Richardson, Duck and Company
Encyclopedia
Richardson, Duck and Company was a shipbuilding company in Thornaby-on-Tees
, England
that traded between 1855 and 1925.
, ten sailing ship
s and 29 barges in their first ten years. In 1859 they built the paddle steamer Tasmanian Maid (yard no. 9) which in 1863 was converted into the gunboat
.
In 1859 Richardson, Duck took over the Rake Kimber yard at Middlesbrough
. They built about 11 vessels at Middlesbrough and then sold the yard to Backhouse and Dixon
in 1862. In 1870 Richardson, Duck built (yard no. 160) which in 1884 was re-engined with a triple-expansion engine made by Blair & Co
of Stockton-on-Tees
.
In the 1900s Richardson, Duck started building steel hulls. By the end of that decade Richardson, Duck had built five hundred tramp steamers, other merchant ships and lighters
. It had also become licensees for the Isherwood system of longitudinal framing.
Richardson, Duck's ships in 1911 included the cargo steamer SS Budapest (yard no. 616) which was later renamed SS Kerwood and in 1918 was commissioned into the US Navy
as . In 1912 Richardson, Duck built 12 ships and became a limited liability company
.
During the First World War
the yard built the Arabis-class sloop
(yard no. 661) and Aubretia-class sloop
(yard no. 666). It also built a further dozen tramp steamers, eight standard War "A" tramps and a standard "AO" tanker. Richardson, Duck's wartime merchant orders included SS Farnworth
(yard no. 651), (yard no. 652) and launched in 1917; (yard no. 662), (yard no. 671), (yard no. 672) and (yard no. 673) all launched in 1918 and (yard no. 677) launched in 1919.
In 1919 Richardson, Duck became a public company
and in 1920 James and Walter Gould acquired a controlling interest in it. In 1922 the yard suffered industrial action and a lack of orders. Richardson, Duck's final ship was (yard no. 689) in 1924. In May 1925 the Gould Group went into liquidation and in 1933 the yard was demolished.
Thornaby-on-Tees
Thornaby-on-Tees is a town and civil parish within the Borough of Stockton-on-Tees, in the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England. It is on the south bank of the River Tees, three miles southeast of Stockton-on-Tees, and four miles southwest of Middlesbrough town centre and has a...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
that traded between 1855 and 1925.
History
The yard was founded as the South Stockton Iron Ship Building Co in 1852. Its premises were the former yard of engine builders Fossick of Stockton and its first vessel was the iron-hulled steamship SS Advance. In 1855 Joseph Richardson and George Nixon Duck took over the yard. They built fifty iron steamships, a paddle steamerPaddle 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...
, ten sailing ship
Sailing ship
The term sailing ship is now used to refer to any large wind-powered vessel. In technical terms, a ship was a sailing vessel with a specific rig of at least three masts, square rigged on all of them, making the sailing adjective redundant. In popular usage "ship" became associated with all large...
s and 29 barges in their first ten years. In 1859 they built the paddle steamer Tasmanian Maid (yard no. 9) which in 1863 was converted into the gunboat
Gunboat
A gunboat is a naval watercraft designed for the express purpose of carrying one or more guns to bombard coastal targets, as opposed to those military craft designed for naval warfare, or for ferrying troops or supplies.-History:...
.
In 1859 Richardson, Duck took over the Rake Kimber yard at Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough is a large town situated on the south bank of the River Tees in north east England, that sits within the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire...
. They built about 11 vessels at Middlesbrough and then sold the yard to Backhouse and Dixon
Sir Raylton Dixon
Sir Raylton Dixon , was a shipbuilder at Middlesbrough on the River Tees. He was one of the seven children of Jeremiah Dixon and Mary Frank of Cockfield, County Durham who were married on 21 July 1833 in St. Cuthberts, Darlington...
in 1862. In 1870 Richardson, Duck built (yard no. 160) which in 1884 was re-engined with a triple-expansion engine made by Blair & Co
George Young Blair
George Young Blair was a Scottish marine engineer, who specialised in the building of triple expansion engines at his factory Blair & Co., Ltd. in Stockton-on-Tees.-Business life:...
of Stockton-on-Tees
Stockton-on-Tees
Stockton-on-Tees is a market town in north east England. It is the major settlement in the unitary authority and borough of Stockton-on-Tees. For ceremonial purposes, the borough is split between County Durham and North Yorkshire as it also incorporates a number of smaller towns including...
.
In the 1900s Richardson, Duck started building steel hulls. By the end of that decade Richardson, Duck had built five hundred tramp steamers, other merchant ships and lighters
Lighter (barge)
A lighter is a type of flat-bottomed barge used to transfer goods and passengers to and from moored ships. Lighters were traditionally unpowered and were moved and steered using long oars called "sweeps," with their motive power provided by water currents...
. It had also become licensees for the Isherwood system of longitudinal framing.
Richardson, Duck's ships in 1911 included the cargo steamer SS Budapest (yard no. 616) which was later renamed SS Kerwood and in 1918 was commissioned into the US Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
as . In 1912 Richardson, Duck built 12 ships and became a limited liability company
Limited company
A limited company is a company in which the liability of the members or subscribers of the company is limited to what they have invested or guaranteed to the company. Limited companies may be limited by shares or by guarantee. And the former of these, a limited company limited by shares, may be...
.
During the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
the yard built the Arabis-class sloop
Arabis class sloop
The Arabis class was the third class of minesweeping sloops to be built under the Emergency War Programme for the Royal Navy in World War I as part of the larger "Flower Class", which were also referred to as the "Cabbage Class", or "Herbaceous Borders"...
(yard no. 661) and Aubretia-class sloop
Aubretia class sloop
The Aubretia class sloops were a class of twelve sloops built under the Emergency War Programme for the Royal Navy in World War I as part of the larger "Flower" class. They were also referred to as the "cabbage class", or "herbaceous borders"...
(yard no. 666). It also built a further dozen tramp steamers, eight standard War "A" tramps and a standard "AO" tanker. Richardson, Duck's wartime merchant orders included SS Farnworth
SS Empire Conveyor
Empire Conveyor was a 5,911 GRT cargo ship that was built in 1917 as Farnworth by Richardson, Duck and Company, Thornaby-on-Tees, England. After a sale in 1924 she was renamed Illinois. In 1926, she was sold to France, and in 1934 to Greece and was renamed Mount Pentelikon...
(yard no. 651), (yard no. 652) and launched in 1917; (yard no. 662), (yard no. 671), (yard no. 672) and (yard no. 673) all launched in 1918 and (yard no. 677) launched in 1919.
In 1919 Richardson, Duck became a public company
Public company
This is not the same as a Government-owned corporation.A public company or publicly traded company is a limited liability company that offers its securities for sale to the general public, typically through a stock exchange, or through market makers operating in over the counter markets...
and in 1920 James and Walter Gould acquired a controlling interest in it. In 1922 the yard suffered industrial action and a lack of orders. Richardson, Duck's final ship was (yard no. 689) in 1924. In May 1925 the Gould Group went into liquidation and in 1933 the yard was demolished.