Alexander Hall and Sons
Encyclopedia
Alexander Hall and Sons built ships in Aberdeen
from 1797 to 1957.
Alexander Hall took over his father-in-law’s shipbuilding business Cochar and Gibbon in 1790 to found Alexander Hall and Company. Their first ships were wooden sailing vessels. A schooner built in 1839, The Scottish Maid, first used the 'Aberdeen bow' which was designed to improve speed and performance.
When he died in 1849, Alexander Hall left the shipyard to his sons James and William - William taking care of ship design and James running the business. They built many famous clippers, including Torrington and Stornoway, used on the opium and tea routes.
One ship later developed was the Jho Sho Maru
, a barque-rigged steamer, built in the 1860s for the Japanese Navy
. This vessel carried a belt of iron armour plating at the waterline together with eight 64 pounder and two 100 pounder guns. James suffered a fatal heart attack when a fire broke out in the yard during the ship's construction.
As well as building sailing ships, the firm also constructed steamers. Their first marine engine was produced in 1887, and installed in the launch Petrel. Their first trawler, Maggie Walker, was built in 1888, followed by more trawlers, coasters, tugs and dredgers. During the years of World War II
Hall built 26 steam tugs, a large number going to the Admiralty.
The firm became deeply involved with the welfare of their employees, starting a medical fund in 1846 which took care of sick pay, medical attention and medication, and provided for funeral expenses.
Failure to modernise and adapt after the war, caused a downswing in Hall's fortunes and in 1957 Hall Russell took over the company.
Aberdeen
Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....
from 1797 to 1957.
Alexander Hall took over his father-in-law’s shipbuilding business Cochar and Gibbon in 1790 to found Alexander Hall and Company. Their first ships were wooden sailing vessels. A schooner built in 1839, The Scottish Maid, first used the 'Aberdeen bow' which was designed to improve speed and performance.
When he died in 1849, Alexander Hall left the shipyard to his sons James and William - William taking care of ship design and James running the business. They built many famous clippers, including Torrington and Stornoway, used on the opium and tea routes.
One ship later developed was the Jho Sho Maru
Japanese battleship Ryujo (1864)
The or Jo Sho Maru, was a steam ironclad warship of the Imperial Japanese Navy, designed by Thomas Blake Glover and built in Scotland for the private navy of the fief of Kumamoto, where it was called the Jo Sho Maru. It was delivered to the new Imperial Japanese Navy on 8 May 1870, and sailed...
, a barque-rigged steamer, built in the 1860s for the Japanese Navy
Japanese Navy
Japanese Navy can refer to:* the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1869-1947* the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, 1947 – present...
. This vessel carried a belt of iron armour plating at the waterline together with eight 64 pounder and two 100 pounder guns. James suffered a fatal heart attack when a fire broke out in the yard during the ship's construction.
As well as building sailing ships, the firm also constructed steamers. Their first marine engine was produced in 1887, and installed in the launch Petrel. Their first trawler, Maggie Walker, was built in 1888, followed by more trawlers, coasters, tugs and dredgers. During the years of 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...
Hall built 26 steam tugs, a large number going to the Admiralty.
The firm became deeply involved with the welfare of their employees, starting a medical fund in 1846 which took care of sick pay, medical attention and medication, and provided for funeral expenses.
Failure to modernise and adapt after the war, caused a downswing in Hall's fortunes and in 1957 Hall Russell took over the company.
See also
- Flying Spur (clipper)Flying Spur (clipper)Flying Spur was a British Tea Clipper, built of teak and greenheart in 1860.-Voyages in the tea trade:For twenty years, Flying Spur sailed with cargoes of tea between London and the Chinese port of Foochow, with voyages to Canton, Nagasaki, and Deal as well...
- Mimosa (ship)Mimosa (ship)The Mimosa was a clipper ship best known for carrying the first Welsh emigrants to South America in 1865.-Voyage to Patagonia:By the time Mimosa made the voyage she was already past her prime, having been built in 1853 at Hall's shipyard in Aberdeen. She had not been designed to carry passengers,...
- Japanese battleship Ryūjō (1864)Japanese battleship Ryujo (1864)The or Jo Sho Maru, was a steam ironclad warship of the Imperial Japanese Navy, designed by Thomas Blake Glover and built in Scotland for the private navy of the fief of Kumamoto, where it was called the Jo Sho Maru. It was delivered to the new Imperial Japanese Navy on 8 May 1870, and sailed...
- Stornoway (clipper)Stornoway (clipper)Stornoway was a British tea clipper built in Aberdeen, Scotland in 1850. She was owned by Jardine Matheson, and sold to Mackay & Co., London, in 1861. She is famous for her race with the clipper Chrysolite.-External links:*, by C.J. Guise...