The following is a timeline of the history of shipbuilding on the River Wear in Tyne and Wear, England.
14th century 1340s 1346 Thomas Menvill paid Bishop Hatfield an annual rent of 2s to build ships at Hendon, Sunderland (according to a 1697 copy of a document dated 1346) 17th century 1640s Local shipbuilders included Frances Readhead and Roger Thornton at Bishopwearmouth Panns 1670s 1672 The Goodchilds of Pallion, a local landowning family, built small ships to transport lime produced in their kilns 18th century 1740s 1748 Duke William of 500 tons built on the Wear 1770s 1776 150 vessels had been built on the Wear by this year Lloyd's Register included 63 Sunderland built vessels totaling 12,222 tons 1780s Several shipyards were 'constantly employed' on the Wear, including that of Thomas Nicholson at Bishopwearmouth Panns 1781-82 Achilles and Bucephalus, warships, built by Messrs Thomas Dixon and James Stafford at Monkwearmouth Shore 1790s 1793 John and Philip Laing from Fife established a shipyard at Monkwearmouth Shore 1798 2 March: Lord Duncan of 925 tons launched at Southwick, Sunderland
19th century 1800s 1800 12,662 tons of shipping was launched on the Wear, exceeding the output on the River Tyne 1807 Luke Crown started a shipyard at Monkwearmouth Shore 1810s 1816 Robert Surtees stated that 'In shipbuilding the Port of Sunderland stands at present the highest in the United Kingdom' 1818 John and Philip Laing moved their shipyard from Monkwearmouth Shore to Deptford yard in Sunderland 1819 The partnership of John and Philip Laing ended, with John Laing retaining the company
1820s 1825 The output of shipbuilding on the Wear was 21,000 tons 1826 Peter Austin (SP Austin & Sons) opened a shipyard at Monkwearmouth Shore 1830s 1837 George Bartram and John Lister started a shipbuilding yard at South Hylton 1838 Bertram and Lister launched their first ship William Pickersgill with Messrs Miller, Rawson and Watson began shipbuilding at the North Dock
1840s 1840 William Doxford founded his shipbuilding company and started building ships at Cox Green There were 76 shipyards on the Wear and 251 ships were constructed totaling 64,446 tons 1841 William Doxford went bankrupt 3,100 shipwrights were employed on the Wear 1842 Only 1000 shipwrights remained on the Wear 1842-43 A sharp depression saw many yards fail on the Wear 1843 Only 31 shipyards remained on the Wear and total tonnage launched was 21,377 tons James Laing, son of Philip Laing, took over the company as James Laing & Sons 1845 William Pickersgill split from his partners and developed a shipyard at Southwick William Doxford resumed construction of ships Experiment, was the first steam-powered sea-going ship built in Sunderland. The shipbuilder was T Rountree, with engines from South Shields 1846 SP Austin and Sons moved their yard across the river to a site near Wearmouth Bridge Robert Thompson and his three sons began shipbuilding at North Sands and built their first ship in 11 weeks Sunderland shipwrights formed a trade union 1848 George Thomas Clark established an engineering works in Sunderland
1850s 1850 Over 51,000 tons of shipping was launched on the Wear George Short established a shipbuilding yard 1851 The 1851 United Kingdom census recorded 653 shipwrights under 20 years old in Sunderland, and 1,372 over 20 years old 1852 27 February: Loftus of 77 tons, the first iron ship built on the Wear, was launched, constructed by George Thomas Clark and John Barkes John Dickinson & Sons opened an engineering works at Palmer's Hill, near Bonnesfield, Monkwearmouth 1854 The first ship was launched by the William Pickersgill shipyard at Southwick Robert Thompson (junior) opened his own shipyard George Thomas Clark manufactured the first marine engine built on the Wear 1857 William Doxford moved his shipbuilding yard from Cox Green to Pallion
1860s 1860 Laings built ten vessels, nine of which were iron ships Robert Thompson died and his son Joseph Lowes Thompson took over the company 1864 7 May: City of Adelaide launched at North Sands by Pile, Hay & Company, a composite vessel with an iron frame and wooden hull Doxfords began building iron ships 1865-74 J. L. Thompson and Sons at Southwick built 18 Composite vessels 1869 Short Brothers of Sunderland moved their shipyard to Pallion
1870s 1871 Bartrams moved from South Hylton to South Dock and were known as Bartram & Haswell after the owners, RA Bartram (son of George Bartram) and George Haswell 1875 Joseph Lowes Thompson died and his three sons took over the company, J. L. Thompson and Sons Torrens, a clipper ship and composite vessel, was launched by Laing's 1878 Doxfords opened an engine works to supply their own vessels
1880s 1880 Coppermine was built by William Pickersgill, the last wooden ship built on the Wear William Pickersgill was killed in an accident at his shipyard 1882 William Doxford died 1883 Doxfords built four steel ships Shipbuilding output on the Wear was 212,313 tons 1884 Shipbuilding output on the Wear was less than 100,000 tons 1887 Robert Thompson's shipyard at Southwick did not launch any vessels 1889 George Haswell retired from Bartram & Haswell and RA Bartram was joined by his two sons to form Bartram & Sons
1890s 1891 William Doxford & Sons shipbuilding company formed by William Doxford's sons, William Theodore, Alfred, Robert and Charles 1893 Margarita, was launched by William Pickersgill Jnr and was the last sailing ship built on the Wear 1897 James Laing was knighted 1898 James Laing changed the company name to Sir James Laing & Sons
20th century 1900s 1903 28 May: Pontoon opened at SP Austin & Sons yard enabling the docking of ships of up to 400ft in length. The pontoon was built by Swan Hunter at Wallsend 1904 William Doxford & Sons doubled their capacity to build ships with the opening of the East Yard with three new berths and the shipyard was 32 acres in extent Doxfords recorded the highest production of any shipyard in the world 1906 Shipbuilding output on the Wear was 365,951 tons with 12,672 people employed 1907 Doxfords again recorded the highest production of any shipyard in the world Sir James Laing died 1908 Shipbuilding output on the Wear was 92,022 tons with 4,068 people employed
1910s 1912 Sir James Marr became chairman of Laings 1913 Gifford launched by Doxfords for the Bank Line 1917 15 June: King George V and Queen Mary visited Sunderland touring all the main shipyards
1920s 1920 Vessels totaling 318,000 gross registered tons were launched on the Wear The 15 shipyards on the Wear launched 333,335 gross tons of shipping 1921 Output of ships on the Wear fell to less than half the previous year 1923 Output on the Wear was 17 ships grossing 56,522 tons and five shipyards launched nothing at all 1926 Output on the Wear was eight ships totaling 36,979 tons and eight yards launched no vessels at all 1927 10 November: Stonegate launched by William Doxford & Sons, the first launch at the yard in three years
1930s 1930-34 Doxfords shipyard launched no ships 1931 Output on the Wear was seven ships totaling 8,814 tons The 1931 United Kingdom census recorded 2,375 as employed in shipbuilding in Sunderland, but 11,794 former colleagues were unemployed 1932 Output on the Wear was 2 colliers totaling 2,628 tons 1933 J. L. Thompson and Sons shipyard at Southwick was closed 1934 May: Doxfords shipyard was reopened 1938 Output on the Wear was 35 ships grossing 169,898 tons 1939 Only nine contracts were in hand at shipyards on the Wear and only four shipyards were open 1939-1944 William Doxford & Sons built 71 vessels totaling 481, 601 gross tonnage J. L. Thompson and Sons built 40 vessels totaling 277,697 gross tonnage Sir James Laing & Sons built 30 vessels totaling 230,523 gross tonnage Short Brothers built 27 vessels totaling 179,002 gross tonnage Bartram & Sons built 19 vessels totaling 127,756 gross tonnage W Pickersgill & Sons built 20 vessels totaling 116,814 gross tonnage SP Austion & Son built 26 vessels totaling 56,916 gross tonnage Shipbuilding Corporation built 4 vessels totaling 28,342 gross tonnage John Crown & Sons built 8 vessels totaling 3,688 gross tonnage
1940s 1941 Lady Churchill visited a number of shipyards during a visit to Sunderland 1943 King George VI visited J. L. Thompson and Sons shipyard during a visit to Sunderland Wear Shipbuilders Ltd launched their first vessel at Southwick, one of nine yards then open on the Wear The Admiralty decided to establish a fitting out facility at Hendon Dock 1944 Fitting out base at Hendon Dock was opened. In total 13 ships were fitted out there and 20 other naval craft used the facility for repairs before the end of the War 1945 There were nine shipyards operating on the Wear 1946 30 April: Princess Elizabeth visited Sunderland to open the Sunderland Eye Infirmary and to launch the British Princess at James Laing & Sons July: Rovuma launched by Bartram & Sons 1947 Lord Glanely launched at Pickersgills 1948 22 April: Arraiolos launched by Bartram & Sons
1950s 1951 Caltex Tanganyika launched at Doxfords 20.6% of the male population of Sunderland aged 15 or over were engaged in shipbuilding or repairing 1953 21 December: HMS Kedleston, a minesweeper, was launched by Pickersgills, the first naval ship built on the Wear since World War II 1954 5 April: Baron Ardrossan launched at Pickersgills for H Hogarth & Sons 28 June: Welsh Trader, the first prefabricated ship built at Pickersgills, was launched SP Austin & Sons merged with William Pickersgill & Sons Ltd to form Austin & Pickersgill and redeveloped the Southwick yard Laings and Thompsons merged 1955 4 April: Vigrafjord launched by Short Brothers of Sunderland 18 August: Sir Johnstone Wright, a collier, was launched by Austin & Pickersgill for the Central Electricity Authority 19 August: Troutpool launched by J. L. Thompson and Sons 22 August: Despina C launched by Bartram & Sons 1958 Baron Kinnaird built at Austin & Pickersgill, the second wholly prefabricated ship built at the Southwick yard
1960s 1961 Doxfords became part of Sunderland Shipbuilders Ltd, joining the already merged Laings and Thompsons 1962 4 May: Barbara launched by Laings 19 June: British Cavalier launched by J. L. Thompson and Sons 25 October: World Explorer, a bulk carrier, launched by Short Brothers of Sunderland 1964 Short Brothers of Sunderland shipyard at Pallion was closed with the loss of 300 jobs and was subsequently demolished Austin's former shipyard on the south bank of the Wear below Wearmouth Bridge was closed 1967 December: Nicola, the first SD14 (shelterdecker of 14,000 tons dwt) launched by Austin & Pickersgill at Southwick yard Bartram & Sons was taken over by Austin & Pickersgill and began to build SD14s 1968 14 February: Syrie, an SD14, was launched by Austin & Pickersgill Bartram & Sons amalgamated with Austin & Pickersgill
1970s 1972 The demolition of the East Yard of Doxfords was started Naess Crusader, a bulk ore carrier, was built by Sunderland Shipbuilders Ltd 1973 1 October: Demolition of Doxford's East Yard was completed Sunderland Shipbuilders Ltd was acquired by Court Line 1975 Court Line collapsed and Sunderland Shipbuilders Ltd was taken into public ownership 1976 8 April: Court Shipbuilding Group officially opened a new covered shipbuilding hall, replacing Doxford's East Yard 26 May: Cedarbank, the first ship to be built at the new Court Shipbuilding Group yard, was launched 1977 Austin & Pickersgill taken into public ownership and the Wear shipbuilders came under the umbrella of British Shipbuilders 1978 The former Bartram & Sons shipyard was closed 1979 26 April: Troutbank launched by Laings for the Bank Line