Glasgow And Ships Of The Clyde

End Of A "Clyde-Built" Era

From: The Ardrossan & Saltcoats Herald dated 17th April 1970

END OF A ?CLYDE-BUILT? ERA

The sale of Ardrossan Dockyard to Ardrossan Harbour Company and the consequent cessation of shipbuilding and repairing ends an industrial activity which has been carried on in the town for almost 150 years.

The formation of the harbour, the foundation stone of which was laid in 1806, led to shipbuilding being started in Ardrossan about 1825 by Matthew Henderson who turned out many ships of 100 tons or under.

The trade on a large scale was established by John Barr, the first provost of the town, and James Shearer who began their shipbuilding business in 1842, the business being taken over about 1890 by Ardrossan Drydock and Shipbuilding Company. There were also two other shipbuilding businesses in the town making small wooden ships.

Ardrossan Dockyard was originally designed for the construction of wooden ships and on several occasions launched what were at the time the largest vessels built on the Clyde. The first steel vessel (304 tons) was launched in August 1888.

New Yard

In 1919 a new south yard was constructed and the first vessel built there - of 4000 tons - was the first launched directly into the sea at Ardrossan. At that time the yard employed about 300 men, and the old north yard gradually fell into disuse. During the last war the number of employees increased on occasion to about 700.

There were latterly four berths capable of building all types of craft up to a length of 275 feet, and the largest ship built at the yard was the ?LAIRDSGLEN?, launched in March, 1954.

Shipbuilding ceased in the town after the yard was bought over by a Greenock owner in 1962, but repair work continued until the end of last year.

Scribe Tango