Grace's Guide To British Industrial History

Registered UK Charity (No. 115342)

Grace's Guide is the leading source of historical information on industry and manufacturing in Britain. This web publication contains 164,559 pages of information and 246,142 images on early companies, their products and the people who designed and built them.

Grace's Guide is the leading source of historical information on industry and manufacturing in Britain. This web publication contains 147,919 pages of information and 233,587 images on early companies, their products and the people who designed and built them.

Hawthorns and Co

From Graces Guide
1852.
February 1872.
'Ellesmere'
'Ellesmere' builder's plate

Hawthorns and Company of Leith Engine Works, Great Junction Street, Leith, shipbuilders and engineers.

of 210, Great Junction Street, Leith (1922)

1846 The Leith Engine Works were built by R. and W. Hawthorn to assemble steam engines ordered for Scotland

1850 The Leith works were sold to another company, also called Hawthorns and Co, which produced some four hundred locomotives on its own account until 1872.

1851 Award at the 1851 Great Exhibition. See details at 1851 Great Exhibition: Reports of the Juries: Class V.

1861 0-4-0T locomotive 'Ellesmere' is on display at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh. See photos. Note reference to patent of S. D. Davison. Samuel Dobson Davison was the Managing Partner.

1872 The railway engine works closed having built more than 400 engines

The company continued to supply engines for ships

1896 Incorporated as a private limited liability company, Hawthorns and Co Limited, to acquire and take over as a going concern the business carried on at Junction Street, Leith, and at Granton, under the style of Hawthorns and Co, with capital of £55,000.[1]

In 1912, Hawthorns and Co acquired the shipyard of Thomas Morton and Co which lay adjacent to the yard of Ramage and Ferguson.

1913 Built the Alarm, a new lightship that would be stationed at the Mersey Bar.

With other ship building companies, acquired the share capital of the Steel Company of Scotland to ensure a supply of steel.

1920 Became a public company; owned a substantial interest in Leith Salvage and Towage Co. Maker of Morton's patent slipways for which there was large demand[2]

1922 Shipbuilders and Engineers. 1400 employees. Produced vessels up to 3,500 tons gross; engines and boilers up to 2,000 I.H.P.; floating docks and Morton's patent marine slipways

1924 The Victoria Shipbuilding Yard was taken over by Henry Robb Limited in order to develop the yard's expertise in dredger and pontoon building

1928 Hawthorns and Co Limited went into voluntary liquidation



  • See CANMORE website for photo of works building on Mill Lane in 1970[3]


See Also

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Sources of Information

  1. The Scotsman 11 April 1896
  2. The Times Aug. 6, 1920
  3. [1] CANMORE website: 'View from ESE showing S fronts of works and part of ballroom complex'
  • British Steam Locomotive Builders by James W. Lowe. Published in 1975. ISBN 0-905100-816

National Records of Scotland BT2/3161

Shipbuilding and Shipping Record 22 May 1924

Edinburgh Gazette June 15 1928