A & J Inglis
Encyclopedia
A & J Inglis, Ltd, was a Shipbuilding
firm founded by Anthony Inglis
and his brother John, engineer
s and shipbuilder
s in Glasgow
, Scotland
in 1862. The firm built over 500 ships in a period of just over 100 years. Their Pointhouse Shipyard was at the confluence of the rivers Clyde
and Kelvin
. They constructed a wide range of ships, including Clyde steamer
s, paddle steamer
s and small ocean liner
s. In wartime, they built small warship
s, and in the period after World War II
, they built a number of whaler
s.
took over. John Inglis himself, was well known for many maritime activities. In 1885 they launched 11 ships with a total tonnage of 7,470 tons.
In 1867, a Patent Slip Dock for ship repairs was built at Pointhouse. This was an innovative alternative to a dry dock, invented by Robert Napier
. The vessel sat on a big trolley, which was on rails, and was hauled up onto dry land by a powerful winch. The yard had up to 2,000 employees on just 18 acres of ground plus approximately 300 workers at the former premises of the company in Whitehall Foundry.
In 1897, the Transatlantic Company of Paris ordered two of a total of ten fast mail steamers for their African service at A & J Inglis. Inglis delivered two weeks ahead of their competitors. The French owners were impressed and checked carefully that the fast-track build programme had not resulted in an inferior quality, but found no evidence of this, on the contrary they were delighted with the high standard of construction achieved.
Harland and Wolff
bought controlling shares in the company in 1919 but the yard remained independent. After Harland and Wolff, who also owned a larger yard on the opposite bank of the river at Govan
, opted to consolidate its operations in Belfast
, the yard closed in 1962 and is now the site of the new Riverside Museum
.
The shipyard became famous by building the British Royal Yacht
and the Egyptian Royal Yacht . The turbine yacht was built of steel, rigged as a triple screw schooner and, unusually, was powered by steam turbines.
, and the forerunner to the Humber Bridge
, which was controversially broken up in situ at Grimsby's Alexandra Dock, despite her uniqueness of design as what was likely to have been Inglis's only cargo carrying estuary paddle steamer; designed chiefly as a practical workhorse as opposed to a more elegant 'pleasure steamer' image more commonly associated with paddle steamers. In ocean-going service, paddle steamers became much less useful after the invention of the screw propeller, but they remained in use in coastal service and as river tugboats, thanks to their shallow draught and good manoeuvrability.
in Dumbarton. The builders hoped to attain a speed of 20 knots (37.04 km/h) with the turbine machinery. However, on 24 June 1901 in seven return runs over the mile, the best mean speed attained was 19.7 knots (36.48 km/h). On the next day at the Pointhouse yard of A. & J. Inglis the central propeller of 4 ft (1.22 m) diameter was exchanged for one of 4 ft 9 inches (1.45 m) diameter, and the outer propellers of 2 ft 10 inches (0.86 m) diameter were exchanged for propellers 3 ft 4 inches (1.02 m) diameter. Trials on 26 June 1901 achieved a mean of 20.48 knots (37.93 km/h).
In 1905, an extension and rebuild of the SS Mahroussa was undertaken. The ship had been originally built for Isma'il Pasha
, the Khedive of Egypt and was later renamed to SS El Horria. The two paddle wheels were replaced by triple screws powered by steam turbines built by Inglis at their Warroch Street Engine Works in Glasgow. Inglis were one of the first companies licensed by the Parsons Marine Steam Turbine Company Wallsend for the manufacture of steam turbines in their own works. The ship was still in use in 2001 as a luxury yacht.
and join the Buenos Aires province and the Entre Rios province, until new bridges were built over the rivers they crossed:
. She was designed for the sheltered coastal waters of British Columbia. However, this was the first diesel powered vessel to cross the Atlantic driven by a single propeller. She will be restored and used in Tofino as a floating restaurant at Jamie's Whaling Station by 2012.
and were 890 GRT
coastal tankers built in 1945 for the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT).
was launched in 1932 and created quite a stir in Edinburgh
on account of her fog horn being tested while lying at ¾ mile outside Granton
in the Firth of Forth
. As the fog horn had a range of approximately 10 miles, north Edinburgh could hear it loud and clear and the complaints were numerous - particularly as it was being sounded in clear weather. "Hundreds of city dwellers have had no sleep over three consecutive nights" and "The most flagrant individual breach of the peace is as nothing compared with the ceaseless boom and consequent suffering of the past three nights" were typical statements at the time.
laid down 13 October 1939, launched 23 May 1940 and completed 17 August 1940. Transferred to Greece as Kriezis. laid down 26 October 1939, launched 26 June 1940 and completed 20 October 1940. and - Dance class armed trawler
s - Both launched 1940, sold 1946 - Shakespearian class trawler - Launched 1941, sold 1946 - Shakespearian class trawler - Launched 3 May 1941, transferred to Kenya 1946, joined Royal East African Navy
1952, redeployed to Madagascar 1964 was a Flower-class corvette that was launched on 28 September 1943 and served in the Royal Canadian Navy., and - Isles class trawler
s - Launched 1942-43 - Castle class corvette
- Launched 10 December 1944, Became OWS Weather Reporter in 1957. - originally Totnes Castle - Castle class corvette
- Launched 12 April 1944. Transferred to Canada as HMCS Humberstone 1944. Sold for mercantile service 1947 was a 813 GRT Empire coaster. Launched on 19 January 1945 and completed in April 1945. Sold in 1948 to Kuwait Oil Co Ltd and renamed Adib. Operated under the management of Angli-Iranian Oil Co Ltd. Sold in 1952 to Shell Mex & BP Ltd and renamed BP Transporter. Scrapped in June 1965 in Antwerp, Belgium.
Shipbuilding
Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and floating vessels. It normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation that traces its roots to before recorded history.Shipbuilding and ship repairs, both...
firm founded by Anthony Inglis
Anthony Inglis (shipbuilder)
Anthony Inglis, was a Scottish journeyman blacksmith, engineer and shipbuilder who set-up and managed the wellknown shipyard A. & J. Inglis in Pointhouse Glasgow together with his brother John Inglis.- Career :...
and his brother John, engineer
Engineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
s and shipbuilder
Shipbuilding
Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and floating vessels. It normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation that traces its roots to before recorded history.Shipbuilding and ship repairs, both...
s in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
in 1862. The firm built over 500 ships in a period of just over 100 years. Their Pointhouse Shipyard was at the confluence of the rivers Clyde
River Clyde
The River Clyde is a major river in Scotland. It is the ninth longest river in the United Kingdom, and the third longest in Scotland. Flowing through the major city of Glasgow, it was an important river for shipbuilding and trade in the British Empire....
and Kelvin
River Kelvin
The Kelvin rises on watershed of Scotland on the moor south east of the village of Banton, east of Kilsyth - . At almost 22 miles long, it initially flows south to Dullatur Bog where it falls into a man made trench and takes a ninety degree turn flowing west along the northern boundary of the bog...
. They constructed a wide range of ships, including Clyde steamer
Clyde steamer
The era of the Clyde steamer in Scotland began in August 1812 with the very first successful commercial steamboat service in Europe, when Henry Bell's began a passenger service on the River Clyde between Glasgow and Greenock...
s, paddle steamer
Paddle steamer
A paddle steamer is a steamship or riverboat, powered by a steam engine, using paddle wheels to propel it through the water. In antiquity, Paddle wheelers followed the development of poles, oars and sails, where the first uses were wheelers driven by animals or humans...
s and small ocean liner
Ocean liner
An ocean liner is a ship designed to transport people from one seaport to another along regular long-distance maritime routes according to a schedule. Liners may also carry cargo or mail, and may sometimes be used for other purposes .Cargo vessels running to a schedule are sometimes referred to as...
s. In wartime, they built small warship
Warship
A warship is a ship that is built and primarily intended for combat. Warships are usually built in a completely different way from merchant ships. As well as being armed, warships are designed to withstand damage and are usually faster and more maneuvrable than merchant ships...
s, and in the period after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, they built a number of whaler
Whaler
A whaler is a specialized ship, designed for whaling, the catching and/or processing of whales. The former included the whale catcher, a steam or diesel-driven vessel with a harpoon gun mounted at its bows. The latter included such vessels as the sail or steam-driven whaleship of the 16th to early...
s.
History
A & J Inglis of Glasgow, was formed in 1848 as an engineering works. Thomas B. Sneath founded the shipyard at Pointhouse in 1845 and it was acquired by A & J Inglis in 1862. In 1884 Anthony Inglis died and his son John InglisJohn Inglis (shipbuilder)
John Inglis was an engineer and shipbuilder who managed the well-known shipyard A. & J. Inglis in Pointhouse Glasgow, which had been set up by his father Anthony Inglis and his uncle John Inglis.- Career :...
took over. John Inglis himself, was well known for many maritime activities. In 1885 they launched 11 ships with a total tonnage of 7,470 tons.
In 1867, a Patent Slip Dock for ship repairs was built at Pointhouse. This was an innovative alternative to a dry dock, invented by Robert Napier
Robert Napier (engineer)
Robert Napier was a Scottish engineer, and is often called "The Father of Clyde Shipbuilding."-Early life:Robert Napier was born in Dumbarton at the height of the Industrial Revolution, to James and Jean Napier...
. The vessel sat on a big trolley, which was on rails, and was hauled up onto dry land by a powerful winch. The yard had up to 2,000 employees on just 18 acres of ground plus approximately 300 workers at the former premises of the company in Whitehall Foundry.
In 1897, the Transatlantic Company of Paris ordered two of a total of ten fast mail steamers for their African service at A & J Inglis. Inglis delivered two weeks ahead of their competitors. The French owners were impressed and checked carefully that the fast-track build programme had not resulted in an inferior quality, but found no evidence of this, on the contrary they were delighted with the high standard of construction achieved.
Harland and Wolff
Harland and Wolff
Harland and Wolff Heavy Industries is a Northern Irish heavy industrial company, specialising in shipbuilding and offshore construction, located in Belfast, Northern Ireland....
bought controlling shares in the company in 1919 but the yard remained independent. After Harland and Wolff, who also owned a larger yard on the opposite bank of the river at Govan
Govan
Govan is a district and former burgh now part of southwest City of Glasgow, Scotland. It is situated west of Glasgow city centre, on the south bank of the River Clyde, opposite the mouth of the River Kelvin and the district of Partick....
, opted to consolidate its operations in Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
, the yard closed in 1962 and is now the site of the new Riverside Museum
Riverside Museum
The Riverside Museum is a new development for the Glasgow Museum of Transport, completed on 20 June 2011, at Pointhouse Quay in the Glasgow Harbour regeneration district of Glasgow, Scotland. The next day it opened to the public.-Concept and design:...
.
Clippers and yachts
Some of the first ships built by the shipyard were propelled by a combination of sails and steam engines. Because of their elegant design and high speed they were recognised as leading-edge representatives of their class.The shipyard became famous by building the British Royal Yacht
Royal Yacht
A royal yacht is a ship used by a monarch or a royal family. If the monarch is an emperor the proper term is imperial yacht. Most of them are financed by the government of the country of which the monarch is head...
and the Egyptian Royal Yacht . The turbine yacht was built of steel, rigged as a triple screw schooner and, unusually, was powered by steam turbines.
Paddle steamers
Famous ships built by the firm include the paddle steamer , now the world's last seagoing paddle steamer. Other Inglis-built paddle steamers include the , which still serves as a visitor attraction on Loch LomondLoch Lomond
Loch Lomond is a freshwater Scottish loch, lying on the Highland Boundary Fault. It is the largest lake in Great Britain by surface area. The lake contains many islands, including Inchmurrin, the largest fresh-water island in the British Isles, although the lake itself is smaller than many Irish...
, and the forerunner to the Humber Bridge
Humber Bridge
The Humber Bridge, near Kingston upon Hull, England, is a 2,220 m single-span suspension bridge, which opened to traffic on 24 June 1981. It is the fifth-largest of its type in the world...
, which was controversially broken up in situ at Grimsby's Alexandra Dock, despite her uniqueness of design as what was likely to have been Inglis's only cargo carrying estuary paddle steamer; designed chiefly as a practical workhorse as opposed to a more elegant 'pleasure steamer' image more commonly associated with paddle steamers. In ocean-going service, paddle steamers became much less useful after the invention of the screw propeller, but they remained in use in coastal service and as river tugboats, thanks to their shallow draught and good manoeuvrability.
Conversions and extensions
The shipyard was also specialised in conversions: On 16 May 1901 the TS King Edward was launched, which had been built by William Denny and BrothersWilliam Denny and Brothers
William Denny and Brothers Limited, and often referred to simply as Denny, were a Scottish shipbuilding company.-History:The Company was founded by Peter Denny in 1840 and based in Dumbarton, on the River Clyde. Although the Denny yard was situated near the junction of the River Clyde and the River...
in Dumbarton. The builders hoped to attain a speed of 20 knots (37.04 km/h) with the turbine machinery. However, on 24 June 1901 in seven return runs over the mile, the best mean speed attained was 19.7 knots (36.48 km/h). On the next day at the Pointhouse yard of A. & J. Inglis the central propeller of 4 ft (1.22 m) diameter was exchanged for one of 4 ft 9 inches (1.45 m) diameter, and the outer propellers of 2 ft 10 inches (0.86 m) diameter were exchanged for propellers 3 ft 4 inches (1.02 m) diameter. Trials on 26 June 1901 achieved a mean of 20.48 knots (37.93 km/h).
In 1905, an extension and rebuild of the SS Mahroussa was undertaken. The ship had been originally built for Isma'il Pasha
Isma'il Pasha
Isma'il Pasha , known as Ismail the Magnificent , was the Khedive of Egypt and Sudan from 1863 to 1879, when he was removed at the behest of the United Kingdom...
, the Khedive of Egypt and was later renamed to SS El Horria. The two paddle wheels were replaced by triple screws powered by steam turbines built by Inglis at their Warroch Street Engine Works in Glasgow. Inglis were one of the first companies licensed by the Parsons Marine Steam Turbine Company Wallsend for the manufacture of steam turbines in their own works. The ship was still in use in 2001 as a luxury yacht.
Railway ferries
Eight ferries were built between 1907 and 1929 for the Entre Rios Railways Co. in Argentina. These were used between 1907 and 1990 to cross the Paraná RiverParaná River
The Paraná River is a river in south Central South America, running through Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina for some . It is second in length only to the Amazon River among South American rivers. The name Paraná is an abbreviation of the phrase "para rehe onáva", which comes from the Tupi language...
and join the Buenos Aires province and the Entre Rios province, until new bridges were built over the rivers they crossed:
- Lucía Carbó (1907)
- María Parera (1908)
- Mercedes Lacroze (1909)
- Roque Saenz Peña (1911)
- Exequiel Ramos Mejía (1913)
- Dolores de Urquiza (1926)
- Delfina Mitre (1928)
- Carmen Avellaneda (1929)
Diesel powered motor vessels
The was originally christened Lady Sylvia when launched in 1937 for the use on Barkley SoundBarkley Sound
Barkley Sound, also known historically as Barclay Sound, is south of Ucluelet and north of Bamfield on the west coast of Vancouver Island and forms the entrance to the Alberni Inlet...
. She was designed for the sheltered coastal waters of British Columbia. However, this was the first diesel powered vessel to cross the Atlantic driven by a single propeller. She will be restored and used in Tofino as a floating restaurant at Jamie's Whaling Station by 2012.
and were 890 GRT
Gross Register Tonnage
Gross register tonnage a ship's total internal volume expressed in "register tons", one of which equals to a volume of . It is calculated from the total permanently enclosed capacity of the vessel. The ship's net register tonnage is obtained by reducing the volume of non-revenue-earning spaces i.e...
coastal tankers built in 1945 for the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT).
Lightships
The North Carr LightshipNorth Carr Lightship
North Carr is the last remaining Scottish lightship. She is in length, in beam and 250 tons.The purpose of the vessel was to warn mariners by sight, light or sound of the dangers of the North Carr rocks which are situated 1.7 miles off Fife Ness at the turning point for vessels entering...
was launched in 1932 and created quite a stir in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
on account of her fog horn being tested while lying at ¾ mile outside Granton
Granton
-Places:Australia* Granton, TasmaniaCanada* Granton, Nova ScotiaScotland* Granton, EdinburghUnited States* Granton, Wisconsin...
in the Firth of Forth
Firth of Forth
The Firth of Forth is the estuary or firth of Scotland's River Forth, where it flows into the North Sea, between Fife to the north, and West Lothian, the City of Edinburgh and East Lothian to the south...
. As the fog horn had a range of approximately 10 miles, north Edinburgh could hear it loud and clear and the complaints were numerous - particularly as it was being sounded in clear weather. "Hundreds of city dwellers have had no sleep over three consecutive nights" and "The most flagrant individual breach of the peace is as nothing compared with the ceaseless boom and consequent suffering of the past three nights" were typical statements at the time.
Selection of military ships
During the Second World War the shipyard diversified into the built of military ships:laid down 13 October 1939, launched 23 May 1940 and completed 17 August 1940. Transferred to Greece as Kriezis. laid down 26 October 1939, launched 26 June 1940 and completed 20 October 1940. and - Dance class armed trawler
Dance class armed trawler
The Dance class vessels of World War II were armed trawlers of the Royal Navy. They were used for anti-submarine and minesweeping work and were nearly identical to the Isles class trawlers, of which they are usually considered a subclass....
s - Both launched 1940, sold 1946 - Shakespearian class trawler - Launched 1941, sold 1946 - Shakespearian class trawler - Launched 3 May 1941, transferred to Kenya 1946, joined Royal East African Navy
Royal East African Navy
Royal East African Navy was a naval force of the former British colonies of Kenya, Tanganyika , Uganda and Zanzibar. Formed in 1952 to replace Royal Navy's Naval Volunteer Reserves in Zanzibar and Tanganyika and was disbanded in 1962 with the independence of Tanganyika from Britain...
1952, redeployed to Madagascar 1964 was a Flower-class corvette that was launched on 28 September 1943 and served in the Royal Canadian Navy., and - Isles class trawler
Isles class trawler
The Isles class trawlers were a class of naval trawler used by the Royal Navy, Royal Canadian Navy and Royal New Zealand Navy during World War II....
s - Launched 1942-43 - Castle class corvette
Castle class corvette
The Castle-class corvettes were an updated version of the much more numerous Flower-class corvettes of the Royal Navy, and started appearing during late 1943...
- Launched 10 December 1944, Became OWS Weather Reporter in 1957. - originally Totnes Castle - Castle class corvette
Castle class corvette
The Castle-class corvettes were an updated version of the much more numerous Flower-class corvettes of the Royal Navy, and started appearing during late 1943...
- Launched 12 April 1944. Transferred to Canada as HMCS Humberstone 1944. Sold for mercantile service 1947 was a 813 GRT Empire coaster. Launched on 19 January 1945 and completed in April 1945. Sold in 1948 to Kuwait Oil Co Ltd and renamed Adib. Operated under the management of Angli-Iranian Oil Co Ltd. Sold in 1952 to Shell Mex & BP Ltd and renamed BP Transporter. Scrapped in June 1965 in Antwerp, Belgium.
Cancelled military orders
Several military orders for corvettes and tankers were cancelled at the end of the Second World War:- Dover Castle and Dudley Castle - Castle class corvetteCastle class corvetteThe Castle-class corvettes were an updated version of the much more numerous Flower-class corvettes of the Royal Navy, and started appearing during late 1943...
s - ordered 19 January 1943. - Empire Tedellen was to have been a 890 GRT coastal tanker but the contract for building her was cancelled. The Empire ships were a series of ships in the service of the British Government. Their names were all prefixed with "Empire". Mostly they were used during World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
by the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT), who owned the ships but contracted out their management to various shipping lines.
External links
- South American and Australian paddle steamers built by A & J Inglis
- Links to 285 ships of A. & J. Inglis including Yard No on Google
- Paddleducks with high-resolution photographs of the ship yard.
- A & J Inglis of Pointhouse : Shipbuilders and Engineers