Belfast Shipbuilders Belfast Shipbuilders 2 3 Belfast Shipbuilders Introduction The years between 1880 and the Astonishingly, Cork rather than outbreak of the Great War were the Belfast had been the centre of golden age of Belfast shipbuilding. shipbuilding on this island in In 1914 Belfast shipbuilders the first half of the nineteenth accounted for nearly 8% of world century and the three Belfast firms output. In some years Belfast building wooden vessels – Ritchie managed to account for an even & MacLaine, Charles Connell & higher percentage of world output. Sons and Thompson & Kirwan – A Financial Times supplement in had launched only 50 ships, most of March 1914 described Belfast as them small, between 1820 and 1850. ‘the premier shipbuilding centre of Belfast, not being close to sources the entire world’. of iron and coal, appeared to have Early twentieth-century Belfast few of the assets needed to become possessed two great shipyards: a great shipbuilding centre in Harland &Wolff and Workman, the second half of the nineteenth Clark & Co. The former was the century. John Lynch fully explores ‘big yard’, while the latter was this important point in An affectionately known as the ‘wee Unlikely Success Story: The Belfast yard’. In 1894 Workman, Clark’s Shipbuilding Industry, 1880-1935 production represented two-thirds (Belfast, 2001). Dr Lynch attributes of Harland &Wolff’s tonnage, and, the success of the industry to a in 1895 Workman, Clark & Co., ‘happy coincidence of timing, luck, employing 3,500 men, was the nepotism and the Protestant work fourth largest British shipbuilder ethic’ and identifies Belfast as one in terms of tonnage. To describe of a number of centres, with little or Workman, Clark & Co. as the ‘wee no tradition of shipbuilding, which yard’ was to seriously understate developed at this time largely on the the scale of the operation. Indeed, basis of ‘new technology’. From the in 1901, 1909, 1910 and 1913 the late 1850s the Belfast shipbuilding wee yard’s output exceeded that of industry was ‘notable for its state- the big yard. Harland & Wolff, Ltd. View of Queen’s Road showing shipyard workers leaving at end of shift, with White Star liner Titanic in stocks in background. 1911. © National Museums Northern Ireland Collection Ulster Museum Belfast Shipbuilders 4 5 Belfast Shipbuilders William Ritchie (1756-1834) ‘the father of shipbuilding in Belfast’ measures in support of the industry. for ‘careening’ (beaching a vessel For example, in 1885 the Prince of at high tide in order to expose one Wales re-opened Donegall Quay, side or another of the ship’s hull for while the Princess of Wales turned maintenance below the water line the first sod of the Alexandra when the tide goes out) and repair. graving dock, formally opened by On 3 July 1791 Ritchie returned, Prince Albert Victor in 1889. The bringing over ten skilled workmen Harbour Commissioner’s Office, Duke of York, in 1897, opened a Corporation Square, Belfast. from Scotland and his younger © National Museums Northern Ireland branch dock formed out of the brother Hugh, and started a of-the-art design and construction Spencer basin, and in July 1898 an shipyard on the site of the Old Lime methods’. Act of Parliament gave permission Kiln dock on the County Antrim for the deepening and widening of The Lagan was totally unsuited side of the Lagan. the channel. for large-scale shipbuilding until He launched Hibernia, his first ship, massive improvements were However, Belfast’s ‘unlikely success on 7 July 1792, almost exactly a year undertaken by the Belfast Harbour story’ also owes a great deal to the after his arrival. The News Letter Commissioners in the 1840s. The talent, vision (or imagination) and William Ritchie 1756-1834 (c.1802) described the ship as ‘the only Belfast Harbour Commissioners enterprise of six men – William Thomas Robinson d.1810. vessel of any burden which had for deserve much of the credit for Ritchie, Edward James Harland, © National Museums Northern Ireland Collection Ulster Museum many years been built in the port’. making Belfast’s shipbuilding Gustav Wilhelm Wolff, William In March 1791 William Ritchie, a Over the next 20 years the business industry possible. Only after the James Pirrie, George Smith Clark Scottish shipbuilder from Saltcoats, prospered. Between 1791 and 1811 excavation of the Victoria Channel and Thomas Andrews Junior – to Ayrshire, visited Belfast, with a William Ritchie built thirty-two and the creation of ample space at whom this publication is intended view to identifying new business ships and Hugh built a further Queen’s Island could shipbuilders to offer a brief introduction. opportunities. He was surprised eight, having founded a shipyard take advantage of the shelter and And behind the scenes was to learn that there were only six of his own in 1798. These ships depth available in Belfast Lough. the intriguing figure of Gustav jobbing ships’ carpenters who were ranged in size from 50 to 450 tons, Throughout the nineteenth century Christian Schwabe. not even in regular employment. the average being 220 tons. In 1810 the Harbour Commissioners were This was sufficient to tempt him William Ritchie launched the James, responsive to the growth of the to open a shipyard in Belfast but a vessel of 400 tons and the largest industry. Jonathan Bardon in Belfast: the Belfast Ballast Board offered ship ever built in Belfast up to that An Illustrated History (Belfast, him the additional inducement of point. 1982) has carefully chronicled the building ‘a graving platform’ on Harbour Commissioners’ proactive which vessels could be beached The size of the workforce grew Belfast Shipbuilders 6 7 Belfast Shipbuilders EDWARD JAMES HARLAND (1831 - 1895) ‘Majestic’ Edward James Harland was born Thomas Harland. Schwabe was in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, a partner in John Bibby & Sons, and was educated at Edinburgh a Liverpool shipping company. Academy. His father, William Schwabe took a benign interest in Harland, was a medical practitioner the young Harland and arranged and an amateur engineer. In 1827 for him to be employed at J. and Dr Harland invented a patented G. Thomson, marine engineers in steam-powered carriage. Glasgow. In 1846, aged 15, Edward Harland With Schwabe’s encouragement, went to Newcastle-upon-Tyne to in December 1854, Harland moved serve an apprenticeship at Robert to Belfast, to become manager Stephenson & Company, an of Robert Hickson’s shipyard in engineering works. Robert Queen’s Island. Harland rapidly Stephenson, the owner, was acquired a reputation for strict the son of George Stephenson, management and improving the Hugh Ritchie Unknown, 19th Century. the locomotive engineer. quality of workmanship. He also © National Museums Northern Ireland Collection Ulster Museum George Stephenson was cut wages, banned smoking and impressively too during the same McLaine, which built and launched friendly with Dr Harland carried a piece of chalk and an ivory period. By 1811 William Ritchie the first steam ship in Ireland. as a result of a shared ruler which he used for marking was employing 44 journeymen But it was William Ritchie who interest in steam power mistakes. carpenters, 55 apprentices, 7 pairs laid the foundations of Belfast’s and locomotion. The An employee at Harland & Wolff of sawyers, 12 blacksmiths and great shipbuilding industry. As young Edward Harland later famously recalled: ‘He had several joiners. the Northern Whig observed served his apprenticeship an all-smelling nose as well as an in January 1834, William in Newcastle until 1851. Hugh Ritchie died in 1807 and all-seeing eye. One day he was Ritchie was ‘the first who was succeeded in the business During his walking rapidly along, and he established a regular by his elder brother John. In 1811 apprenticeship suddenly stopped dead and sniffed system of shipbuilding John formed a partnership with at Robert at a saw-pit. In a flash the trapdoor in Belfast’. Alexander MacLaine, another Scot, Stephenson & was lifted and there squatting in the and it was their firm, Ritchie & Company, Harland sawdust was a wizened little man, met Gustav Christian puffing at clay pipe.’ Schwabe, who knew Harland’s stern management and Edward’s uncle, Edward Harland Memorial, Belfast Cty Hall. Belfast Shipbuilders 8 9 Belfast Shipbuilders meticulous attention to detail capacity. They were disparagingly In 1861 Harland formed a business the Rosemary Street congregation enabled him to keep the shipyard referred to as ‘Bibby’s coffins’. This, partnership with Gustav Wilhelm in Belfast. In politics a Conservative running despite Hickson’s financial however, was a reference to their Wolff, Schwabe’s nephew, thereby and a Unionist, he served as Mayor problems. In 1857 Harland design rather than to any possible creating Harland & Wolff. of Belfast in both 1885 and 1886. He employed Gustav Wilhelm Wolff, lack of seaworthiness. was a strong and natural opponent In 1874 Harland recruited William Gustav Schwabe’s nephew, as of W. E. Gladstone’s first Home A great innovator, Harland applied James Pirrie as another partner. his personal assistant. Harland Rule bill. Harland was knighted for several patents including, Edward Harland, Gustav Wolff and began attempting to open his by the Liberal government in early in 1860 for ‘improvements in William James Pirrie maintained a own shipbuilding business, but 1886 and on 25 July of the same constructing and covering the good order book, receiving regular was unsuccessful with several year he received a baronetcy from decks of ships and other floating orders from the White Star Line. applications to open yards in the new Conservative government. bodies’; in 1871 for ‘improvements In 1889 Harland effectively retired Liverpool. However, on 21 At a by-election in 1889 Harland in apparatus for propelling vessels’; from daily involvement in the September 1858, Robert Hickson was returned unopposed to serve and in 1878 for ‘improvements in business, leaving Wolff and Pirrie wrote to him: ‘I offer you my interest as Unionist MP for North Belfast.