 September 1906. At the time, she was the largest and fastest ship in the world. Mauretania became a favourite among...
which held the Blue Riband
Blue Riband
The Blue Riband is an unofficial accolade given to the passenger liner crossing the Atlantic Ocean in regular service with the record highest speed. The term was borrowed from horse racing and was not widely used until after 1910. Under the unwritten rules, the record is based on average speed...
for the fastest crossing of the Atlantic
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
, and the RMS Carpathia
RMS Carpathia
RMS Carpathia was a Cunard Line transatlantic passenger steamship built by Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson. Carpathia made her maiden voyage in 1903 and became famous for rescuing the survivors of after the latter ship hit an iceberg and sank on 15 April 1912...
which rescued the survivors from the RMS Titanic.
As the name suggests, the company represented the combined forces of three powerful shipbuilding families: Swan, Hunter and Wigham Richardson.
History
Swan & Hunter was founded by George Burton Hunter who formed a partnership with the widow of Charles Sheridan SwanCharles Sheridan Swan
Charles Sheridan Swan is the man who gave his name to Swan Hunter, a major British shipbuilder.-Career:Little is known about the early life of Charles Sheridan Swan but in 1874 he took over the management of a shipyard established in 1842 by a Mr John Coutts and by then owned by a Dr Charles...
(who had become the owner of a 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:...
Shipbuilding business established in 1852 by Dr Charles Mitchell) under the name C.S. Swan & Hunter in 1880.
In 1903, it merged with Wigham Richardson
Wigham Richardson
The Wigham Richardson shipbuilding company was named after its founder, John Wigham Richardson , the son of Edward Richardson, a tanner from Newcastle upon Tyne, and Jane Wigham from Edinburgh.-History:...
(founded by John Wigham Richardson
John Wigham Richardson
John Wigham Richardson was one of the great figures of British industrial life, and a leading shipbuilder on Tyneside during the late 19th and early 20th century.-Career:...
as Neptune Works in 1860), specifically to bid for the prestigious contract to build on behalf of Cunard
Cunard Line
Cunard Line is a British-American owned shipping company based at Carnival House in Southampton, England and operated by Carnival UK. It has been a leading operator of passenger ships on the North Atlantic for over a century...
. Their bid was successful, and the new company, Swan Hunter and Wigham Richardson Ltd, went on to build what was to become, in its day, the most famous ocean going liner in the world. Also in 1903 the Company took a controlling interest in the Wallsend Slipway & Engineering Company
Wallsend Slipway & Engineering Company
Wallsend Slipway & Engineering Company Ltd was formerly an independent company, located on the River Tyne at Point Pleasant, near Wallsend, Tyne & Wear, around a mile downstream from the Swan Hunter shipyard, with which it later merged.-History:...
, which was an early licensed manufacturer of Parsons
Parsons Marine Steam Turbine Company
Parsons Marine Steam Turbine Company was a British engineering company based in Wallsend, North England, on the River Tyne.-History:The company was founded by Charles Algernon Parsons in 1897 with £500,000 of capital, and specialised in building the steam turbine engines that he had invented for...
turbine
Turbine
A turbine is a rotary engine that extracts energy from a fluid flow and converts it into useful work.The simplest turbines have one moving part, a rotor assembly, which is a shaft or drum with blades attached. Moving fluid acts on the blades, or the blades react to the flow, so that they move and...
engines, which enabled the Mauretania to achieve its great speed. The Mauretania was launched from 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:...
on 20 September 1906 by the Duchess of Roxburghe
Anne Innes-Ker, Duchess of Roxburghe
Anne Emily Innes-Ker, Duchess of Roxburghe VA OBE was born Anne Emily Spencer-Churchill, and was the daughter of the seventh Duke of Marlborough, who served in Conservative governments as Lord President of the Council and Lord Lieutenant of Ireland...
. It expanded rapidly in the early part of the twentieth century, acquiring the Glasgow-based Barclay Curle
Barclay Curle
-History:The company was founded by Robert Barclay at Stobcross in Glasgow, Scotland during 1818. In 1862, the company built a large engineering works at Stobcross in Glasgow. In 1876, the company moved their yard down the river to Whiteinch. It was incorporated in 1884 as Barclay Curle...
in 1912.
In 1966 Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson merged with Smith's Dock Co
Smiths Dock Company
Smiths Dock Company, Limited, often referred to simply as Smiths Dock, was a British shipbuilding company.-History:The company was originally established by Thomas Smith who bought William Rowe's shipyard at St. Peter's in Newcastle upon Tyne in 1810 and traded as William Smith & Co. The company...
to form Associated Shipbuilders, later to become Swan Hunter Group. Following the publication of the Geddes Report recommending rationalisation in British
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, the Company went on to acquire Clelands Shipbuilding Company
Clelands Shipbuilding Company
Clelands Shipbuilding Company was a leading British shipbuilding company. The Company was based in Wallsend was nationalised by the British Government.-History:...
and John Readhead & Sons
John Readhead & Sons
John Readhead & Sons was a shipyard located in South Shields, Tyne and Wear in England, by the River Tyne.-History:The business was founded John Readhead in 1865 trading in South Shields under the name of Readhead & Softley. The Company's first ship was a small collier named Unus. In 1909 the...
in 1967. Meanwhile Swan Hunter inherited both the Naval Yard at High Walker on the River Tyne
River Tyne
The River Tyne is a river in North East England in Great Britain. It is formed by the confluence of two rivers: the North Tyne and the South Tyne. These two rivers converge at Warden Rock near Hexham in Northumberland at a place dubbed 'The Meeting of the Waters'.The North Tyne rises on the...
of Vickers-Armstrongs and the Hebburn
Hebburn
Hebburn is a small town situated on the south bank of the River Tyne in North East England, sandwiched between the towns of Jarrow and Bill Quay...
Yard of Hawthorn Leslie
Hawthorn Leslie and Company
R. & W. Hawthorn Leslie and Company, Limited, usually referred to as Hawthorn Leslie, was a shipbuilding and locomotive manufacturer. The Company was founded on Tyneside in 1886 and ceased building ships in 1982.-History:...
in 1968. In 1973 further expansion came with the purchase of Palmers
Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Company
Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Company Limited, often referred to simply as Palmers, was a British shipbuilding company. The Company was based in Jarrow, in Northeast England and also had operations in Hebburn and Willington Quay on the River Tyne....
Dock at Hebburn
Hebburn
Hebburn is a small town situated on the south bank of the River Tyne in North East England, sandwiched between the towns of Jarrow and Bill Quay...
from Vickers-Armstrongs.
Then in 1977, Swan Hunter Group was nationalised. The flagship 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...
, was built at Swan Hunter during this period, entering service in 1985.
The Company was privatised again in 1987 but decided to close its Neptune Yard in 1988. It was then forced to call in the receivers when the UK government awarded the contract for to Kvaerner Govan
Kvaerner Govan
Kvaerner Govan Ltd, located at Govan in Glasgow on the River Clyde, was a shipyard subsidiary formed in 1988 when the Norwegian group Kvaerner Industrier purchased the Govan Shipbuilders division of the nationalised British Shipbuilders corporation...
in 1993. The Receiver took steps to break up the business. However the main shipyard in 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:...
was bought out from receivership by Jaap Kroese, a Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
millionaire
Millionaire
A millionaire is an individual whose net worth or wealth is equal to or exceeds one million units of currency. It can also be a person who owns one million units of currency in a bank account or savings account...
. The yard subsequently undertook several ad-hoc ship repair and conversion projects for private-sector customers.
Royal Fleet Auxiliary
The Royal Fleet Auxiliary is a civilian-manned fleet owned by the British Ministry of Defence. The RFA enables ships of the United Kingdom Royal Navy to maintain operations around the world. Its primary role is to supply the Royal Navy with fuel, ammunition and supplies, normally by replenishment...
with two other ships being built by BAE Systems Naval Ships
BAE Systems Naval Ships
BAE Systems Surface Fleet Solutions was a wholly owned subsidiary of BAE Systems, based at two shipyards on the River Clyde in Glasgow and BAE Systems' Filton offices...
: the cost of the two Swan Hunter ships was to be £210 million including £62 million for lead yard services, with an inservice date of 2004. By July 2006, the costs had risen to £309 million and only one ship had been delivered. As result of this, the second ship was transferred to BAE Govan for completion.
In 2001 Swan Hunter acquired Kvaerner's Port Clarence
Port Clarence
Port Clarence is a small village now within the borough of Stockton-on-Tees and ceremonial county of County Durham, England. It is situated on the north bank of the River Tees, and hosts the northern end of the Middlesbrough Transporter Bridge.-History:...
offshore yard at Teeside but then in 2006 sold it to Wilton Engineering Group.
In November 2006, after the failure to complete Lyme Bay within budget and resulting exclusion from future 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...
shipbuilding projects, Jaap Kroese announced that the business was effectively finished and placed the Wallsend Yard's iconic cranes up for sale. He also said that he was actively looking for a buyer for the land. In April 2007, Swan Hunter's cranes, along with its floating dock and other equipment, were sold to Bharati Shipyard
Bharati Shipyard
Bharati Shipyard Limited is one of the largest shipbuildings companies in India.-History:BSL was founded in 1973 in Ratnagiri, Maharashtra by Prakash C. Kapoor and Vijay Kumar, graduates of the Ocean Engineering & Naval Architecture program at Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, as well as...
s, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
's second largest private sector shipbuilder. The entire plant machinery and equipment from Swan Hunter was dismantled and transported to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
over six months to be rebuilt at Bharati Shipyards.
In 2008 the company said it was concentrating on ship design with just under 200 people employed.
Operations
The Company owned three main yards:- The Neptune Yard at Walker-on-Tyne inherited from Wigham RichardsonWigham RichardsonThe Wigham Richardson shipbuilding company was named after its founder, John Wigham Richardson , the son of Edward Richardson, a tanner from Newcastle upon Tyne, and Jane Wigham from Edinburgh.-History:...
(opened in 1860 and closed in 1988) - The Wallsend West Yard at WallsendWallsendWallsend 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:...
inherited from Charles Sheridan SwanCharles Sheridan SwanCharles Sheridan Swan is the man who gave his name to Swan Hunter, a major British shipbuilder.-Career:Little is known about the early life of Charles Sheridan Swan but in 1874 he took over the management of a shipyard established in 1842 by a Mr John Coutts and by then owned by a Dr Charles...
(opened in 1842 and closed in 2006) - The Naval Yard at High Walker inherited from Vickers-Armstrongs (opened in 1912 and closed during the 1980s)
All three were on the north side of River Tyne
River Tyne
The River Tyne is a river in North East England in Great Britain. It is formed by the confluence of two rivers: the North Tyne and the South Tyne. These two rivers converge at Warden Rock near Hexham in Northumberland at a place dubbed 'The Meeting of the Waters'.The North Tyne rises on the...
. The company also owned the Wallsend Slipway & Engineering Company
Wallsend Slipway & Engineering Company
Wallsend Slipway & Engineering Company Ltd was formerly an independent company, located on the River Tyne at Point Pleasant, near Wallsend, Tyne & Wear, around a mile downstream from the Swan Hunter shipyard, with which it later merged.-History:...
, the yard that built the engines for the Mauretania, from 1903 until the 1980s. At various times Swan Hunter also owned Palmers Hebburn Yard
Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Company
Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Company Limited, often referred to simply as Palmers, was a British shipbuilding company. The Company was based in Jarrow, in Northeast England and also had operations in Hebburn and Willington Quay on the River Tyne....
, Hawthorn Leslie Hebburn Yard
Hawthorn Leslie and Company
R. & W. Hawthorn Leslie and Company, Limited, usually referred to as Hawthorn Leslie, was a shipbuilding and locomotive manufacturer. The Company was founded on Tyneside in 1886 and ceased building ships in 1982.-History:...
and Readheads
John Readhead & Sons
John Readhead & Sons was a shipyard located in South Shields, Tyne and Wear in England, by the River Tyne.-History:The business was founded John Readhead in 1865 trading in South Shields under the name of Readhead & Softley. The Company's first ship was a small collier named Unus. In 1909 the...
at South Shields
South Shields
South Shields is a coastal town in Tyne and Wear, England, located at the mouth of the River Tyne to Tyne Dock, and about downstream from Newcastle upon Tyne...
which were all on the south side of the River Tyne
River Tyne
The River Tyne is a river in North East England in Great Britain. It is formed by the confluence of two rivers: the North Tyne and the South Tyne. These two rivers converge at Warden Rock near Hexham in Northumberland at a place dubbed 'The Meeting of the Waters'.The North Tyne rises on the...
.
Ships built by Swan Hunter
Naval vessels
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Commercial vessels
Atlantic Causeway The Atlantic Causeway was a container ship, operated by Cunard, and one of the merchant vessels requisitioned by the British government to support British forces in the Falklands War in 1982.-Pre-war:... (1969) Atlantic Conveyor The Atlantic Conveyor was a British merchant navy ship, registered in Liverpool, that was requisitioned during the Falklands War and sunk on 25 May 1982 after being hit by two Argentine Exocet missiles, killing 12 sailors... (1970) Esso Northumbria The Esso Northumbria was the first of a series of Very Large Crude Carrier ships, built by Swan Hunter at Wallsend on Tyneside, in 1969. Launched on 2 May 1969 by HRH The Princess Anne was the largest vessel to have been built in Britain at that time. Its tonnage was 253,000 tonnes and its length... (1969) Franconia Franconia is a region of Germany comprising the northern parts of the modern state of Bavaria, a small part of southern Thuringia, and a region in northeastern Baden-Württemberg called Tauberfranken... (1910) |
Cable ships
Telconia CS Telconia was an English cable ship used in the early 20th century to lay and repair submarine communications cables. It was built in 1909 by Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson for the Telegraph Construction and Maintenance Company and remained in service until late 1934..The Telconia is often... Bulk Carrier
Research Vessels (1913)
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See also
- List of shipbuilders and shipyards