George Brown and Co
George Brown and Co. (Marine) was a five berth yard based near the Great Harbour of Greenock. It was in an extremely exposed position, and for this reason earned the nickname the "Siberia" yard.
1895 Taylor and Mitchell built four ships at the yard when they owned it prior to 1900.
1900 Company founded by George Brown
1900 George Brown began his shipbuilding career in 1900 at berth number five, although he had experience as an apprentice in other yards. The yard went on to build 275 ships including coasters, trawlers, tugs, grab dredgers, steam yachts and minesweepers.
1900s - The yard initially made small cutters, steamers, steam yachts, coasters before going into paddle minesweepers for the Great War.
1914 Shipbuilders. Specialities: small fast passenger and cargo steamers, tugs, sternwheelers, yachts and grab hopper dredgers. Employees 250. [1]
1920s The yard made a number of large timber carriers for Fred T. Everard and Sons who were the main customers, and who later ordered coastal tankers and dry cargo-coasters throughout the 30s and into the Second World War.
1936 George Brown and Company (Marine) Limited was incorporated as a private company, with capital of £40,000, to carry on the business of shipbuilders, ship repairers, ship breakers and general contractors.[2]
1940s In the late 40s and 50s the yard continued making coasters.
1960s The yard ran out of orders having made a dredger, a car ferry and a coaster. The last ship made by the yard was a twin-screw tug called Vasabha which was completed in June 1963.
1961 Shipbuilders of small vessels up to 4,000 tons deadweight, also ship repairers. 300 employees. [3]
1980s The yard continued as a manufacturer of cargo-handling equipment and only returned to shipbuilding in 1981 when a Mexican company ordered two tug/buoy ships.
1983 The yard went into liquidation, it was sold by auction and no further work was undertaken there.
See Also
Sources of Information
- L. A. Ritchie, The Shipbuilding Industry: A Guide to Historical Records (1992)
- British Shipbuilding Yards. 3 vols by Norman L. Middlemiss
- ↑ 1914 Whitakers Red Book
- ↑ The Scotsman 5 December 1936
- ↑ 1961 Dun and Bradstreet KBE