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The Encyclopaedia of Plymouth History |
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There were many ship building and repair establishments around Plymouth, as befits a famous sea port. The vast majority of vessels constructed were wooden sailing craft, especially fishing boats, Tamar barges, yachts and topsail schooners. In 1815 there were, reputedly, seven ship builders in Sutton Pool, six in the Cattewater and six on the shores of the Hamoaze. Moore's Meeting House Slip shipyard At the north-eastern corner of Sutton Pool was a large shipwrights' yard that in 1812 belonged to Mr Joseph Moore (1753-1829), the son of Mr William Moore, shipwright (1716-1764). This was at the end of Friary Street, which led to the harbour from Exeter Street.
The shipyard belonging to the
Moore family was He reputedly bought the two smaller yards at Meeting House Slip that had belonged to a Mr Barnacott and Messrs Kerswell and Brinel. It is said that Mr William Kerswell moved his operation to Coxside Green but as it had ceased by 1850 its precise location cannot now be determined. In 1851 he was 79-years-old and lived at number 1 Jory Street yet when he died, on Wednesday April 26th 1854, he was declared to be 88-years-old. He was a ship owner as well as a ship builder. Ownership of the yard subsequently passed to Mr William Moore (1782-1867), who was a member of the old Corporation before the reforms of 1835, and then in 1850 to his son, Mr William Foster Moore, who had been born in the family home at number 7 Friary Street on May 9th 1815. In 1876, with iron-built ships now becoming the norm, Mr William Foster Moore apparently declared that he would never build an iron ship and closed the yard down. That was not, it transpires, the only reason: there was a recession in the shipbuilding trade and the Sutton Harbour Improvement Company wanted part of his property for harbour improvements. The site was transformed in to North-East Quay in 1879. Mr William Foster Moore died on July 20th 1886 at the age of 71 years. Demellweek and Redding's ship breaking yard at Marrowbone Slip At Marrowbone Slip was the ship breaking yard of Messrs R Demellweek and F Redding. Although they are reputed to have been sold "HMS Flamingo", the former hospital ship, in 1931 the business is not listed in trade directories until the 1950s. Other ships which they broke up were the former Great Western Railway tender, the "Sir Francis Drake", in 1954; "HMS Seagull" in 1956 and the famous "HMS Amethyst" in 1957. Shilston's China House shipyard
On the southern side of the China House, where the car park now is for the China House Pub, was the shipyard of Messrs Shilston. Mr William Shilston was a shipwright in 1841 and lived with his family in Gasking Street. He was presumably the founder of the business in 1823. It was Mr Shilston who, on the evening of Wednesday August 25th 1858, launched the first floating dry dock in the West of England. It measured 15o feet in length, 40 feet in width and drew only about ten inches of water. It was stated to be capable of taking vessels of 700 to 800 tons berthen. It was to be moored at his yard but when required would be taken to a deeper part of Sutton Pool, where the gates would be left open and it would sink on the incoming tide. The vessel requiring attention would then be floated inside and secured on blocks as the tide fell. At low water the gates would be closed and the dry dock would float on the incoming tide, after which it would be towed to its moorings. In 1871 78-years-old Mr John Shilston, retired ship builder, was living at 2 Hill Street. By 1891 Mr William Hole Shilston was in charge of the shipyard and lived at number 3 Brunswick Terrace with sons Oscar, aged 33, and William, aged 27, both ship builders. He owned a number of sailing vessels and trawlers and was a member of the Plymouth Local Marine Board. The largest vessel he built was the "Earl of Devon", 370 tons. Mr William Hole Shilston died at the age of 82 early on the morning of Tuesday January 26th 1904. He had been unconscious for the previous two days. He was survived by his second wife, two sons and two daughters. Although the sons were connected with the business, it seems to have folded within a year of the old man's death. Gent's Teats Hill shipyard
The final ship building yard within Sutton Pool was at Teat's Hill, just inside the harbour piers. This yard was in existence by 1830. It may have been started by Mr James Gent, who was a shipwright in 1841 and lived at number 22 Regent Street. He died in 1852. In 1861 his 28-years-old son, Mr Charles Gent, of Radnor Lodge, Devonshire Street, Plymouth, was head of the business. Mr Charles Gent died in 1892 and as his son, James, had gone into the printing trade, the business ceased and the site was transformed into Bayly's Wharf. Banks' Queen Anne's shipwrights' yard
Outside of Sutton Harbour was the Queen Anne Shipwrights' Yard at Queen Anne's Battery. This was run by the Banks family. Mr David Banks had started by building vessels near Devil's Point but when the land was required in 1830 for the Royal William Victualling Yard he moved across the Hamoaze to Frank's Quarry, Cremyll, (it was called Vaultersholme at that time), where the Mashford boat yard is today. In 1852 his son, Mr Joseph Banks, moved the business to Queen Anne's Battery, just outside Sutton Pool, where he constructed a large graving dock in which was built, in 1870, the largest commercial vessel ever produced in the port, the 1,127-ton "Nimrod". Mr Joseph Banks died on April 16th 1871 at Queen Anne's Battery. He was only 56 years of age. In 1871 his only son, Mr David Banks, took over the business at the age of 21 and formed it into Messrs David Banks & Company. Finally, in around 1890 the business was moved to Millbay Docks, where they continued until 1910. Marshall's ship breaking yard Although Mr Edred Marshall was trained by Mr Kerswill as a ship builder, when he started out on his own it was as a ship breaker instead. He bought wooden warships from the Admiralty and after removing the metalwork for sale he used the timbers to manufacture scantlings for the building trade. He later became a timber merchant but he continued to break up ships in Deadmans Bay until he sold the land alongside Marine Place to Mr Cornelius Laskey Duke, who transformed it into the Victoria Wharves. Ships known to have been broken up at this yard were: "HMS Armada" 1863; "HMS Lancaster" 1864; "HMS Arachne" 1865; "HMS Cerberus" 1865; "HMS Pantaloon" 1867; "HMS Sans Pareil" 1867 and "HMS Thetis" in 1888. Hill's Cattedown shipyard In the Cattewater there were at least two ship building yards. At Cattedown was the one belonging to Messrs Richard Hill & Sons, who were both ship builders and ship owners. It had been founded by his father and existed in 1823. It was the first in the area to install a 'railway slip' which enable them to haul vessels of 1,000 registered tons out of the water for repair. It was first used on Wednesday September 16th 1857, when a Russian barque of some 700 tons was hauled up the slip for a general overhaul and to be coppered. He was a very popular man and in 1863 was elected to represent the voters of Sutton Ward on the Town Council. He was re-elected in 1866 and in 1869. He retired from the business in around 1866, when control passed to his sons William and Richard. (John Pike Hill was a sea captain and Frederick Norman Hill (died February 19th 1917, aged 72) became an insurance broker). He was so popular at the 1872 election that he polled the highest number of votes ever taken for the Ward. He was elected as an Alderman in 1874. Mr Richard Hill died at his home in South Devon Place on the morning of Monday June 12th 1876, after which the flags on the Guildhall and ships moored in the harbour were all lowered to half mast. He was 72 years of age. The funeral took place on Friday June 16th 1876, when the cortège, led by the Superintendent Wreford and Inspector Edwards of the Borough Police and twelve constables, left his home at 10.45am and proceed to Laira Bridge. There the walking mourners boarded six mourning coaches for the remainder of the journey to Plymstock Church. His third son, also Mr Richard Hill, died on June 2nd 1915, at the age of 76. Other ship breakers at Cattedown In the mid 1930s Messrs Plymouth & Devonport Shipbreaking Company Ltd were breaking up vessels somewhere at Cattedown. They appear to have been succeeded by Messrs Castles' Shipbreaking Company Ltd, who were at Passage Wharf in 1935. This was presumably close to the Passage House Inn. Curiously, they advertised themselves in 1939 as 'garden furniture manufacturers'. Pope's Turnchapel shipyard The second yard was across the water at Turnchapel. It is known that in 1637 there was an establishment here for the breaming and repairing the King's ships. During the 1700s there were apparebtly two shipyards at Turnchapel, on land leased from the Lord of the Manor, Lord Boringdon. One belonged to a Mr Silas Frost and the other to a Mr John Cater, who built the row of 15 houses across the road from the yard. But the King's ships were getting larger and larger and in improvements were required to keep the business on the cattewater. In 1797 Lord Boringdon paid for the first Wet Dock to be constructed and this he followed in 1800 with a new Dry Dock. This latter dock proved to be a bit more compkicated to build. When the gates were closed for the first time in 1801, the apron blew up and the dock filled with water. After strengenthing work had been done the gates were closed again in September 1802 but were forced open once again by a high tide. It was not until the end of 1804 that the project was successfully completed. It would appear that by this time the shipyard was being run by Mr Isaac Blackburn. In February 1807 the yard started work on a 74-gun third rate man-of-war, "HMS Armada". It was the largest fighting vessel constructed locally in a private yard. Then on May 23rd 1807 the yard launched the first ship to be built in the Dry Dock, "HMS Derwent". "HMS Armada" was launched on Thursday March 22nd 1810 by Mrs Pridham, the wife of the Mayor of Plymouth, Mr Joseph Pridham.The firts vessel to be built in the Dry Dock was "HMS Derwent", which was launched on May 23rd 1807. Work started in November the same year on another 74-gun third rate ship, "HMS Clarence". She was launched on April 11th 1812. Mr Blackburn's last major job was the repair of "HMS Diana", 38 guns, in 1813. The yard was put up for sale by auction in April 1814 but it is not known what the outcome was. In the meantime, on December 29th 1805 a 38-years-old gentleman by the name of Mr Thomas Pope had married 31-years-old Miss Elizabeth Cundy at Plymstock Church. Soon they started a family: Jonathan Cundy Pope came in around 1808, followed by Thomas Pope in 1810 or 1811. Henry Pope was baptised at Charles Church on May 18th 1814, when his father was declared to be a shipwright. By the time James Robert Pope was baptised on September 18th 1816, Thomas was a Harbour Master and the family were living in the parish of Plymstock. The first mention of Thomas being a ship builder came on May 13th 1817, when Susanna Cundy Pope and Richard Verco Pope were baptised together at Plymstock Parish Church. This then gives us a rough date at which the shipyard was acquired or leased from the Earl of Morley by the Pope family. Mr Jonathan Pope, the eldest son, became a merchant and married Miss Elizabeth Allen at Charles Church on April 16th 1829. They went to live at Teat's Hill, Coxside. It was the second son, Thomas, who took charge of the ship building business and went to live at Turnchapel, along with his wife, Emma, and family. In the meantime, Mr Thomas Pope the elder died and was buried at Charles Church on October 30th 1833 leaving his widow, Elizabeth, along with Miss Susanna and Mr Richard Pope, living at Brunswick Terrace close to the Bayly family. From 1844 until 1857 the Pope's managed a ship yard at Teat's Hill as well as the one at Turnchapel.
The Turnchapel shipyard, later
known as Turnchapel Wharves, On Tuesday May 24th 1859 what was by then known as Turnchapel Dockyard was put up for auction at the Royal Hotel, Plymouth, by Mr S C Parkhouse. It was the notice of auction that appears to have given rise to the claim that the Pope's had run the yard only since 1829. It was sold to a Mr Nicholas Were for £4,274. What happened to the Popes after that is unclear. In the 1861 census Mr Thomas Pope, then aged 50, and still a ship builder, was living at number 41 Gibbons Street along with his wife, Emma, and six children including another Thomas, who was a seaman. All the children except the youngest had been born at Turnchapel. But where was he building his ships? Maybe the claim that he gave up the yard at Teat's Hill in 1857 is incorrect. Two more of Thomas and Emma's children, Elizabeth and Henry, aged 18 and 16 respectively, were living with their grandmother, Mrs Elizabeth Pope, at 5 Eastern Pier, Teat's Hill in 1861. She was described as a "Ship Owner's Widow", which may, again, prove that the family still had facilities at Teat's Hill beyond 1857. Mrs Elizabeth Pope followed her husband to the grave in 1866 at the grand, and unusual, age of 92 years. There is no further trace of the family in Plymouth. Pope Brothers' Shipyard and Graving Dock was later the site of Turnchapel Wharves. These were built by Mr Thomas Bulteel with the aid of his own Naval Bank. Mount Batten There was a ship builder named Mr William Routleff (spelt Routliff or Routliffe in the early days) at Mount Batten. He was christened at Bideford on August 22nd 1790, the son of Mr William and Mrs Elizabeth Routliffe. He presumably came to the Royal Dockyard looking for work and married Miss Mary Williams at Stoke Damerel Church on December 24th 1815. Their third child, Miss Mary Ann Routliff, was born at Plymstock in 1828. On May 10th 1849 a schooner named the "Countess of Morley" was launched at his yard. He leased the yard from the Earl of Morley. It was at this ship yard that the Earl of Morley erected a patent slip capable of taking vessels up to 600 tons burthen, after firstly getting the permission of the Lords of the Admiralty. The slip was in the process of being manufactured by Mr J Mare of the Plymouth Foundry in June 1849. Mr William Routleff died on Tuesday February 24th 1852, following a short illness. He was 61 years of age. Although there were two sons, William junior and Thomas, it is not clear whether either of them took over the yard. Indeed, Mr Thomas Routleff was working as a shipwright at the Royal Dockyard in 1861. It is claimed that the yard was taken over by Mr William Samuel Kelly in 1882, however he is listed as being at Mount Batten in 1878: his obituary says it was 1875 or 1876. Born in 1833, he learned his trade with Mr William Foster Moore but in 1863 he and his new wife left Plymouth for Liverpool, where he went into ship building partnership with a Mr Smerdon. Owing to his wife's poor health, he returned to Plymouth in 1875 or 1876 and started ship and yacht building at Mount Batten. He also was a founder of two local yacht clubs. Two of his sons, William and Ernest H Kelly, worked as his assistants but his second son, Reginald, was an articled clerk. He retired around 1906, when the ship building yard was sold to Messrs Willesden Canvas Company and Motor Yacht Builders. His three sons had all pre-deceased him. Mr William Samuel Kelly died at his home, number 80 Greenbank Avenue, at 3am on the morning of Saturday May 30th 1908. He was 75-years-old. Hocking Brothers' shipyard at Stonehouse Creek One of the best known ship builders from that era was Messrs Richard and William Hocking, of Stonehouse Creek. The brothers were both Master Ship Builders and came from Cornwall. Another brother, Hugh, was born in East Stonehouse and was working with Richard in 1851. They was building vessels from 1823 until 1877 and also owned many clippers engaged in the tea trade from China. In 1871 they built the hull for a new Torpoint ferry. Mr Richard Hocking died at Whitehall, Stonehouse, on Thursday December 4th 1873. He was 69 years old. Vick Brothers (Metals) Ltd, Stonehouse This business was based at Stonehouse Quay, off Newport Street, Stonehouse. Although they doubtless broke up many fishing boats and other small vessels, their most famous was the paddle-steamer "Britannia" in 1939. Great Western Docks, Millbay There was a dry dock for constructing paddle steamers in the inner basin of the Great Western Docks at Millbay. Messrs Watson and Fox were using it until 1891. Mr George F Watson was a shipbuilder and surveyor and lived at 14 Smeaton Terrace, The Hoe. The marine engineering firm of Messrs Willoughby Brothers continued at the same spot until 1969.
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