Charles Connell and Co
Charles Connell and Company, shipbuilders of Scotstoun, Glasgow on the River Clyde.
1861 Company founded.
1861 Charles Connell bought his first yard at Scotstoun and manufactured his first ship, which was a steamer. Prior to this, he had worked at a number of other shipyards and was an experienced worker.
1860s Orders started flowing in almost immediately for sailing ships and tea clippers. Following this, the yard made twenty iron barques and another China tea clipper.
1865 See 1865 Clyde Shipbuilders for detail of the tonnage produced
1866 Launched the 630 ton 'Huntley Castle'
1870s The yard began making steamers.
1880s The yard moved away from iron and into steel production.
Connell died on 14th February 1884 and the yard was then run by Charles B. Connell (his eldest son) and his various brothers and half brothers. The yard continued making steel barques.
1889 See 1889 Shipbuilding Statistics for detail of the tonnage produced
1899 See 1899 Shipbuilding Statistics for detail of the tonnage produced.
1900s Steamers and liners dominated the output of the yard, along with steam yachts and passenger ships.
1902 Private company.
WWI The yard made seven sloops for the Admiralty, seventeen cargo liners, six standard tramps and tankers.
1919 The yard was modernised with tower cranes added to the landscape. It continued to manufacture around thirty ships during the post war period, which helped it to see out the difficult post war years
1930s However, the yard closed for eight years when the Depression hit. This was longer than almost any other shipyard. The yard opened again in 1938.
WWII The yard made 12 tramps, twelve cargo liners for private customers, and a fast cargo-liner. At the end of the war, the yard launched a large tank transport ferry.
1940s The yard spent much of its time rebuilding or replacing war damaged tramps.
1950s The yard was commissioned to build tankers, ore carriers and cargo-liners, with over 38 completed between 1946 and 1968.
1961 Engineers and shipbuilders. 950 employees.
1960s After a difficult period in the early 1960s, the Connell yard joined the Upper Clyde Shipbuilders on 7th Feb 1968.
The company was liquidated in 1971 and the Scotstoun yard became part of Govan Shipbuilders.
1973 The yard changed its name to Scotstoun Marine in 1973, the main output of the yard was cargo-liners. However, two reefers were also commissioned, and in the late 70s six huge cargo liners were built for the United Arab Shipping Co.
1980 The yard was closed.
Files referenced by the Scottish Archive Network [1] shows correspondence with David Rowan and Co, 1915-1954, and Dunsmore and Jackson, 1915-1920, presumably as suppliers of marine engines
See Also
Sources of Information
- [2] Wikipedia
- British Shipbuilding Yards. 3 vols by Norman L. Middlemiss
- The Engineer of 5th January 1866 p19
- 1961 Dun and Bradstreet KBE