Day, Summers and Co

Day, Summers engine ex-Patent Slip, Wellington. Now at Tokomaru Steam Museum, New Zealand.

Day, Summers and Co of Southampton were makers of steam engines for marine use.

• Day, Summers and Co. were based in Northam, Southampton, England. Initially establishing its reputation as a builder of large mail steamers in the 1850s up to the 1870s when the North-east Coast and Clydeside yards took over the market. Day, Summers and Co. then moved into developing compound steam engines and built its business from there.

• 1890 Engine for River Itchen Floating Bridge 'Vessel No 8' at Woolston.

• 1870s The yard won orders from P&O for mail steamers, this was followed by similar orders from Royal Mail Line and then a series of re-engining orders. The yard then concentrated on building paddle steamers, coasters, yachts, Itchen floating chain bridges, Hythe ferries and sheerlegs.

• 1880s The yard forged a good reputation for its steam yachts.

• 1889 Obituary of Thomas Summers in 'The Engineer'.

• 1900s The company became of limited liability status. The yard continued making a variety of small ships: tugs, steam coasters and paddle steamers.

• 1920 Took over the contract to build British Kromhout marine oil engines from Plenty and Co.

• 1928 The yard continued with the above building programme until 1928 when it went into liquidation. It was taken over by Thornycroft.

• 1970s The yard became Vosper and Co in 1970.

• 1987 The company ceased trading.

Sources of Information

• Stationary Steam Engines of Great Britain by George Watkins. Vol 10
• British Shipbuilding Yards. 3 vols by Norman L. Middlemiss