A HISTORY OF DURHAM 



brings out the facts that of thirty-four or more 

 shipbuilding yards on both sides of the Wear, 

 nineteen had been started since the peace ; that 

 ships were built cheaper at Sunderland than else- 

 where ; that every place where a ship could be 

 built was a yard ; and that the smaller ship- 

 builders, who undersold the larger shipbuilders, 

 were generally carpenters who clubbed together 

 and started business in the hopes of getting better 

 wages for themselves than when they worked for 

 others.^^ These builders without capital were 

 often the tools of the timber merchants, who 

 advanced the timber, and who, in case the builders 

 were unable to meet their claims at the end of 

 the nine months for credit given, seized the vessels 

 and put them on the market in a hastily finished 

 condition. In many cases where the builders 

 were working on contract, a quarter of the value 

 was advanced. Over-production followed, and 

 as a writer in the first number of the Northern 

 Tribune, in 185 I, says: 



Until about ten years ago the character of the vessels 

 built on the Wear was considered sloppy and the 

 c.ipital of the town had somewhat of a papery reputa- 

 tion. 



In fact, ' Sunderland Barley Barrells,' as at one 

 time the Wear-built vessels were called, were 

 synonymous with vessels built to enrich the 

 owner and drown the crew. In 1840, 251 ves- 

 sels were built on the Wear, with 64,446 gross 

 tonnage; in 1843, only eighty-five, gross ton- 

 nage 21,377.'^ But the Irish famine, emigration 

 to Australia, and the Crimean War, restored the 

 prosperity of Sunderland shipping. In 1850,158 

 vessels of 51,374 gross tonnage were built ; this 

 number was never exceeded, although the tonnage 

 in 1853 ^^^ increased." This was the high- 

 water mark of wooden shipbuilding, although as 

 late as 1857 there were seventy-one wooden- 

 shipbuilders, and the industry lasted until 1875, 

 when William Gibbon built the last wooden ship. 



In 1852 the first iron sailing-ship built on the 

 River Wear was launched. It was the Loftus, 

 built by Mr. Clark, during 1 851, for Mr. George 

 Forster of the Consett Iron Works, to carry Cleve- 

 land ore from Yorkshire to the Tyne." The 

 Amity, from the shipyard of James Laing, was 

 the second Wear-built iron vessel. 



The firm of Sir James Laing & Sons is the 

 oldest firm on the River Wear ; the founder was 

 Mr. Philip Laing, who in 1793, in partnership 

 with his brother John, started shipbuilding on the 

 Monkwearmouth shore, where the Strand Ship- 

 way Company have their works. The partner- 



" Evidence of Mr. Henry Tanner of Sunderland, 

 given 10 [uly, 1833. 



" Lloyd's Reg. 1 840. 



" Mr. T. Ray of Ryhope, to whom I am indebted 

 for many details of early Sunderland shipping, saw 

 eight ships launched on one d.iy in January, 1850. 



" Rep. of Mech. Engl. March, 1885 ; Lloyd's Reg. 

 1851. 



ship was dissolved in 1 81 8, Mr. Philip Laing 

 then buying the Deptford Yard, where the busi- 

 ness is now carried on.'^ The firm have still a 

 MS. volume containing an account of all the 

 ships built by them since the inauguration of the 

 trade. The Horta, tonnage 248, was the first 

 ship built ; it was for Captain Forster of Whit- 

 burn. The receipt for the building of the Polly 

 for Captain Wheatley, who paid ;r5,426 14J. as 

 purchase-money, dated I December, 1814, is still 

 extant ; her tonnage was 283^ J. Sir James 

 Laing succeeded to the business on his father's 

 retirement in 1 843 ; of course all the ships built 

 were of wood, but Sir James introduced the use 

 of East India teak to supplement the use of oak, 

 and he imported the first cargo of Moulmein teak 

 into Sunderland. The firm took an active part 

 in the emigrant shipbuilding in the forties and 

 fifties. A number of Scotch emigrants from 

 Glasgow, accompanied by their pastor, went over 

 to Dunedin in 1846 in the Philip Laing, the bell 

 of which ship was given to the Dunedin church 

 to supply the place of the cracked bell then in 

 use. The ill-fated Dunbar, built in 1 85 3, was a 

 large ship, more than 200 ft. in length ; she was 

 wrecked at the entrance to Sydney Harbour, and, 

 except one old man, all, both crew and emigrants, 

 perished. In 1855 the La Hogue, the biggest 

 ship built in the north up to that date, 221 ft. 

 long, was launched.'^ But as early as 1853 

 Sir James had begun the building of iron ships, 

 his first iron ship being the Amity. The firm have 

 always been celebrated for their first-class work- 

 manship, and have built for the P. and O., the 

 Royal Mail, Union, West India and Pacific, 

 British India, Beaver Line, and for the Japanese 

 line Toyo Kisen Kabushiki Kaisha of Tokio. 



The building of oil boats, which require the 

 utmost nicety of finish, is also a specialty of the 

 firm. The Tuscarora, one of the largest oil 

 steamers afloat at the time of the launch, was 

 built for the Anglo-American Oil Co. A new 

 type of trunk deck steamer was introduced by \ 

 Sir James Laing & Sons a few years ago for 

 carrying grain, ore, and other general cargo in 

 bulk, where self-trimming is indispensable. 



The shipyard covers an area of 1 7 acres, with 

 six berths. The most interesting ship launched 

 lately from the yard is more like a floating dock- 

 yard than an ordinary vessel ; it was built for 

 the Government in 1 906 to accompany the fleet, 

 so that in case of accidents the repairs can be 

 done at sea ; it contains all the machinery neces- 

 sary for repairing on the most extensive scale. 



The extensive brass-works belonging to the 

 same firm not only supply their own ships, but also 

 enable them to fulfil contracts with the Admiralty 

 and the War Office. A propeller foundry was 

 added in 1902. 



" Hue and Cry, 12 Dec. 18 18. 



" lllus. London News, I I Aug. 1855. 



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