Scotts Shipbuilding and Engineering Company
Encyclopedia
Scotts Shipbuilding and Engineering Company Limited, often referred to simply as Scotts, was a Scottish shipbuilding company based in Greenock
on the River Clyde
.
John Scott (II) and Robert Scott acquired the adjacent yard of R Steele & Company in 1883 to create the Cartsburn Dockyard, which was laid out for naval construction. By 1900 John Swire & Company were major shareholders and Henry Scott was a director of Swire Scotts. He specified and oversaw construction of Swire's Taikoo Dockyard in Hong Kong. Swire's was 25% owned by the Scott Family.
In 1925 Scott's took over Ross & Marshall's Cartsdyke Mid Yard. In 1934 they exchanged their Cartsdyke East yard for Cartsdyke Mid yard with Greenock Dockyard Ltd.
In June 1965 the Company took over Scott's & Sons (Bowling) Ltd and in December 1965 Scott's merged with the Greenock Dockyard Company
and the Cartsburn and Cartsdyke Dockyards were fully integrated in 1966.
In 1967 the Company merged with Lithgows
to form Scott Lithgow Ltd
, operating as Scotts Shipbuilding Co (1969) Ltd. Scott Lithgow Ltd was absorbed into the nationalised British Shipbuilders
in 1977.
Cartsdyke Shipyard was closed in 1979 and Cartsburn in 1984. In 1983 the Scott Lithgow company and yards were sold to Trafalgar House
.
Prior to the Cartsdyke yard closing in the late 1970's the yard was used to film part of a BBC 'Play for Today' entitled 'Just a Boys Game'. One of the main characters, Jake McQuillan, was a Crane Driver in the yard and some scenes were filmed there as part of the Friday morning setting where Jake's pal Dancer Dunnachie persuaded him to get a pass out from the yard and start out on a day of drifting, drinking and fighting that would ultimately cost Dancer his life. The play depicted the hard drinking Greenock life of the 1970's, set against a depressing backdrop of poor housing and declining industry. One of the scenes shot in the yard showed Dancer and Jake drinking in the crane cabin before convincing Jake's Foreman he had to leave because he had an ill relative. Just a Boys Game is regarded as a classic work and despite the sadness of Dancer losing his life and the depressing scenes the gallows humour throughout gives many a great laugh.
No further shipbuilding was undertaken and the 270 year old Scott shipbuilding company finally ceased trading in 1993. During their time in Greenock Scotts built over 1250 ships. Notable vessels built included the early Royal Mail Steam Packet Company liners Clyde, Solway, Tweed and Dee in 1841, S.S. "Thetis" of 1857, which John Scott IV (1830–1903) financed himself to test his theory about high pressure steam in the compound engine, which worked at c.120 lbs/square inch in "Thetis", the early tanker Narragannsett in 1903, the barque Archibald Russell, submarine
S1
, in 1914, the Cruiser HMS Glasgow
in 1937 and the drilling ship Ben Ocean Lancer in 1977. Principal customers of Scotts were A Holt & Co (Blue Funnel Line) (88 ships), China Navigation Co / John Swire (95 ships) and the Royal Navy
(114 ships). Scotts Assistant Manager James Richardson devised an early "Snorkel" for submarines, for which they were granted British Patent No.106330 of 1917. It was not taken up by the Admiralty
for use by the Royal Navy. (See "submarine snorkel") http://ep.espacenet.com/advancedSearch
Between 1988 and 1997 the Cartsburn and Cartsdyke shipyards were gradually demolished and redeveloped as insurance offices, computer warehouses and fast food restaurants.
In 2011 the MacLean Museum in Greenock will celebrate the 300 year anniversary of Scotts.
Portraits of some Scotts-built vessels were painted by the Greenock marine artist William Clark.(Glasgow Museum of Transport). A painting of the launch in 1818 from Scotts yard of the wood ship "Christian" was painted by the Anglo-US marine artist Robert Salmon.(Glasgow Museum of Transport).
There is extant the builder's certificate of S.S. "Thetis". Captain William Kennedy (1816–1876) of Greenock took S.S. "Thetis" for her trials on the Clyde.
Greenock
Greenock is a town and administrative centre in the Inverclyde council area in United Kingdom, and a former burgh within the historic county of Renfrewshire, located in the west central Lowlands of Scotland...
on the River 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....
.
History
The Company was founded by John Scott who commenced shipbuilding at Greenock in 1711. The Scott family took over the Greenock Foundry in 1790 and C G Scott started building at Cartsdyke Dockyard in 1850 as Scott & Company.John Scott (II) and Robert Scott acquired the adjacent yard of R Steele & Company in 1883 to create the Cartsburn Dockyard, which was laid out for naval construction. By 1900 John Swire & Company were major shareholders and Henry Scott was a director of Swire Scotts. He specified and oversaw construction of Swire's Taikoo Dockyard in Hong Kong. Swire's was 25% owned by the Scott Family.
In 1925 Scott's took over Ross & Marshall's Cartsdyke Mid Yard. In 1934 they exchanged their Cartsdyke East yard for Cartsdyke Mid yard with Greenock Dockyard Ltd.
Greenock Dockyard Company
The Greenock Dockyard Company was a Scottish shipbuilding and ship repair firm located at Greenock, on the River Clyde.-History:The company was established by J E Scott of Greenock, with the yard at Cartsdyke being taken over in 1879 by Russell and Company, of Greenock, which later became Lithgows...
In June 1965 the Company took over Scott's & Sons (Bowling) Ltd and in December 1965 Scott's merged with the Greenock Dockyard Company
Greenock Dockyard Company
The Greenock Dockyard Company was a Scottish shipbuilding and ship repair firm located at Greenock, on the River Clyde.-History:The company was established by J E Scott of Greenock, with the yard at Cartsdyke being taken over in 1879 by Russell and Company, of Greenock, which later became Lithgows...
and the Cartsburn and Cartsdyke Dockyards were fully integrated in 1966.
In 1967 the Company merged with Lithgows
Lithgows
Lithgows Limited, was a British shipbuilding company based in Kingston, Port Glasgow, on the River Clyde in Scotland.-Founding:The Company was established by Joseph Russell and his partners Anderson Rodger and William Lithgow who leased the Bay Yard in Port Glasgow from Cunliffe & Dunlop and...
to form Scott Lithgow Ltd
Scott Lithgow
-History:The Company was formed in 1967 by the merger of Scotts Shipbuilding and Engineering Company and Lithgows. Scott Lithgow was based in Port Glasgow and Greenock on the lower Clyde in Scotland. Scott Lithgow was nationalised and subsumed into British Shipbuilders in 1977...
, operating as Scotts Shipbuilding Co (1969) Ltd. Scott Lithgow Ltd was absorbed into the nationalised British Shipbuilders
British Shipbuilders
British Shipbuilders Corporation was a public corporation that owned and managed the shipbuilding industry in England and Scotland from 1977 and through the 1980s...
in 1977.
Cartsdyke Shipyard was closed in 1979 and Cartsburn in 1984. In 1983 the Scott Lithgow company and yards were sold to Trafalgar House
Trafalgar House (company)
Trafalgar House Public Limited Company was a British conglomerate with interests in property investment, property development, engineering, construction, shipping, hotels, energy and publishing...
.
Prior to the Cartsdyke yard closing in the late 1970's the yard was used to film part of a BBC 'Play for Today' entitled 'Just a Boys Game'. One of the main characters, Jake McQuillan, was a Crane Driver in the yard and some scenes were filmed there as part of the Friday morning setting where Jake's pal Dancer Dunnachie persuaded him to get a pass out from the yard and start out on a day of drifting, drinking and fighting that would ultimately cost Dancer his life. The play depicted the hard drinking Greenock life of the 1970's, set against a depressing backdrop of poor housing and declining industry. One of the scenes shot in the yard showed Dancer and Jake drinking in the crane cabin before convincing Jake's Foreman he had to leave because he had an ill relative. Just a Boys Game is regarded as a classic work and despite the sadness of Dancer losing his life and the depressing scenes the gallows humour throughout gives many a great laugh.
No further shipbuilding was undertaken and the 270 year old Scott shipbuilding company finally ceased trading in 1993. During their time in Greenock Scotts built over 1250 ships. Notable vessels built included the early Royal Mail Steam Packet Company liners Clyde, Solway, Tweed and Dee in 1841, S.S. "Thetis" of 1857, which John Scott IV (1830–1903) financed himself to test his theory about high pressure steam in the compound engine, which worked at c.120 lbs/square inch in "Thetis", the early tanker Narragannsett in 1903, the barque Archibald Russell, submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
S1
British S class submarine (1914)
The British S class submarine of 1914 were built by Scotts, Greenock just before World War I. The S class was based on an Italian design of the Laurenti boats.The design had ten internal bulkheads.Three vessels were constructed...
, in 1914, the Cruiser HMS Glasgow
HMS Glasgow (C21)
The seventh HMS Glasgow , built on the Clyde, was a Southampton-class light cruiser, a sub-class of the Town-class and commissioned in September 1937. She displaced 11,930 tons and had a top speed of 32 knots . She was part of the 2nd Cruiser Squadron of the Home Fleet; she escorted the...
in 1937 and the drilling ship Ben Ocean Lancer in 1977. Principal customers of Scotts were A Holt & Co (Blue Funnel Line) (88 ships), China Navigation Co / John Swire (95 ships) and the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
(114 ships). Scotts Assistant Manager James Richardson devised an early "Snorkel" for submarines, for which they were granted British Patent No.106330 of 1917. It was not taken up by the Admiralty
Admiralty
The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
for use by the Royal Navy. (See "submarine snorkel") http://ep.espacenet.com/advancedSearch
Between 1988 and 1997 the Cartsburn and Cartsdyke shipyards were gradually demolished and redeveloped as insurance offices, computer warehouses and fast food restaurants.
In 2011 the MacLean Museum in Greenock will celebrate the 300 year anniversary of Scotts.
Portraits of some Scotts-built vessels were painted by the Greenock marine artist William Clark.(Glasgow Museum of Transport). A painting of the launch in 1818 from Scotts yard of the wood ship "Christian" was painted by the Anglo-US marine artist Robert Salmon.(Glasgow Museum of Transport).
There is extant the builder's certificate of S.S. "Thetis". Captain William Kennedy (1816–1876) of Greenock took S.S. "Thetis" for her trials on the Clyde.