BELFAST 



NATURAL HISTORY 

 AND PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY 



SESSION 1915-16. 



5th November, W15 



Professor J. A. Lindsay in the Chaii 



THE .SHIPBUILDING INDUSTRY IN BELFAST. 

 By Alec Wilson, Esq., J.P., M.R.I.A. 



{Abstract.) 



When beginning to prepare the material for tc-night's 

 lecture I found myself somewhat puzzled to know how to tackle 

 my subject. The question however was solved by the kindness 

 of Messrs. Harland ik Wolff, who granted me permission to choose 

 whatever I required from among their official photographs. Since 

 then, I have only had one difficulty. It was necessary to select a 

 mere handful from among some thousands of negatives. But, as 

 a result, I think I have been able to bring you the very finest 

 series of technical photographs that have ever been seen by the 

 public in connection with shipbuilding. My only regret is that I 

 have been able to find almost nothing to illustrate the early 

 history of the industry. 



The fact is that we know very little indeed about the small 

 beginnings of shipbuilding on the Lagan. The earliest mention of 

 the trade in connection with our locality appears to be a remark 

 by Sir John Perrot, who, in a report to Queen Elizabeth, pointed 



a 



