Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Company explained

Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Company
Type:Public
Fate:Collapsed 1933
Successor:Armstrong Whitworth
Foundation:1852
Location:Jarrow, UK
Industry:Shipbuilding

Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Company Limited, often referred to simply as "Palmers", was a British shipbuilding company. The company was based in Jarrow, County Durham, in north-eastern England, and had operations in Hebburn and Willington Quay on the River Tyne.

History

Early history and growth

The company was established in 1852 by Charles Mark Palmer as Palmer Brothers & Co. in Jarrow.[1] Later that year it launched the John Bowes, the first iron screw collier.[1] By 1900, the business was known as Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Company. At that time, besides building ships, it manufactured and processed its own steel and other metals, and its products included Reed water tube boilers and marine steam engines.

By 1902, Palmers' base at Jarrow occupied about 100 acres (41 hectares) and included 0.75 miles (1.2 kilometres) of the southern bank of the River Tyne, and employed about 10,000 men and boys. In 1910, Sir Charles Palmer's interest in the business was acquired by Lord Furness who, as Chairman, expanded the business by acquiring a lease over a new graving dock at Hebburn from Robert Stephenson and Company.[2] In 1919, Palmers laid down the, which was sunk by a German U-boat in 1941, causing the loss of 84 lives and 2000NaN0 of silver.[3] [4]

Depression and collapse

The Great Depression began in 1929, all but destroying the shipbuilding industry, which did not rebound until the Second World War. In 1931, Palmers posted a loss of £88,867, . The company received a moratorium from its creditors in order to extend repayment. In January 1933, the majority of the company's unsecured creditors met in London and agreed to extend the moratorium a further six months.[5]

Palmers was unable to survive and collapsed by the end of 1933. The company's blast furnaces and steel works—which covered 37 acres—were put up for auction.[6] The Jarrow yard was sold to National Shipbuilders Securities, which closed it down in order to sell it, causing much unemployment and leading to the Jarrow March.[7] After the shipyard closed, following support from the industrialist, Sir John Jarvis, the site was used the engine shop as a steel foundry for another 18 months.[8]

The company retained the yard at Hebburn and was acquired by Armstrong Whitworth, becoming Palmers Hebburn Company.[9] In 1973, Vickers-Armstrongs, successor to Armstrong Whitworth, sold the Palmers Dock at Hebburn to Swan Hunter and developed it as the Hebburn Shipbuilding Dock.[10] This facility was acquired from the receivers of Swan Hunter by Tyne Tees Dockyard in 1994. They sold it to Cammell Laird in 1995. When Cammell Laird entered receivership in 2001, the dock was acquired by A&P Group.[11] [12] The yard remains in use as a ship repair and refurbishment facility.[13]

Ships built by Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Company

Ships built by Palmers included:

Naval

Battlecruisers

Battleships

Cruisers

Destroyers

Monitors

River gunboats

Merchant and leisure

Cable ships

Cargo ships

Oil tankers

Passenger ships

Steam yachts

Tugs

Cargo vessels

See also

Notes

Citations

General and cited references

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Building for the world . . 22 May 2007 . 10 November 2012.
  2. Web site: Christopher Furness, Obituary . . 11 November 1912 . 10 November 2012.
  3. Web site: Shipwreck of SS Gairsoppa reveals £150m silver haul . BBC News . 26 September 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161126065835/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-15061868 . 26 November 2016 . live . 10 February 2017.
  4. C. Michael Hogan . Peter Saundry . 21 May 2012 . SS Gairsoppa recovery . . Washington, D.C. . Environmental Information Coalition, National Council for Science and the Environment . Cutler J . Cleveland . https://web.archive.org/web/20131104150530/http://www.eoearth.org/view/article/170458/ . 4 November 2013 . dead . 10 February 2017 .
  5. News: Palmers' Moratorium . 12 August 2017. Sunderland Daily Echo and Shipping Gazette. 14 January 1933.
  6. News: Steel Works to be Sold at Auction . . 11 . 10 July 1934 .
  7. http://www.wiki-north-east.co.uk/topics/charles-palmer Charles Palmer
  8. Web site: Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Company. Grace's Guide. 3 April 2021.
  9. Web site: Report on the Access to Shipbuilding Collections in North East England (ARK) Project . Margaret . Crockett . Janet . Foster . Tyne & Wear Archives . October 2005 . 10 November 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20131103215409/http://www.tyneandweararchives.org.uk/pdf/arkrep.pdf . 3 November 2013 . dmy .
  10. Web site: Swan Hunter History: Naval ships . swanhunter.com . 2010 . 10 November 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120222140142/http://www.swanhunter.com/history_p6.html . 22 February 2012 . dmy-all .
  11. Web site: Shipbuilder: Palmers Hebburn Co Ltd, Hebburn (1934 – 1973) . Tyne Built Ships . n.d. . https://web.archive.org/web/20140301220644/http://www.tynebuiltships.co.uk/PalmerDD.html . 1 March 2014 . live. 10 February 2017.
  12. Web site: UK north east yards extend dock capacity . Motor Ship . 1995 . 10 November 2012.
  13. Web site: New owner for A&P Tyne shipyard . . 2 March 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160308235035/http://www.thejournal.co.uk/business/business-news/new-owner-ap-tyne-shipyard-4435816 . 8 March 2016 . live . 10 February 2017.
  14. Web site: Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Co - Graces Guide.
  15. Web site: Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Co - Graces Guide.
  16. http://www.tynebuiltships.co.uk/N-Ships/nevada1868.html SS Nevada
  17. Web site: Palmer Tyne shipbuilder Jarrow Willington Quay.
  18. Web site: Tyne tug Northumberland 1852.

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