THE SHIPBUILDING INDUSTRY IN IRELAND. 449 



pondence with the Corporation of Londonderry respecting Port Charges. 

 The memoriahsts concluded by saying that " although we have taken from 

 us nearly ,^2,000 per annum in Port Charges, we are yet without a ' wet ' or 

 ' dry ' dock, or even a slip, upon which vessels could undergo repairs."* The 

 agitation was continued by the Chamber of Commerce, Londonderry (the 

 greater part of the members of which were shipowners, and shippers) and 

 resulted in a contract being entered into with Messrs. Pitt, Skipton and 

 Co. to construct a " patent slip dock," where vessels of 300 tons register 

 could be repaired. This patent slip dock was commenced in the year 1830, 

 at an expense of ^^4,000. In 1834 there were 31 vessels of all sizes repaired 

 at the slip. In 1835 there were 13 repaired, and about 20 open boats. Of 

 the vessels 3 were put on the slip, and 10 into the dock. In 1836 there were 

 9 vessels repaired (including 2 steampackets), and about 20 open boats. 

 Of the vessels 6 were put on the slip, and 3 into the dock ; the slip was 

 found to answer all the purposes of a dry dock. 



" Mr. Skipton's partner was a Mr. Henderson, an experienced lieutenant 

 in the Navy. A foreman and a gang- of shipwrights were employed in the 

 general yard attached to the establishment, from which a vessel of 180 

 register tons was launched, a handsome vessel, built of Irish oak, and 

 calculated to carry 259 tons. The Naval stores were imported from Liverpool 

 and Glasgow, the oak used was chiefly Irish, being procured from Walworth, 

 Killymon, and Learmount."t 



Another Derryman, Captain Coppin, started shipbuilding about 1847 or 

 1848, and succeeded in building a number of smaller vessels for traders. 

 In the early fifties, Captain Coppin contracted with the Admiralty to build 

 a large vessel for the Navy, to be called " The Great Northern," which, when 

 completed, was condemned by the Inspector for not being up to the 

 standard required. This vessel was left in the hands of Captain Coppin, 

 and it not being adapted for the shipping trade, a serious blow was struck at 

 the Derry shipbuilding industry. Public opinion at the time, and the tradi- 

 tion in Derry attribute the condemnation of " The Great Northern " to 

 private and political reasons. 



A new local authority was created by Act of Parhament in 1855, entitled 

 the " Port and Harbour Commissioners," whose business was to look after 

 the port and harbour. This new body set to work to improve the harbour, 

 so as to meet the requirement of the increasing trade of the port. It was 

 found that the " Patent SHp Dock " was insufficient for the repair of 

 large vessels coming to the port, and that dry docks were needed. To 

 meet such a want, the Harbour Commissioners erected the present graving 

 dock in 1862, at a cost of ;£'25.ooo, where vessels of a very large size can be 

 " dry-docked " for repairs. The Harbour Commissioners have done all that 

 it is possible to do to revive the shipbuilding industry in Londonderry, 

 having spent iJ" 16,000 in preparing the yard, and in establishing permanent 

 fixtures, so as to encourage either an individual or a company to revive the 

 shipbuilding industry in Londonderry. 



In the latter part of 1886 an agreement was entered into with Mr. C. F. 

 Bigger, and the Derry shipbuilding yard was opened, under a lease of 

 twenty-one years, at a rent of ^^"50. For six years there was much promise 



* " Memoir of the North Western Liberties of Londonderry," p. 129. 

 f Ibid. pp. 251, 252. 



2 G 



