Swan Hunter

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Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use British English Template:Infobox company

Swan Hunter, formerly known as Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson and originally known as C. S. Swan & Hunter, is a shipbuilding design, engineering, and management company,<ref name=History>Template:Cite web</ref> based in Wallsend, Tyne and Wear, England.

At its apex, the company represented the combined forces of three powerful shipbuilding families: Swan, Hunter and Wigham Richardson.

The company was responsible for some of the greatest ships of the early 20th century, most famously Template:RMS which held the Blue Riband for the fastest crossing of the Atlantic, and Template:RMS which rescued survivors from Template:RMS.

In 2006 Swan Hunter ceased vessel construction on Tyneside, but continues to provide design engineering services.

History

Shipbuilders G B Hunter and C S Swan (Jr) in 1907

Early history

Shipbuilding began on what would become C. S. Swan & Hunter's Middle Yard in 1873 under Coulson, Cooke & Co. owned by shipbuilder Charles Mitchell. Mitchell had worked under John Coutts nearby in Low Walker until 1852 when he started his own business, steadily expanding until breaking ground on the new site with two of his associates in 1873.<ref name=swan1>Template:Cite web</ref>

However, in 1874 the joint venture failed and Mitchell took over, delegating management to his brother-in-law Charles Sheridan Swan, taking the name C. S. Swan & Co.<ref name=swan1/>

Charles Sheridan Swan died in 1879 in an accident at sea, his son and heir Charles Sheriton Swan was only nine years old.<ref name=swan1/> Charles Sheriton Swan would go on to serve an apprenticeship at the Wallsend Slipway & Engineering Company which would later be absorbed by the company.<ref name=csswanjr>Template:Cite web</ref>

The East Yard was founded on the site of the Wallsend Chemical Works, which underwent a change of ownership in 1883. By 1891, C. S. Swan & Hunter had purchased the land and extended the yard onto it, expanding from three building berths or slipways to six.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=swanhistory>Template:Cite web</ref> Two of these were large, covered slipways with electric gantry cranes, an innovative construction method for the time.<ref name=sheds>Template:Cite journal</ref>

The site that would become the West Yard was originally that of Schlesinger, Davis & Co. from 1863 until 1893. The site was purchased by C. S. Swan & Hunter in 1897.<ref name=SDavis>Template:Cite web</ref>

John Wigham Richardson founded the Neptune Works nearby in 1860, on the site previously occupied by Coutts.<ref name=Wigham>Template:Cite web</ref>

C. S. Swan & Hunter

C. S. Swan & Hunter was founded by Sunderland shipbuilder George Burton Hunter, in partnership with Mary, the widow of Charles Sheridan Swan<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> in 1880.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Hunter had recently dissolved his partnership with S. P. Austin in Sunderland and entered negotiations with Charles Mitchell and H. F. Swan, brother of Charles Sheridan Swan. They brokered the partnership, placing Hunter as the managing director.<ref name=swan1/> Charles Sheriton Swan would later become a director by 1903.<ref name=csswanjr/>

C. S. Swan & Hunter launched the largest cargo steamer then afloat, the Template:GRT Milwaukee, in 1896,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and quickly broke their own record by launching the Template:GRT Monarch the following year for Furness, Withy & Co.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The following year they were commissioned to produce another cargo vessel, this one of Template:GRT for Christopher Furness, but this was purchased before launch by Cunard Line for £115,000, who named the vessel Template:SS.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Around the time they purchased Ultonia, Cunard placed an order for what was known as an 'intermediate' liner. Not as fast as Template:RMS, not as large as Template:RMS, but fast enough and large enough to pay well. This new ship was named Template:RMS, launched in 1899. She was Cunard's largest ship at time of launch.<ref name=ivernia>Template:Cite journal</ref>

The success and flexibility of Ivernia and her sister ship Template:RMS (built at John Brown & Company, Clydebank), that protected Cunard from fluctuations in seasonal passenger trade, prompted Cunard to order a third, smaller ship of the same class from C. S. Swan & Hunter. This ship was launched in 1902 as Template:RMS<ref name=carpathia1>Template:Cite journal</ref> and was later made famous for her role in the aftermath of the sinking of the RMS Titanic in 1912.<ref>Template:Citation</ref>

Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson

In 1903, C. S. Swan & Hunter merged with Wigham Richardson (founded by John Wigham Richardson as Neptune Works in 1860), specifically to bid for the important contract to build Template:Ship on behalf of Cunard.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Their bid was successful, and the new company, Swan Hunter and Wigham Richardson Ltd, went on to build what was to become, in its day, the most famous oceangoing liner in the world. Also in 1903, the Company took a controlling interest in the Wallsend Slipway & Engineering Company, which was an early licensed manufacturer of Parsons steam turbine engines, which enabled Mauretania to achieve her great speed.<ref name=page4>Template:Cite web</ref> Mauretania was launched from Wallsend on 20 September 1906 by the Duchess of Roxburghe.<ref>Maxtone-Graham, John (1972), Page 25, The Only Way to Cross. New York: Collier Books, Template:ISBN</ref> The firm expanded rapidly in the early part of the twentieth century, acquiring the Glasgow-based Barclay Curle in 1912.<ref name=page4/>

Template:Scalable image

World Unicorn, built by Swan Hunter at the Wallsend shipyard, Tyneside, in 1973.
Tanker Ottawa launch, Wallsend shipyard, circa 1964

Swan Hunter & Tyne

In 1966, Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson merged with Smiths Dock Company to form Associated Shipbuilders, which later became Swan Hunter Group.<ref name=dates>Fears for Tyneside tradition as Swan Hunter ship is towed to Govan for completion Guardian, 15 July 2006</ref> Following the publication of the Geddes Report recommending rationalisation in British shipbuilding, the Company went on to acquire Clelands Shipbuilding Company<ref name=arc>Template:Cite web</ref> and John Readhead & Sons in 1967.<ref name=page5>Template:Cite web</ref> Meanwhile, Swan Hunter inherited both the Naval Yard at High Walker on the River Tyne of Vickers-Armstrongs<ref name=arc/> and the Hebburn Yard of Hawthorn Leslie in 1968.<ref name=page5/> In 1973 further expansion came with the purchase of Palmers Dock at Hebburn from Vickers-Armstrongs.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Then in 1977, Swan Hunter Group was nationalised as part of British Shipbuilders.<ref name=dates/> The former flagship of the Royal Navy, Template:HMS was built at Swan Hunter during this period, entering service in 1985.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Swan Hunter

The Company was privatised again in 1987 but decided to close its Neptune Yard in 1988.<ref>Royal Navy Ship may bring work for 100's Evening Chronicle, 30 August 2008</ref> It was then forced to call in the receivers when the UK government awarded the contract for Template:HMS to Kvaerner Govan in 1993.<ref>Duce, Richard (1993-05-12). "Barrow ship order dismays Tyneside". The Times (Times Newspapers).</ref> The receiver took steps to break up the business.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> However, the main shipyard in Wallsend was bought out from receivership by Jaap Kroese, a Dutch millionaire.<ref name=dates/> The yard subsequently undertook several ad-hoc ship repair and conversion projects for private-sector customers.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

A view of the Wallsend shipyard shortly after its closure

In 2000, Swan Hunter was awarded the contract to design and build two (Auxiliary) Landing Ship Dock ships for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary with two other ships being built by BAE Systems Naval Ships: the cost of the two Swan Hunter ships was to be £210 million including £62 million for lead yard services, with an inservice date of 2004.<ref>Ministry of Defence Annual Report and Accounts 2004-05: Sixth Report of session 2005-06. Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Defence Committee. Page 29. 2006</ref> By July 2006, the costs had risen to £309 million and only one ship had been delivered. As a result of this, the second ship Template:Ship was transferred to BAE Systems Govan in Glasgow for completion.<ref>Lyme Bay gets going at Govan Maritime Journal, 1 April 2007</ref>

In 2001, Swan Hunter acquired Kværner's Port Clarence offshore yard at Teesside<ref>Shipbuilder Swan's sells Teesside yard Template:Webarchive The Journal, 13 April 2006</ref> but then in 2006 sold it to Wilton Engineering Group.<ref>Ten years ago Port Clarence was an empty shell - now it's a hive of activity Evening Gazette, 27 May 2008</ref>

In November 2006, after the failure to complete Lyme Bay within budget and resulting exclusion from future Royal Navy shipbuilding projects, Jaap Kroese announced that the business was effectively finished and placed the Wallsend Yard's iconic cranes up for sale. He also said that he was actively looking for a buyer for the land.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> During this time, Lyme BayTemplate:'s earlier sister ship, Largs Bay, was noted as the last ship to be built and fully completed by Swan Hunter. In April 2007, Swan Hunter's cranes, along with its floating dock and other equipment, were sold to Bharati Shipyards, India's second-largest private-sector shipbuilder. The entire plant machinery and equipment from Swan Hunter was dismantled and transported to India over six months to be rebuilt at Bharati Shipyards.<ref>Bharati buys out UK shipyard major Swan Business Standard, 10 April 2007</ref>

Swan's performed the conceptual design of Pioneering Spirit, provisionally named Pieter Schelte, the world's largest platform installation/decommissioning and pipelay vessel. The basic design of the lifting systems was completed by the end of 2008, and detailed design of the hulls by May 2010.<ref name=development>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2008, the company said it was concentrating on ship design with just under 200 people employed.<ref name=History/><ref>People blame the MoD for Swan Hunter's decline, not me Evening Chronicle, 14 February 2008</ref>

In 2016, Jaap Kroese died but the company said it would continue with its business of ship design. At the time, the company had 40 employees and contractors.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Also in 2016, Swan Hunter was relaunched into the subsea industry by Gerard Kroese, the eldest son of former owner Jaap Kroese. Swan Hunter started to offer specialist equipment, design, engineering & project management services to the offshore renewables and subsea oil & gas energy markets.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> On 12 October 2016, the company announced the issue of a letter of intent for the design and build of a basket carousel loading tower.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The company announced further equipment pool growth through a 15Te tensioner and 450Te reel drive system.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Swan Hunter announced loading tower readiness on 5 May 2017<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> with completion of mobilisation onto EMAS Chiyoda Subsea's multi-lay vessel 'Lewek Constellation' shortly thereafter.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Operations

The Company owned three main yards:

All three were on the north side of River Tyne. The company also owned the Wallsend Slipway & Engineering Company, the yard that built the engines for the Mauretania, from 1903 until the 1980s. At various times Swan Hunter also owned Palmers Hebburn Yard, Hawthorn Leslie Hebburn Yard and Readheads at South Shields which were all on the south side of the River Tyne.

Ships built by Swan Hunter

{{ safesubst:#invoke:Unsubst||date=__DATE__ |$B=Template:AmboxTemplate:Main other }} Template:See also Template:Div col Naval vessels

Commercial vessels

Cable ships

  • Alert
  • All America
  • Ariel
  • Bullfinch
  • Bullfrog
  • Bullhead
  • Cambria
  • Colonia
  • Dominia
  • Edward Wilshaw
  • Emile Baudot
  • Guardian
  • Iris
  • John W. Mackay
  • Lord Kelvin
  • Marie Louise Mackay
  • Monarch
  • Pacific Guardian (1984)
  • Patrol
  • Recorder
  • Sir Eric Sharp (Launched 1988 – renamed CS IT Intrepid )
  • St. Margarets
  • Stanley Angwin
  • Telconia

Bulk Carrier

  • Hoegh Duke (1984)
  • Robkap IV (1977)
  • Liverpool Bridge Renamed to the MV Derbyshire (1976)

Research Vessels

Tankers

  • Shell Supplier (1946)
  • ARA Punta Médanos (1950)
  • Velutina (1950)
  • Velletia (1952)
  • Helix (1953)
  • Helcion (1954)
  • Heldia (1955)
  • Helisoma (1956)
  • Volvula (1956)
  • Llanishen (1957)
  • Zaphon (1957)
  • Varicella (1959)
  • Solen (1961)
  • Ottawa (1964)
  • Sir Winston Churchill (1964)
  • Clementine Churchill (1965)
  • Narica (1967)
  • Nacella (1968)
  • Esso Northumbria (1969)
  • Esso Hibernia (1970)
  • Faraday (1970) Liquified petroleum gas tanker
  • Texaco Great Britain (1971)
  • London Lion (1972)
  • Frank D. Moores (1973)
  • World Unicorn (1973)
  • Windsor Lion (1974)
  • Tyne Pride (1975)
  • Everett F. Wells (1976)
  • BP Achiever (1983)

Template:Div col end

Battleship Potemkin

On 1 May 2006, British pop-duo Pet Shop Boys performed their soundtrack to the 1925 Soviet silent-film Battleship Potemkin alongside the Royal Northern Sinfonia at the shipyard.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

See also

References

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Further reading

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